CET VIETNAM
PUBLIC HEALTH & SERVICE-LEARNING IN HO CHI MINH CITY Spring, Summer, Fall 2015
While in Vietnam, I had an internship at Action For The City, a small NGO. The organization strives to improve the environmental conditions of urban dwellers by promoting sustainable lifestyles and supporting organic farming…. Working with this NGO has definitely motivated me to find ways in my own life to be less wasteful. They have shown me that education and effective leadership can go a long way in influencing people… — Josh Serrano, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Vietnam Fall 2013 cetacademicprograms.com
Why Study Abroad
in Vietnam? You will witness an emerging Asian nation up close. Vietnam’s rapid economic and social change of the last 50 years, along with its historical and political links to the major powers of the region, make it the perfect lens through which to study development in Asia. You can connect the local and the global. Deforestation in the Mekong River Basin, the effects of Agent Orange, the impact of the Vietnam War on the next generation’s economy—these issues can be examined locally in Vietnam, but hold global relevance on the world stage. You can gain hands-on experience in Public Health. Vietnam faces complex public health challenges, made more acute by decades of war. Pre-med students can analyze these problems in hospital settings. Social scientists can study public health infrastructure. Environmental studies students can focus on the health impacts of pollution.
Studying in Vietnam allows you to learn about and observe the influences of the entire region. Whether you’re looking at the impact of Chinese politics or Korean pop culture, Vietnam and its rapid development offer great insight into all of Asia. — Shannon Donnellan, Clark University, Vietnam Spring 2014
Living in
Ho Chi Minh City
LEARNING ABOUT THE CITY Students tour local Buddhist and Daoist temples to learn about Vietnamese religious practices. They use their budding Vietnamese language skills to bargain at the market. They head to the Women’s Museum to examine how gender roles are constructed in modern Vietnam. SERVICE-LEARNING INTERNSHIPS For their service-learning placements, some past students have collaborated with Vietnamese staff to complete web design work at the Green Bamboo Shelter. Others have worked with Vietnamese student volunteers at Cau Han Learning Project to develop artbased teaching modules for families affected by HIV/AIDS. And others, with medical experience, have observed at Cho Ray Hospital.
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FULL SUPPORT FROM STAFF Dr. Christophe Robert, Program Director, has studied Vietnam since the 1990s, has a PhD in cultural anthropology (Cornell, 2005), and calls Ho Chi Minh City home. Dr. Robert is on site to help students connect the dots of their study abroad experience—from academic inquiry, to service-learning placements, to daily life. EXCURSIONS: SEEING ANOTHER SIDE OF VIETNAM The program arranges a traveling seminar to the Mekong Delta. Students travel down the Delta by boat, visit local markets, textile mills and pottery kilns to learn about the local economy, bike through rice fields and orchards, and stay overnight in local homes.
Vietnamese
Roommates
“THE BEST PART OF THE PROGRAM” – CET alumni CET Vietnam students share guesthouse rooms with local roommates—local university students who speak English and are excited to share their country and culture. It doesn’t take long for students and
roommates to bond. Before long, they are enjoying an evening of karaoke, discovering which cafés have the best Vietnamese coffee, or getting a group together for bowling night.
The most important part to me is the cultural exchange with our roommates. When I am with them, I almost feel that I am more myself than when I am with some of my friends in the United States. They have taught me so much about myself, Vietnam, and countless other things. I feel that we have taught them a lot about American culture as well (though we’re still working on the slang). — Brett Fox, Duke University, Vietnam Summer 2013
Academics in the
spring or fall semester
INTERNSHIP Course + placement. At least 12 hours/week. 4 credits. Optional. Course: International Service in the Developing World Placement: At a public health or other philanthropic organization
VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE
ONE TO THREE ELECTIVES
75 hours for 5 credits or 130 hours for 8 credits.
Taught in English. 45 hours. 3 credits.
Beginning through heritage-learner levels. Students select hours based on credit needs.
Challenges in Vietnam’s Development Public Health in Vietnam Visualizing Southeast Asia
RÉSUMÉ BUILDERS Students leave Vietnam with an internship portfolio and collaborative teamwork experience in hand. These key résumé-builders allow students to march on to the job market with confidence, and stand out as candidates not merely interested in global issues, but experienced in actually trying to solve them.
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Spend your
summer term in Vietnam See international development in action. The summer program allows students to study the effects of development on public health issues. Students of all academic fields and Vietnamese language levels are welcome.
INTERNSHIP Course + placement. At least 12 hours/week. 2 credits. Required. Course: International Service in the Developing World Placement: At a public health or other philanthropic organization
VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE Beginning through heritage-learner levels. 65 hours. 3 credits.
PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGH DEVELOPMENT Taught in English. 45 hours. 3 credits.
DEVOTE YOUR ENTIRE SUMMER TO SERVICE Another CET option for students inspired by service: Vietnam Summer Service. Students head to the rural Vietnamese countryside and perform group service projects (much of it manual labor). They work alongside locals and are paired with Vietnamese roommates, all while earning academic credit. cetacademicprograms.com/summer-service
APPLY ONLINE www.cetacademicprograms.com
SEMESTER
SPRING 2015
SUMMER 2015
FALL 2015
Application Deadline
11/01/14
03/01/15
05/01/15
Program Length
16 weeks
8 weeks
16 weeks
Arrival Date
02/04/15
06/10/15
08/26/15
Departure Date
05/29/15
08/10/15
12/14/15
Program Fee
$16,990
$7,790
$16,990
Recommended Credits
14 to 18
8 to 9
14 to 18
CREDIT, TRANSCRIPTS & HOST UNIVERSITY CET partners with Hong Bang University. CET and the partner institution issue official transcripts that list each course taken with the corresponding grade earned and hours attended. For more information about credits, transcripts, host universities, and program oversight and administration, visit the CET website at: www.cetacademicprograms.com.
WHO IS CET? CET Academic Programs is a study abroad organization based in Washington, DC that has been designing and administering innovative educational programs abroad since 1982. Originally “China Educational Tours,” CET began operations in Beijing, later expanding to other cities in China and then to other countries around the world. Today, CET offers semester and summer study abroad programs in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Tunisia and Vietnam, as well as short-term, customized programs worldwide. CET is known for high academic standards, innovative approaches to teaching and careful student management. CET programs integrate students into their overseas communities and lead them to create lasting relationships with their local hosts. CET is the only US provider to house its students with local roommates in each of its locations. As an environmentally conscientious organization, CET adopts locally appropriate measures in its centers worldwide to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to sustainable practices wherever possible. Staffed by over 50 full-time employees in the United States and overseas, CET currently sends around 1100 US students abroad annually. PHOTO CREDITS: P3 Top: Kim Moore, Marymount University. P3 Bottom: Anna Shayo, Clark University. P6 Left: Christophe Robert, Vietnam Program Director. All other photos courtesy of CET staff.
CONTACT US CET Academic Programs | 1920 N Street NW, Suite 200 | Washington, DC 20036 1.800.225.4262 | cet@academic-travel.com | www.cetacademicprograms.com
Copyright CET Academic Programs © 2014
ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES CET’s admissions requirements include an online application form, a transcript, a foreign language writing sample, one letter of recommendation and an application fee that is applied to the tuition balance upon acceptance. Some other materials, including a valid passport, may also be required depending on the program. CET is committed to providing equal opportunity to study abroad and does not discriminate. More information may be found online at: www.cetacademicprograms.com.