Faculty voice: Teaching in Vietnam strengthens global academic ties

Scott Mulrooney is an Associate Professor Emeritus and former Associate Chair in MSU’s Department of Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology. Over the course of his 35-year career, including the last 25 years at MSU, he dedicated himself to advancing microbiology education through innovative teaching, international collaborations with institutions in Vietnam and Japan, and leadership in undergraduate programs.

As I marked the one-year anniversary of my retirement from Michigan State University, one word kept coming to mind: opportunity.

My career at MSU began in 1999 when I joined the Department of Microbiology — now Microbiology, Genetics and Immunology, or MGI — as a full-time research faculty member. In 2002, I was asked to teach introductory microbiology and, four years later, I became director of the department’s undergraduate program. By 2008, I was serving as associate chair of undergraduate education, a role I held until my retirement in 2024.

Over the course of those 25 years, I was fortunate to have several unexpected opportunities that extended far beyond East Lansing. I was invited to Kyoto University to give a seminar and workshop on active learning, and I later returned as visiting faculty to teach four-week courses in English in 2016 and 2020. However, the most impactful experience has been my ongoing collaboration with Can Tho University, or CTU, in Vietnam.

CTU is located in Can Tho, a city in the southern portion of Vietnam and, with more than 43,000 students, is nearly the size of MSU. The school’s Institute of Food and Biotechnology offers an Advanced Program in Biotechnology that is taught entirely in English. Students spend much of their first year mastering the language, preparing them for my accelerated introductory microbiology course, which they take during their second year. The class is delivered in approximately 30 lectures over two intensive weeks, and it has become a cornerstone of the collaboration between our universities. In class, students are initially hesitant to ask questions in English because they are uneasy about using English in front of a native speaker, but once one brave student begins, others quickly follow.

This partnership was established in the 1970s when CTU Professor Tran Phuoc Duong, an MSU alumnus who earned his doctorate in the lab of MGI University Distinguished Professor Emeritus James Tiedje, approached MSU to form a partnership between the two universities. Duong went on to serve as CTU’s rector from 1989 to 1997.

Since then, several MSU faculty have traveled to Vietnam to contribute to the program, including me, MGI Associate Professor Emeritus Terry Marsh, MGI Professor Emeritus Helmut Bertrand, University Distinguished Professor Emerita Michelle Fluck and retired Biochemistry Assistant Professor Kathleen Foley. This year, I made my sixth annual visit to teach the course.

Graduates of the joint program, which is modeled after MSU’s microbiology curriculum, receive certificates bearing seals and signatures from both institutions. Each visit also includes a commencement ceremony, where I give a graduation address and present certificates to the students I taught two years earlier.

Beyond the classroom, my time in Vietnam has been deeply rewarding. I am always struck by the appreciation shown by students and faculty. At commencements, graduates often ask me to pose for photos.

My hosts also have introduced me to the rich culture and landscapes of southern Vietnam. I have toured Buddhist pagodas, visited Cà Mau at the country’s southern tip, explored Ho Chi Minh City and enjoyed the beaches of Phú Quoc island. On Phú Quoc, I even toured a facility producing wine from the local sim fruit — a memorable glimpse into the region’s traditions and innovations.

In 2023, MSU welcomed a delegation from CTU to sign a new five-year agreement, reaffirming the strength of our partnership. I hope this collaboration continues for many years to come, as both universities benefit from the exchange of knowledge, culture and opportunity.