The International Development Fellowship (IDF) provides opportunities for IU students to support international projects managed by the Office of International Development (OID) and actively engage with visitors from different parts of the world. This fellowship gives students an opportunity to expand their perspectives, understanding, and exposure to global situations, cultures, and people.
This year, the International Development Fellowship supported the IU Partnership for Higher Education (PHER) project in Vietnam. This is the first time this fellowship has coincided with the PHER project; previously in 2022, the IDF took place alongside the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The fellowship was granted to two internationally-focused IU students who got the opportunity to attend both week-long workshops that took place on September 18-22 and October 23-27, 2023. During this time, OID hosted more than 60 visitors –about 30 per workshop–from Vietnam National University Hanoi, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Đà Nẵng.
The PHER project, funded by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to strengthen teaching, research, innovation, and governance within Vietnam’s three largest national universities. Spearheaded by O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Anh Tran and Teshome Alemneh, Associate Vice President for International Research and Development, and Head of IU’s Office of International Development, the project embodies a collaborative effort between IU and Vietnamese academic institutions.
The fellows were brought in to work alongside this international project as a valuable learning opportunity. They had the chance to glean insights directly from the PHER delegation, learning about Vietnamese educational systems, programs, and unique aspects of their participation. This exposure contributed to their understanding of international higher education and fostered cross-cultural learning experiences. It also allowed the IDFs to engage with the project team, actively support project management and leadership activities, and to learn how to apply their knowledge to future projects.
The 2023 International Development Fellowship welcomed two fellows: Alex Hao, a senior at IU pursuing his Bachelor’s degrees in Public Policy Analysis, Finance, and Business Analytics with a minor in International Relations, and Daniel Farrell, a master’s student at IU studying International Relations.
Alex, drawing from his prior experiences with esteemed organizations such as the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the Council on Foreign Relations, joined the fellowship to further enhance his critical thinking and communication skills while delving deeper into international business and public policies in Vietnam. According to Alex, “The PHER workshop was a great opportunity to not only meet and interact with higher education professionals, but also learn about Vietnam. Through my conversations with various members of the Vietnamese delegation, I learned about the differences in responsibility between professors at American universities versus their counterparts in Vietnam.”
Daniel has experience as an Admissions Counselor at the University of Indianapolis and as a Field Director for Ashley Eason’s Indiana State Senate campaign. He also has international and higher education experience working within several offices at Purdue University, including the Military Family Research Institute, International Scholars Services, and the Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement. Daniel participated in the International Development Fellowship program to enhance his cross-cultural skills and understanding of Vietnam, and to take advantage of one of the many international opportunities IU has to offer. Daniel emphasizes, “As someone with a professional background in higher education, I was happy to learn more about the Vietnamese higher education system. I was also impressed by the partnership in the first place; seeing a major American university working directly with Vietnamese universities with the aim of improving their system was a unique opportunity.”
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