Dr. Le Thanh Huyen from the Faculty of Quality Management at the University of Education – Vietnam National University Hanoi, will participate in the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project’s Visiting Scholar Program (VSP) at Indiana University, Indianapolis, from September to November 2024. 

With a Ph.D. in Leadership and Education Policy, Dr. Huyen is an expert in education policy research and evaluation, as well as leadership within education institutions. During her exchange period at Indiana University, Dr. Huyen will deepen her research on the tuition-waiver policy for students majoring in the field of education in Vietnam; she seeks to better understand how the Vietnamese government’s tuition-waiver policy for pedagogical students, implemented from 1998 to 2020, has affected key stakeholders.

“Our understanding of the impact of Vietnam’s tuition-waiver policy for teacher training students still has many gaps. Through my research I intend to deepen how we understand the impacts of the tuition-waiver policy on Education students in Vietnam – a policy with humanistic and historical significance in the development of the Vietnamese education system from 1996 to the present,” said Dr. Huyen regarding her motivation for undertaking research on this particular topic.

Dr. Huyen will employ qualitative research methods, including semi-structured in-depth interviews to investigate the changing context and efficacy of this policy over time. The research questions in the semi-structured questionnaire include topics such as the roles of key stakeholders, the educational or professional contexts of the interviewees, and the specific effects of the tuition fee waiver policy. In addition to interview data, the study will incorporate secondary sources pertinent to the research. Dr. Huyen hopes that “the research results will serve as the basis for policy makers to consider adjusting and implementing tuition policies, ultimately improving the quality of training for pedagogical students.”

In addition to her research, Dr. Huyen intends to engage with the dynamic academic community at Indiana University through workshops, seminars, and collaborative projects, thereby expanding her research network and professional skills in the field of education. These activities are expected to enhance her own teaching practices and help her to develop more innovative approaches to her work.

Upon completing the program, Dr. Huyen will share her newly acquired knowledge and experience to enhance the research capabilities of fellow scholars at the University of Education. Dr. Huyen’s participation in the Visiting Scholar Program is expected to yield positive outcomes for the education policy research community in general and for the University of Education in particular.

The Visiting Scholar Program (VSP) under the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project supports scholars from (1) Vietnam National University, (2) the University of Danang, and (3) Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City. The goal is to improve the research and teaching capacity of scholars across Vietnam while expanding partnerships with higher education institutions in the United States. In the Summer and Fall of 2024, the VSP will send a total of 21 scholars from Vietnam’s three major public university systems to host institutions in the United States for academic research and exchange experiences.