U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak's Speech at the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of the Education Advisory Center

Remarks by U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the U.S. Education Advising Center

Dear officials representing the Ministry of Education and Training, education officials, distinguished guests and journalists. Thank you for joining me today to officially open the Trung tâm Tư vấn Giáo dục Hoa Kỳ (EducationUSA) at Ha Noi.

Here is the translated text in English:

INFORMATION ABOUT EDUCATIONUSA

EducationUSA is a global network of more than 400 advising centers supported by the U.S. Department of State. It is the only official higher education advising organization of the U.S. Government abroad. The EducationUSA Advising Center is an integral part of our broader effort to further promote understanding of educational opportunities in the United States and the benefits of an American education.

The mission of the EducationUSA Advising Center is to promote U.S. higher education by providing comprehensive, objective, and accurate information about educational institutions in the U.S. while advising individuals on how to access these opportunities. All of these support services are provided entirely free of charge to the public. Students and parents who are interested and serious about studying in the United States will receive assistance from the Center.

Our advisor, Ms. Huyền, is an alumna of the University of Northern Iowa and Marshall University. She is currently an official employee of the U.S. Embassy and will assist Vietnamese students in finding universities that align with their goals and interests. However, we understand that choosing the right school among thousands of excellent universities in the United States can be a significant challenge. Questions often arise, such as whether to attend a public or private university, whether their English skills are sufficient for academic success in the U.S., and how parents can afford their child’s education. Our advisor can help students and parents find answers to these questions and assist them through the unfamiliar process of applying to their chosen schools.

Some parents may choose to work through an intermediary to find suitable schools in the U.S. for their children. These intermediaries represent one or more schools in Vietnam and are compensated for their services by either the clients (you) or the schools they represent—or both. If you are considering using an intermediary, it is essential to inquire about the fees for their services. Additionally, you should understand that intermediaries cannot guarantee your child’s acceptance into a school or the issuance of a student visa. Any agent that promises to secure admission or guarantee a visa is not being entirely honest with you. The U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Department of State do not endorse any agents or oversee their operations abroad. Therefore, we encourage parents and students to thoroughly investigate and verify any agent before signing a contract to ensure you receive the services you are paying for. Remember, you do not need to pay for educational advising services—EducationUSA offers them free of charge.

Each year, more than 600,000 international students—including over 13,000 Vietnamese students—choose to study in the United States. This reflects a 960% increase in Vietnamese students in the U.S. since 1997. One key reason for this trend is the quality of higher education institutions in the U.S. To maintain these high standards, the U.S. relies on a decentralized system of quality assurance known as accreditation. I know this is a topic of interest in Vietnam, and I would like to explain the U.S. accreditation system. This system evaluates and recognizes quality standards for higher education programs and institutions. In the U.S., accreditation is a voluntary process not managed by a centralized authority, unlike in most other countries. This means students must verify whether a university is accredited.

Because the U.S. does not have a centralized accreditation system, colleges and universities are accredited regionally by six independent accrediting agencies. These six regional organizations accredit nearly 4,000 degree-granting institutions across the United States. EducationUSA advisors represent all accredited institutions in the U.S. The U.S. developed its accreditation system in the 1950s when American veterans returned from the Korean War and received government assistance to resume their education. The demand for education increased, leading to the establishment of new colleges and universities. However, not all of these institutions maintained high academic standards. The U.S. government introduced laws to establish a non-governmental peer evaluation system to measure the quality of educational institutions through the six regional accrediting bodies I mentioned.

Today, the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (a non-governmental organization) are responsible for recognizing accrediting organizations and providing guidelines and information on these bodies. However, the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA do not directly accredit universities. Accreditation is divided into two levels: regional and national. Regionally accredited universities are typically academically oriented and non-profit, while nationally accredited institutions are often for-profit and focus on technical, vocational, and career training programs.

Just as universities consider their partnerships with U.S. institutions, Vietnamese students must carefully research the schools they wish to attend to determine if they meet academic standards. Similarly, Vietnamese universities seeking to collaborate with U.S. institutions should thoroughly assess whether they want to establish partnerships based on high academic standards. The first and most critical step in determining a university’s legitimacy and quality is to check if it is accredited by a recognized accrediting body. To do this, visit the websites of the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Additional information on accreditation is available on the U.S. Embassy’s website, which includes specific questions to guide you in evaluating a university’s quality.

The U.S. Embassy is also committed to fostering deeper relationships between U.S. and Vietnamese universities. Accreditation is the starting point for all discussions. If a U.S. university is not accredited or does not have an active plan to pursue accreditation, we will not support its efforts to establish partnerships abroad. The reason is that such a university has not demonstrated its commitment to meeting necessary quality standards. We also encourage Vietnamese universities to continue supporting joint training programs with accredited U.S. institutions, as these programs bring the benefits of an American education to Vietnamese students locally.

Over the past three years, I have worked hard to build sustainable educational partnerships between Vietnam and the United States. In addition to increasing the number of Vietnamese students studying in the U.S. and developing joint training programs, we have also established public-private partnerships such as the Intel and Arizona State University program, which focuses on undergraduate engineering education. This program, initiated by USAID just three weeks ago, highlights the benefits of stronger educational collaboration between our two countries.

Thank you, and I am now happy to take your questions.