SAN BERNARDINO— In an ongoing effort to expand partnerships in Southeast Asia, the College of Extended Learning (CEL) at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) arranged a two-day visit for a group of Vietnamese educational administrators on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 9-10. The sixty-five Vietnamese presidents and vice presidents represent universities, colleges and technical institutes from throughout the nation. They are participants in the Vietnamese National Institute of Education Management (NIEM) and seek to learn more about the U.S. system of higher education.

CSUSB President Albert Karnig, college deans, professors and administrators will meet with the visitors, who will be accompanied by an English interpreter. Discussion topics will include: university leadership; strategic planning; human resource management; curriculum development to meet the needs of students and society; and collaboration between higher education, industry and science. Vietnamese administrators who oversee specific disciplines, such as education, business, science and the arts, will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with their CSUSB counterparts. The two-day visit will end with a group tour of the campus.

“We’re pleased to host this group of educational leaders from Vietnam,” said Dr. Tatiana Karmanova, dean of the College of Extended Learning. “Cal State San Bernardino has a strong presence in Asia, and we look forward to developing new international partnerships that will benefit the university as well as the local economy.”

Vietnam’s recent economic growth highlights deficits in their system of higher education. A major effort is underway to upgrade curriculum and make a college or university education accessible to more of the population. The Vietnamese National Institute of Education Management, which initiated contact with CSUSB, is run by the country’s Ministry of Education and Training,

For more information about CEL’s Southeast Asia programs, contact Dr. Julie Ciancio at (909) 537-3952, by E-mail at jciancio@csusb.edu, or visit the Web site at http://cel.csusb.edu.

About the College of Extended Learning—The College of Extended Learning is the academic unit within California State University, San Bernardino dedicated to professional education, career training and lifelong learning courses. CEL administers the Open University program through which non-CSUSB students can take University courses on a space-available basis. CEL also operates the International Extension Program for international students and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for mature learners.