Skip to main content

UNO Builds International Partnerships in Vietnam During Governor’s Trade Mission

  • published: 2023/07/21
  • contact: Brandon Bartling - Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications
  • email: unonews@unomaha.edu

Serving as the educational representative for the state of Nebraska on a trade mission to Vietnam, Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, partnered with Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen to build international relationships, bolstering opportunities for recruitment, study abroad, and collaboration between institutions.

Chancellor Li joined Gov. Pillen, Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton, and other representatives from ag-related business, academic, and government sectors as part of a trade mission designed to grow trade opportunities that will benefit the state. The delegation met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other government officials, agricultural representatives, academic leaders, and UNO alumni across Vietnam during the weeklong mission.

Chancellor Li and Jody Neathery-Castro, Ph.D., interim associate vice chancellor for global engagement, and Trang Hoang, Ph.D., assistant professor of public administration, met with three universities. UNO initiated partnership conversations with Fulbright University Vietnam and entered into memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Eastern International University (EIU) near Ho Chi Minh City and the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA) near Hanoi.

The MOUs are intended to open doors for recruitment, exchange and study abroad opportunities, and collaborations between UNO and institutions in Vietnam. UNO intends to enter into a similar MOU with Quy Nhon University (QNU) Vietnam at a later date.

“Establishing international partnerships not only brings UNO to the world, but importantly, it brings the world to UNO,” Chancellor Li said. “It has been an honor to serve as an educational representative for the state of Nebraska alongside Gov. Pillen on this important trade mission to Vietnam that will not only benefit the state’s agricultural industry and trade partners, but also global engagement and recruitment here at UNO.”

Vietnam consistently ranks in the top 10 countries from which international students travel to attend UNO. International students from all countries at both the undergraduate and graduate levels often study business, computer science and cybersecurity, engineering and aviation when attending UNO.

Chancellor Li’s role as educational representative on the governor’s trade mission complements UNO’s focus on international recruitment and the University of Nebraska System’s vision to educate citizens of Nebraska. UNO set a goal to grow the international student population to comprise 10% of the student body by 2027 to offer students authentic opportunities to learn about themselves and the world they live in, and to attract leading international talent to Nebraska to help fill workforce shortages.