Joanne Passet, a professor of history at Indiana University East, has received a J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship award for the 2008-09 academic year. Passet will use the scholarship to travel to Hue University in Vietnam from January to June.

The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

“The award of a Fulbright scholarship is one of the highest recognitions of academic excellence that a faculty member at an American university can receive”, said Larry Richards, executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at IU East. “Dr. Passet is an outstanding example of the quality faculty that IU East employs. She will return with new ideas and knowledge that will enrich the learning experiences of her students and the entire campus.”

The five-month opportunity will allow Passet to teach United States history to students at the university located four hundred miles south of Hanoi, on the coast of the South China Sea. Passet, who has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. in library and information science from Indiana University, also will serve as a consultant in library development.  In addition, she will give guest lectures in other areas of Vietnam.

When applying for the Fulbright, Passet had to indicate countries of interest.  “Since my days as an undergraduate, I’ve been interested in East Asia. I decided that Vietnam would be more of a pioneering opportunity than going to a more industrialized nation like Taiwan,” Passet said.

Passet is looking forward to the experience because it will help internationalize and enrich her curriculum at IU East.  She plans to develop a course on Vietnam when she returns. She is also looking forward to sharing U.S. history and culture with students on the Hue campus.

“As a growing part of the global economy, the Vietnamese are interested in cross-cultural exchange,” Passet said. “Working with Vietnamese students, faculty, and librarians will provide me with a new perspective on US history and culture.  It is a wonderful opportunity to grow intellectually and to form lasting friendships.”

Passet is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad under the Fulbright Scholar Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program.  Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.