During a visit to Vietnam in May of last year, then-President Barack Obama announced plans for Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV), the country’s first independent, nonprofit university, backed by the U.S. state department, the Massachusetts-based Trust for University Innovation in Vietnam, and private donors. “The goal is to make sure that Vietnamese students, no matter what their background, has access to a world-class education that’s rooted in Vietnam’s rich culture, and fueled by the free exchange of ideas,” Obama said at a town hall event during that visit.
Now, after winning a design competition earlier this year, New York-based firm SHoP is getting to work on masterplanning this pioneering university’s two campuses in Ho Chi Minh City. “Working with the FUV team from the ground up to develop the university’s programs and spaces is an incredible honor and just the sort of challenge we thrive on,” said SHoP principal Gregg Pasquarelli, AIA, in a firm press release. The campuses are scheduled to begin opening next year.
