The Vietnam Education Foundation 2011 Annual Report

Annual Report 2011 Page 35
VEF met with the following House of Representative offices during this reporting period:
1. Dan Burton (Indiana 5th District, R)
2. Steve Chabot (Ohio 1st District, R)
3. Bill Johnson (Ohio 6th District-R)
4. Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania 3rd District, R)
5. Loretta Sanchez (California 47 th District-Orange County, D)
6. Brad Sherman (California 24th District, D)
7. Frederica Wilson (Florida 17th District, D)
VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
In building the relationship with Vietnamese government entities, VEF meets regularly with government
ministries in Vietnam as well as with the Vietnam Embassy in the United States. The purpose of the meetings is
not only to maintain positive on-going relationships, but also to introduce new Board members as well as new
VEF staff and select program participants; to update the ministries and the Embassy on VEF successes and
activities; to hear about any concerns or interests; and to invite Vietnamese government representatives to attend
VEF events as observers and/or as keynote speakers.
In Vietnam, VEF maintains frequent contacts with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) as well as
the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). Besides these two ministries, during this reporting period,
VEF also had meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Typically, major meetings are scheduled
during the visits of the VEF Executive Director to Vietnam and, in particular, when VEF Board members are in
Vietnam to attend a VEF event.
In the United States, the Executive Director maintains close relationships with the Vietnam Embassy in
Washington, D.C. During this reporting period, VEF assisted the representative of MOST at the Vietnam
Embassy in communications with, and introductions to, various U.S. universities.
Every year, VEF invites the Minister or Vice Minister of MOET and of MOST (or their representative) to give
keynote speeches at the VEF Annual Conference in the United States and at the VEF Alumni Conference in
Vietnam, and VEF pays their expenses. VEF also invites them to attend other VEF events as observers at their
own cost. In addition, VEF invites the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States to speak at the VEF Annual
Conference. Other representatives from the Vietnam Embassy in Washington, D.C., are also invited to the Annual
Conference at their own cost. In this way, VEF Fellows, Scholars, and Alumni have an opportunity to hear from,
and interact with, top government officials from Vietnam; and the MOET, MOST, and Embassy representatives
have the opportunity to observe VEF activities first-hand.
Through all of these interactions, VEF creates and maintains good-will and cooperation and builds further the
relationship between the United States and Vietnam.