All events take place at 1st Floor of the Rose Garden Tower at 170 Ngoc Khanh Street, Hanoi, except those noted otherwise. Remember to bring your ID with you. Members of the media are welcome to attend public events at the American Center. However, if you intend to being in still or video cameras, please contact the Media Team at least 24 hours in advance so we can determine whether the speaker is comfortable and, if so, request security access for your equipment. Please note that not all speakers will want to be filmed and interviewed. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Please Note: In the American Center (AC), we usually record, film and photograph our programs and activities to promote the AC and the work the U.S. Embassy does in Vietnam. We regularly use and post these images on our social media platforms. When participating in American Center programs, you provide your tacit consent for your image to be used in this way. If you prefer that your image not be used for non-commercial publicity reasons, please provide your request in writing to a staff member at the Help Desk. Thank you.
| Time | Program | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1, 3:30 – 5:00 | MOOC17: English for Journalism (PDF, 478KB) – Facilitated Discussion #2. Register (required) here | Nikki Nguyen |
| Sept. 6, 11:30 – 1:00 | Pronunciation Workshop 3 | Melissa Judy |
| Sept. 7, 3:30 – 5:00 | MOOC18: Psychology at Work (PDF-627KB) – Facilitated Discussion #4. Register (required) here | Tran Thi Thuy Trang |
| Sept. 8, 2:00 – 3:00 | American English Club: “Back to School” | American Center |
| Sept. 8, 3:00 – 4:30 | Discussion: The U.S. Government Policy Process with Mr. Leon Fuerth | Leon Fuerth |
| Sept. 8, 3:30 – 5:00 | MOOC17: English for Journalism (PDF, 478KB) – Facilitated Discussion #3. Register (required) here | Nikki Nguyen |
| Sept. 9, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | David McAuley |
| Sept. 9, 2:00 – 3:00 | Meaning of Volunteerism and Its Importance in American Culture | Lara L. Center |
| Sept. 13, 11:30 – 1:00 | Pronunciation Workshop 3 | Melissa Judy |
| Sept. 14, 3:30 – 5:00 | MOOC18: Psychology at Work (PDF-627KB) – Facilitated Discussion #5. Register (required) here | Tran Thi Thuy Trang |
| Sept. 15, 3:30 – 5:00 | MOOC17: English for Journalism (PDF, 478KB) – Facilitated Discussion #4. Register (required) here | Nikki Nguyen |
| Sept. 16, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | Diana Johnson |
| Sept. 16, 3:00 – 4:30 | Understanding and Managing America’s Ocean Treasures | Dr. Robert J. Brock, NOAA Marine Biologist, U.S. Embassy Science Fellow |
| Sept. 20, 11:30 – 1:00 | Pronunciation Workshop 3 |
Melissa Judy |
| Sept. 21, 5:00 – 6:30 | MOOC19: Work Smarter, Not Harder – Facilitated Discussion #1. Register (required) here | Tran Thi Thuy Trang |
| Sept. 22, 2:00 – 3:30 | American English Club | American Center |
| Sept. 22, 3:30 – 5:00 | MOOC17: English for Journalism (PDF, 478KB) – Facilitated Discussion #5. Register (required) here | Nikki Nguyen |
| Sept. 23, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | Diana Johnson |
| Sept. 23, 3:00 – 4:30 | A Comparative Overview of Judicial Systems, and Why Adversarial Justice, Case Management, and Mediation are So Important | Judge J. Clifford Wallace |
| Sept. 27, 11:30 – 1:00 | Pronunciation Workshop 3 | Melissa Judy |
| Sept. 27, 3:00 – 4:30 | Who Will be the Next President of the United States? An Inside Look at the Road to the White House | Larry Berman, Founding Dean of the Honors College at Georgia State University and Professor Emeritus at University California Davis |
| Sept. 28, 5:00 – 6:30 | MOOC19: Work Smarter, Not Harder – Facilitated Discussion #2. Register (required) here | Tran Thi Thuy Trang |
| Sept. 29, 3:00 – 6:00 | Discuss Entrepreneurship with U.S. Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and Vietnamese Angel Investors | Nina Vaca and Vietnamese Angel Investors |
| Sept. 30, 10:00 – 11:00 | Conversation Hour | Diana Johnson |
Conversation Hour
Fridays, 10:00 – 11:00 am
David McAuley or Diana Johnson
Call it a conversation, or any one of this word’s synonyms – chat, colloquy, converse, dialog, discussion, etc. – this is an hour of informal talk and your opportunity to improve your English speaking and listening skills. An American host of the hour will introduce a topic and guide you through discussion around it. Come to chat and learn. Bring your friends and make even more friends!
American English Club
American Center Interns
Come join our American English Club to improve your English speaking skills and enhance your English vocabularies on variety of topics. This club is also a good chance for you to meet new friends and enjoy lot of fun games, discussions and activities.
AC Student News
American Center Interns
Adapted from the CNN Student News, this program encouraged participants to reflect on and discuss international issues, while using opportunity to sharpen English language skills, especially listening and speaking.
Debate Club
American Center Interns
The goal of the American Center’s Debate Club is to create friendly environment where anyone can express and freely debate their ideas on interesting current topics. So if you like to analyze facts, communicates openly, or just interested in debate please make your way to the AC to join our club.
