FPT University

FPT University is a private information technology university in Hanoi City, Vietnam established in 2006.cite news|title=FPT University receives licence|date=2006-09-28|work=Vietnamnet Bridge|publisher=Vietnam News Agency|accessdate=2008-01-13|url=http://english.vietnamnet.vn/education/2006/09/616794/] The name comes from that of the managing organisation, the Corporation for Financing and Promoting Technology, or FPT for short. [cite news|work=Vietnam Economic News Online|publisher=Ministry of Trade, Vietnam|date=2007-07-24|archivedate=2008-01-01|accessdate=2008-01-13|title=FPT's Creativity City|last=Hai|first=Ho|archiveurl=http://209.85.175.104/search?q=cache:0pKM4L3qu24J:www.ven.vn/English/Default.aspx%3Fnews%3D1531&ct=clnk&cd=70&client=firefox|url=http://www.ven.vn/English/Default.aspx?news=1531] It is the first private university to be opened in Vietnam.cite news|url=http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Science_Technology/2006/4/47251/|date=2007-04-06|accessdate=2008-01-13|title=First Private University in Ho Chi Minh City to be Established|work=Sai Gon Giai Phong|publisher=Party Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City] They aimed to recruit 500 students for their first class. Truong Gia Binh was named as chairman of the management board, while Le Truong Tung will serve as the first dean.

All instructors would be required to have two years' working experience in the IT industry, and have to sit for an entrance examination. Foreign language teaching would form an integral part of the curriculum, and they aim to recruit native-speaking foreign language teachers and subject area teachers. [cite news|title=FPT University targeting experts, overseas professors|url=http://english.vietnamnet.vn/education/2006/12/641897/|date=2006-12-08|accessdate=2008-01-13|work=Vietnamnet Bridge|publisher=Vietnam News Agency] After one year of language preparation, a foreign language would be used as the medium of instruction for all courses. English would not be the only such language used; the Vietnam Software Association are working with the school's embedded software faculty to establish a programme in Japanese language. [cite news|title=Embedded software: golden chance to VN enterprises|url=http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2006/08/599621/|date=2006-08-08|accessdate=2008-01-13|work=Vietnamnet Bridge|publisher=Vietnam News Agency]

Loans for students are provided by the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, which will also provide 50 full scholarships.cite news|last=Le|first=Cam Le|work=Vietnam Economy|url=http://www.vneconomy.com.vn/eng/article_to_print.php?id=207a9cb961f3aa|title=Blazing the trail|date=2006-12-25|accessdate=2008-01-13] International Data Group chairman Patrick McGovern also pledged during his 14 July 2007 visit to the university to give 100 FPT students full scholarships to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [cite news|url=http://www.baothanhhoa.com.vn/news/23353.bth|work=Bao Thanh Hoa|title= American billionaire promises 100 scholarships at MIT|date=2007-07-17|accessdate=2008-01-13] Microsoft, which is a strategic partner of the managing organisation FPT, have an arrangement with the university to offer training to their students on Microsoft technologies. [cite news|work=Thanh Nien Daily|publisher=Vietnam National Youth Federation|accessdate=2008-01-14|url=http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/?catid=2&newsid=22391|title=Microsoft, FPT tie up to develop Asia-Pacific image] At US$11,200 for the four-year course of study, the university's fees are extremely high, especially when compared to the US$720 cost of four years at a public university. However, in addition to the high quality of instruction promised by the university, FPT have also committed to hiring all of their university's graduates at a salary of US$200–400 per month, in order to fill their own demand for 15,000 staff by 2013.

The fight to gain permission to open the university itself represented a rarity in Vietnam; the Ministry of Education were originally unwilling to grant permission for the university to be opened, and delayed for two months the necessary approval for the university to begin enrolling students. FPT used the media to put pressure on the Ministry, which eventually signed the official approval document on 15 November 2006.

Geographical Co-ordinates: coord|21|1|43|N|105|46|48|E|

References

External links

* [http://www.fpt.edu.vn Official homepage]