SLIPPERY ROCK — The Institute of International Education has selected Slippery Rock University as one of five higher education institutions in the U.S. to participate in the 2013-14 International Academic Partnership Program focusing on Vietnam.

During the next year, international education professionals at each of these institutions will participate in a series of training activities arranged by IIE to help them develop their strategy and implement and sustain partnerships with counterparts in Vietnam.

Kurt Schimmel, dean of SRU’s College of Business, Information and Social Sciences, will coordinate the project, in part because the largest segment of Vietnamese students coming to the U.S. seek undergraduate business degrees.

The strategy-building program includes a study tour to Vietnam to learn more about the Vietnamese higher education system and Vietnamese institutions’ priorities for developing academic partnerships.

In November, IIE will lead representatives of the five campuses on a high-level delegation to three cities in Vietnam to meet with potential partner campuses, U.S. Embassy officials, representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Higher Education and other education-related organizations.

In addition to SRU, Ball State University, Marquette University, Northern Arizona University and Stetson University are participating. An IIE review panel selected the universities based on successful applications that outlined their strong interest in building ties with institutions in Vietnam and their need for the assistance that IAPP provides.

Each institution has made a commitment to form a campuswide task force to work on prospective partnerships, conduct an institutionwide inventory of activities pertaining to Vietnam and develop a strategic plan focused on partnering with Vietnamese institutions.