Carthage has selected Ms. Dam Bich Thuy, founding president of Fulbright University Vietnam, to deliver the 2019 commencement address on May 26.
The commencement ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. in the TARC Field House.
During her stay, President Thuy will also give a special presentation to graduates, their families, and the general public from 2 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 25 in A. F. Siebert Chapel. A reception will follow in Einstein's in Hedberg Library.
President Thuy helped establish Fulbright University Vietnam, a university that embraces the American liberal arts education approach. The school is currently refining the undergraduate program as it prepares to enroll its first students this fall for the 2019-2020 Inaugural Year.
"How to design a liberal arts university from scratch is not a question for the faint of heart. What curriculum? What pedagogy? What faculty? What facilities? What technology?" said Carthage College President John Swallow. "President Thuy, who began her education studying by candlelight in Vietnam and went on to lead an accomplished career in international business, is unusually experienced in wrestling with the far-reaching question of what education should mean for a society.
Before assuming her current role, President Thuy spent nearly 20 years in the financial services sector, serving in in a variety of capacities. After completing her graduate studies, President Thuy joined the Australia New Zealand Bank, helping set up ANZ's investment banking business in Asia. Ten years later, she was tapped to lead ANZ's Vietnam operations, making her the first Vietnamese national to lead an international bank in Vietnam.
President Thuy holds degrees from the University of Hanoi and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.