Vietnam
In December 2024, the Foundation ran programming in Vietnam — inspired and co-taught by Bao Phan, a former student of co-founder Chuck Eesley — in partnership with Fulbright University Vietnam, UEH University, and an HKU/AWS workshop on AI Innovation & Trends.
The Foundation’s Vietnam programming, like the Tanzania trip, came through a former student. Bao Phan had taken Chuck’s courses years earlier and pitched the idea of bringing programming to Vietnam — then organized the trip and co-taught alongside us in December 2024.
Across the visit, we ran two to three events at partner institutions including Fulbright University Vietnam, UEH University’s College of Business, and an AI Innovation & Trends workshop in collaboration with HKU and AWS. Approximately 30–40 students were reached directly across the events.
What this looks like in practice
- Programming co-taught with Bao Phan, who organized the trip
- Workshops at Fulbright Vietnam and UEH University’s College of Business
- AI Innovation & Trends workshop with HKU and AWS partners
- Cross-border connections between Vietnamese partners and the Stanford / Bay Area technology ecosystem
Why it matters
Vietnam’s growth story will be written largely by the founders coming up through its university system over the next decade. The Foundation’s bet is that putting AI and entrepreneurship inputs into the hands of students who don’t yet have access to them will compound for years. Bao’s invitation made that work possible — another reminder that the Foundation’s most durable partnerships come through people who were once our students.