May 15, 2009

American Colleges Raise the Flag in Vietnam

Interest in partnerships with local institutions is high, but so are the bureaucratic hurdles

By MARTHA ANN OVERLAND

More than 30 years after the U.S. ambassador was airlifted from the embassy rooftop in Saigon with the flag tucked under his arm, a new American flag is going up in the city. This one won't be flying over the embassy. The Stars and Stripes, as well as the Texas state flag, are going up at the Saigon Institute of Technology, the only Vietnamese college to offer an American-accredited two-year degree.

"They've come a long way since 1975," says Gigi Do, director of international