Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is a large, bustling city that has grown rapidly in recent years. While Hanoi reflects Vietnam’s long and tumultuous past in the ancient merchant streets of its unique Old Quarter, the colonial facades of the French Quarter, the monuments and houses of Ho Chi Minh and the relics of the struggle for independence and the “American War”, it has also embraced the open economic policies of doi moi that are transforming Vietnam.
The country is experiencing an exciting period of change and Hanoi is the perfect vantage point to witness these changes. Vietnam is at a crossroads as the country navigates between Communism and open markets, a glorious (and also painful) past and an uncertain future, and increasing inequalities between rich and poor, city and countryside.
About the Program
One of the first semester-long study abroad opportunities in Vietnam, the HWS program in Hanoi enables students to explore an ancient Asian civilization which is undergoing a dramatic process of transition and modernization. Students will begin intensive Vietnamese language instruction through VLS (Vietnamese Language Studies) in Ho Chi Minh City upon their arrival in Vietnam, continuing under the direction of faculty from VLS in Hanoi. An internship or independent study project is required.
Students will take four courses while in Vietnam.
Fall 2021 Director’s Seminar: Introduction to Cultural Psychology (1 credit)
The purpose of the course is to encourage students to think about the way that culture influences human behavior, cognition, and emotion. Students will examine issues of cultural and ethnic group identity and bias/prejudice in Southeast Asia, focusing on Vietnam and its neighbors. Some topics of focus will include issues of post-colonialism, attitudes of and about Indigenous groups, ethnic and cultural identity and its development, and solutions to problems based in ethnic/cultural oppression and prejudice.
This course is the introductory course to the two upper-level cross-cultural psychology courses at HWS and will help prepare students for those courses. Students participating in the Vietnam program who have already taken PSY 245 may do extra work in order to receive credit for PSY 346 Topics in Cultural Psychology. (The additional work for PSY 346 will focus on the topics above, but in youth - that is, developmental issues related to these topics).
Vietnamese History and Culture (1 credit)
In this course, students learn about Vietnamese history, aspects of Vietnamese culture, and current social, environmental, and political issues. Students write papers based on presentations provided by local university faculty as well as practitioners and specialists from a variety of fields, and excursions organized by CET Academic Programs and Asia Academic Experience, our on-site institutional partners. A translator is provided when necessary.
Vietnamese Language (1 credit)
Students will begin intensive instruction upon their arrival in Ho Chi Minh City and continue under the direction of faculty from VLS while in Hanoi. This course is designed to enhance the student’s ability to understand, speak, read, and write Vietnamese and follows an interactive and communication-oriented approach.
Internship/Independent Research project (1 credit)
Students will complete an internship arranged in collaboration with our institutional partner, Asia Academic Experience, or an independent research project overseen by a faculty member on the home campus.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
This program is particularly well-suited for students studying psychology, anthropology, Asian Studies, and history, as well as those in the social sciences interested in the challenges facing rapidly developing societies. The opportunity to pursue an internship makes this program accessible to a wide range of students.
The program is open to all sophomores, juniors and seniors in good academic and social standing with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Students will be required to have successfully completed a Reader’s College orientation course during the spring semester preceding the program. Due to the challenging nature of study abroad, student academic and disciplinary records will be carefully screened.
In Ho Chi Minh City students will be housed in double rooms in a guesthouse near the language school they will attend. In Hanoi students will be housed in double rooms in a residence operated by the Vietnamese Government. The facility is centrally located near markets and restaurants where students may take meals.
Excursions are an important part of the program because they give students the opportunity to experience different areas of the country. In addition to time spent in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, previous programs have visited locations including the Mekong Delta, the Central Highlands, the northern border area, Halong Bay, and coastal areas around Hoi An (an old seaport) and Hue (the imperial capital).
There will also be course-related visits to various cultural and historical sites in and around Hanoi including museums, national parks, craft villages, and Buddhist pagodas and pilgrimage sites.
Students will be charged standard HWS tuition and fees, room fees, and a $600 administrative fee. This will cover tuition for a four-course semester, health insurance, housing, and program-related activities and excursions. Note that no HWS board fee will be charged. Students should plan to bring their board fee to cover meal expenses throughout the program. We estimate that $1750-$2000 should be sufficient.
Additional expenses not covered include airfare, visa, immunizations, books, and personal expenses (laundry, entertainment, ground transportation, and independent travel). We estimate airfare for this program at $1300-$1400 from the East Coast, visa at $50, and books at $200. Immunizations vary but we would estimate $125-$250. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of personal expenses because student spending habits differ considerably. We would suggest a minimum of $1250 above and beyond meal expenses. However, students on a tight budget should be able to manage with less. If you are concerned about finances we strongly encourage you to talk to the CGE staff who can offer information and advice based on your specific situation.
HWS students must complete all components of the Global Education application in order to be considered for admission to this program.
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This program is offered every Fall semester.
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All components of the application must be submitted online by the published deadline. Specific deadline dates are set each semester and will be in late September/early October (for Fall programs) and late February/early March (for Spring programs).
Program Handbook
IMPORTANT: The handbook(s) below is/are the most recent handbook(s) published for this program. A new version, with updated information, will be made available each semester. Program participants will receive their updated handbook approximately 2-3 months prior to their program’s start date.
FALL HANDBOOK
Please DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS until you have received final confirmation of the program start/finish dates for the specific semester you are attending. Dates included in versions of the program handbook intended for previous semesters do not necessarily apply to future programs.
NOTE: The information above is subject to change. Please see the CGE for more information.
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