College of Foreign Languages

On Monday, we started our first day of classes at the same time that a group from the University of Washington started their course of study. The UCR students are to the left and above is a sign welcoming each program. Pictured next to me (David) is Dean Phuoc and to his left, Dr. Christoph Geibel, head of the Washington group. Christoph served on my dissertation committee during my graduate study at the University of Washington; and I assisted him in leading a trip to Hanoi in 2000. So our association with study abroad trips goes back a few years. When Christoph asked me about possible hosts for his program open to U.S. students this summer, I sent him right to Hue. Having two American groups here seems to be fun for the students, both the Americans and the Vietnamese. The UW group will leave Hue in another week and spend two weeks in the former De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) working with veterans' groups on tree-planting and other rehabilitation projects. The UCR group will participate in service-learning internships in the city of Hue working with Vietnamese students at Hue Hospital, Thuong Lac Free Health Clinic, the Hue Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Hue Sports Center, and Duc Son Orphanage. Also in this picture, far left, is Mr. Huy, the logistics person in the Department of Vietnamese Studies who is largely responsible for organizing these programs.



Each year we have a welcome ceremony and this year, the College supplied each UCR student with Hue University logo gear. Sporting the ballcaps are Chau, Tri and Jonathan. Not pictured here are the Vietnamese students who will work with them on their service projects this summer.









Classes take place in this room, part of the ground floor of an old, French-era villa where the college has its temporary campus until the new, modern campus is completed this summer. Each room comes with ethernet, lcd projector, aircon, ceiling fans, and flowers (only on the first day!). Like UCR, Hue University is going through a massive building phase, and all of the various colleges around town will move to a new, American-style campus complete with green space and kids throwing frisbees on the grass.