Introduction to eLibraryUSA
Fridays, 11:00 – 11:30 am
eLibraryUSA is an online library with free access to 30+ up-to-date databases including researches, journals, books, articles, encyclopedias, films, photographs, magazines, topics and references for students, teachers, youth, businessmen and kids. Please come join in our orientation session to learn more about a plentiful and helpful resource of information, then you can register to get your own login account to access to eLibraryUSA from any Internet connection.
Pronunciation Workshop 3
Tuesdays, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Melissa Judy
This 12-week pronunciation course focuses on the pronunciation features of American English and will help students improve their awareness and production of various aspects of pronunciation. Topics include consonant and vowel sounds, stress, intonation, rhythm, and problem areas for Vietnamese speakers of English.
Discussion: The U.S. Government Policy Process with Mr. Leon Fuerth
Sept. 8, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Leon Fuerth, Founder and Director, the Project on Forward Engagement
Leon Fuerth will discuss his perspective on the U.S. Government’s policy process through the lens of his 30-year career in federal service. Mr. Fuerth’s unique outlook on the U.S. Government comes from his diversity of experience in several aspects of government, including the State Department, White House, and on the Hill. Mr. Fuerth will discuss the strengths and shortcomings of U.S. politics and foreign policy, and will take questions from the audience.
Biography of Mr. Leon Fuerth is available here.
Meaning of Volunteerism and Its Importance in American Culture
September 9, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Lara L. Center
Why is volunteerism an integral part of the American psyche? Let’s explore a brief history of volunteerism in America. How did it gain popularity? What are some common elements of volunteerism? Why is it important in American culture to give back to the community? Americans are passionate about helping others and take their passion for volunteering around the world. We hope you will be inspired and find ways to give back to your community.
Understanding and Managing America’s Ocean Treasures
September 16, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Dr. Robert J. Brock, NOAA Marine Biologist, U.S. Embassy Science Fellow
Dr. Robert Brock, Marine Biologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Protected Areas Center, Silver Spring, Maryland USA (Robert.Brock@noaa.gov) and Embassy Science Fellow, Embassy of the United States of America, Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Unit, Hanoi, Vietnam
The last sentence of America the Beautiful, an American patriotic song originally written in 1893, is “From Sea to Shining Sea.” Reaching from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean bordering Canada, to the Caribbean Sea, to the Gulf of Mexico bordering Mexico, to the Pacific Ocean stretching westward towards the Northern Mariana Islands, and north to Arctic Ocean, this phrase is indeed accurate. The United States of America (USA) is a country blessed with the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an area of coastal waters and seabed extending seaward from the coastline up to 260 nautical miles, to which the country claims exclusive rights for fishing, energy development, and other economic activities. The EEZ of the USA spans over 13,000 miles of coastline and contains 3.4 million square nautical miles of ocean. This huge ocean expanse holds tremendous cultural, historic, and economic importance to the USA. While United States’ coastal and marine areas offers many ecosystem benefits (e.g., fishing, shipping, energy exploration and development, recreation, tourism), these areas also present tremendous challenges in understanding their mysteries and responsibly managing human behavior so that the ocean environment can be enjoyed for generations to come.
This presentation will give just a glimpse into some of the many ocean treasures of the USA, from some iconic whale, dolphin, fish, shark, and sea turtle species to important and beautiful habitat such as seagrass, giant kelp, coral reefs, deep canyons and mountains that rise up from the seafloor. This presentation will also discuss some of the institutions and Government agencies who seek to understand the mysteries of the ocean through research and monitoring and responsibly manage human behavior around the many marine ecosystems through outreach, education, and regulation. With big opportunities also comes big challenges!
Discuss Entrepreneurship with U.S. Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and Vietnamese Angel Investors
September 29, 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Nina Vaca and Vietnamese Angel Investors
From 3:00 to 4:00 is a conversation with the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship Nina Vaca, CEO and Chairwoman of Pinnacle. Nina Vaca will share her personal journey being an entrepreneur, how to overcome challenges that come with starting a business, and what it takes to be a successful female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry.
From 4:00 to 6:00, the returning Angel Investors from the U.S. Study tour in Denver, Boulder, Cleveland and Boston will share their experience about U.S. startup and investment practices and possible initiatives that can be adapted in Vietnam’s environment.
About Nina Vaca:
Nina Vaca is Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group, an award-winning workforce solutions company she founded in 1996. Pinnacle has experienced explosive growth under Vaca’s 20 years of leadership, and in 2015 was named Fastest Growing Woman/Led Company in the country by the Women Presidents’ Organization.
Vaca has won numerous awards over the years and has been featured extensively in various publications and media outlets. For the past 9 years, she has been named one of the most influential Latinos in the United States and is one of the few Latinas serving on boards of publicly-traded companies.
Vaca is also a civic leader and philanthropist. In 2014, the President of the United States appointed Vaca as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. As a Presidential ambassador, Vaca has spoken to and inspired entrepreneurs all over the world, traveling to countries on five continents to empower the next generation of business leaders. She also serves as Chairman Emeritus of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of its Foundation.
