All of the below events are open for the public. We would like you to plan carefully before registering with us so that we have enough seats for participants. If you register for our events but change your plan, kindly notify us by email to irchanoi@gmail.com. If you would like to be an American Center member, please register.
***REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL EVENTS EXCEPT THOSE NOTED OTHERWISE. Register here.***
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.
Conversation Hour
Fridays, 10:00 – 11:00 am
Carrie O’Neill, U.S. Embassy
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.
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.
Managing Your Career
The “Managing Your Career” series can help you understand better your strengths and weaknesses, trends in the field and ways to tackle future challenges. Please join us and learn from our guest speakers who are the leaders in their respective fields and who will share their insights, experiences and wisdom. Discussion sessions will be held on the first and third Friday of each month at 3:00 p.m., unless the AC is closed.
Introduction to eLibraryUSA
May 5, 4:30- 5:00 pm
American Center
eLibrary-USA 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.
Critical Thinking: Drawing Conclusions from Evidence
May 12, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Alex Yates, Novelist
In this discussion we will practice some of the most basic and important critical thinking skills. As a group we will learn about a small city in the United States, and then try to draw conclusions from the evidence at hand.
Harvey Milk Lives! – A Celebration of IDAHOT
May 18, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Clayton Bond, Diplomat, Writer
Join us on this special event to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. What better way than to highlight the legacy of Harvey Milk, an American politician who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California and is considered “the most famous and most significantly open LGBT official ever elected in the United States.” Our guest speaker will discuss Harvey Milk’s work to end homophobia in the world, and why it remains important today.
Critical Thinking: Making Persuasive Claims
May 19, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Alex Yates, Novelist
In this discussion we will discuss how to write more persuasively. Participants will lean what a “claim” is, and together we will discuss the difference between writing strong claims and weak claims.
Consular Event for the Public
May 20, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Consular Assistants, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
During the presentation by Consular staffs, we will first give a brief overview about our Consular Section which provides services to American Citizen, issue Non-immigrant visa, and work on Adoption issues. We will then give an overview about the U.S. country including its geography, great tourist places, American people, cultural, sport, and food. We then share our experiences while living, studying, and training in the U.S.
Youth-led Community Grant Writing Skills
May 21, 9:00 – 11:00 am
In support of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Seeds for the future Competition 2015, we invite all youth aged between 18 and 35 to join the training on Youth-led community grant writing skills. Different from last year, the 2015 competition has opened up opportunities for both single-country and multiple-country proposals with funding opportunity ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. This session will provide updated information on the competition and guideline on how to write a wining youth-led community project proposal.
An Enabling Environment for People with Disabilities
May 21, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Stephen Rosenbaum, Guest Speaker
“We would like to have an equal chance to study and work so that we can lead an equal life compared to other people,” commented a man with vision disabilities at a recent consultation about Millennium Development Goals as they relate to Vietnamese with disabilities. Vietnam adopted a disability rights law in 2010 and last December the National Assembly ratified the UN treaty on the rights of people with disabilities. Come to a discussion with a U.S. legal expert on how to “make the rights real” and create a friendly and enabling environment.
“First Person Singular: I. M. Pei”
May 22, 2:00 – 5:00 pm
American Center
“First Person Singular: I. M. Pei” features incredible architectural masterpieces of the world, from the Louvre in Paris, France, to the Bank of China in Hong Kong, whose designs differ from one another in their own bizarre architecture. However, there is one similarity that all these works of art have in common – the designer I. M. Pei. In the discussion following the film show, we will discuss the works of Pei, along with his philosophy and principles. If you’re a fan of Pei, or someone with the interest in architecture, or simply just a keen audience who enjoys a great film, come and join us in this Film Show and Discussion.
“Vietnam through our eyes” – a discussion with 9 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants
May 28, 9:00 – 10:00 am
9 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants
Do not miss this great opportunity to meet with young American Fulbrighters who have come to Vietnam to work and live in different cities from Lang Son, Cao Bang to Phan Thiet, Can Tho, for 10 months. These graduates of top American universities chose to come to Vietnam to help improve English learning and teaching across Vietnam, and also to learn and immerse themselves in the Vietnamese culture while sharing theirs with the local community. In this event, they will share their journeys of being teachers, cultural ambassadors, colleagues, and friends in Vietnam. Join in to rediscover rich Vietnamese culture through the eyes of young American friends. And perhaps, you will be inspired to pursue your own international educational and cultural exchange!
Global Climate Change: A Critical Development Issue
May 28, 11:00 – 12:00 pm
Charles North, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, USAID
Addressing climate change is an integral part of USAID’s mission to create a safer and more prosperous world. Charles North, Senior official at U.S. Agency for International Development, will speak about USAID’s work to address global climate change. He will discuss why climate change is an important development issue and provide examples of how USAID is working to impact climate change across the globe. Join the discussion and learn what your part is in addressing this global challenge.
ASK A CONSUL: Business, Tourism, and Study Visas 101
May 29, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Consular Section, U.S. Embassy Hanoi
Join us for a LIVE Facebook chat session on Friday, May 29 from 2-3:30 pm hosted by the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section
Mark your calendars – be online then. You can also submit your questions in advance here.
