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Dr. Catherine Y. Co Completes a Fulbright Specialist Fellowship in Vietnam

Department of Economics Professor Catherine Y. Co recently completed a four-week Fulbright Specialist Fellowship at the International School - Thai Nguyen University (ISTNU) in Vietnam.

  • published: 2023/09/18
  • contact: Melissa Lindell Kozak - Sr. Director of Communications & Marketing, UNO CBA
Catherine Co wearing Vietnam’s traditional dress, the ao dai. In front of a building

Catherine Co. At ISTNU, Vietnam’s traditional dress is the ao dai (a gift from one of ISTNU’s staff).

Department of Economics Professor Catherine Y. Co recently completed a four-week Fulbright Specialist Fellowship at the International School - Thai Nguyen University (ISTNU) in Vietnam. Dr. Co conducted several student workshops on international trade and statistics and curriculum development and research methodology workshops for faculty. She also co-led a workshop on digital transformation for area high school students.

According to Dr. Co, ISTNU was an ideal place for a trade economist to visit. The university has a multi-year plan to increase its international engagement and network which includes internationalizing its business and economics curricula. Besides its educational mission, the university aims to play a key role in the socio-economic development of the region.

“The students, faculty, and staff treated me as part of their community right away. The faculty were very generous with their time, making sure that the workshops run smoothly; but, also arranging activities such as visiting a tea farm and museum in Thai Nguyen," Dr. Co said.

Dr. Co views this short visit as the first step to a long-term engagement with ISTNU faculty and students. She is committed to building an institution-level engagement between UNO and ISTNU. She also plans to develop new opportunities for UNO students interested in international business, trade, and development. “This FSP fellowship opens opportunities to build on the successes of my prior Fulbright award (2014-15) in Vietnam which gave UNO students since 2017 an opportunity to be involved in a unique handicraft project with societal impact,” Dr. Co said.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational and cultural exchange program. Through its various faculty and student programs, Fulbrighters build “lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries—building mutual understanding between nations, advancing knowledge across communities, and improving lives around the world.”

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program offers U.S. citizens the opportunity “to teach, conduct research, and carry out professional projects around the world.” These awards typically require an academic-year or semester long commitment at a host institution abroad. The Fulbright Specialist Program is a two to six weeks long project-based opportunity for U.S. scholars.

Dr. Co is happy to share her experience with the Fulbright application process with faculty interested in the Fulbright program. Feel free to reach out to her at cco@unomaha.edu.