Former US Ambassador Knapper urges Vietnamese students to learn foreign languages, explore new technologies

Speaking at an exchange with students at Hung Vuong University of Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, Knapper shared advice on preparing for future careers and making the most of educational and international opportunities as Vietnam and the U.S. mark three years of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Learning foreign languages to understand how others think

Knapper, who has studied Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese, said each language had given him a broader perspective on the world and helped him understand how other people think without relying entirely on interpreters.

He said English could open many doors, but other languages could do the same, encouraging students to continue learning foreign languages and exploring other countries' cultures.

He also encouraged young people to seek opportunities to go abroad and experience environments different from those in which they lived.

Acknowledging that such experiences could be costly, he advised students to try studying or working in an international environment if circumstances allowed.

He added that bringing home what they learned abroad would benefit their country.

Students urged to seize opportunities to learn about new technologies

Knapper said students should develop skills needed for future careers, including teamwork, clear writing and the ability to learn quickly, in addition to technological knowledge.

He emphasized the importance of critical thinking in the age of AI, noting that although AI would change many things, it would not eliminate the need for independent thinking, critical analysis and questioning.

He cautioned students against automatically trusting information found online, saying that the ability to think independently, ask questions and verify information was increasingly important because AI could also generate inaccurate content.

According to the Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange by the U.S.-based Institute of International Education, 25,584 Vietnamese nationals studied in the U.S. or participated in its Optional Practical Training program for graduates in the 2024-25 academic year, up 15.9 percent from the previous year and a record high.

Vietnam ranked fifth among countries and territories sending international students to the U.S.

Of the Vietnamese participants, around 23 percent studied business and management, nearly 22 percent pursued computer science, and about 12 percent studied engineering, according to the report.

Knapper encouraged Vietnamese students to consider studying in the U.S., highlighting opportunities offered through the Fulbright Program, the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative and partnerships between universities in the two countries.

He also noted that students could access American education without leaving Vietnam through joint academic programs.

Turning to career prospects, Knapper said U.S. companies were participating in engineer training and investing in semiconductor packaging and testing operations in Vietnam.

Noting that Vietnam aims to train at least 50,000 professionals with university-level qualifications or higher for the semiconductor industry by 2030, he encouraged students to take a greater interest in computer science, chemical engineering and materials science.

Knapper also pointed out that AI was affecting fields ranging from healthcare and finance to journalism, design and diplomacy.

While the government could help provide the necessary infrastructure, young people needed to take the initiative to learn and adapt to emerging technologies, he said.

Young people will shape the next 50 years of Vietnam-US ties

Knapper said about 1,000 American students come to Vietnam to study each year and expressed hope that more would visit to learn Vietnamese, explore the country's history and experience a country different from what they had seen on television or in films.

He encouraged Vietnamese students to help their American peers gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam, its language and its culture.

Knapper said friendships formed in their 20s could last a lifetime, adding that today's students could become business partners, scientific collaborators or diplomats in the future.

He recalled that some Vietnamese and American students who had studied together in the 1990s and 2000s had since become business leaders, government officials and participants in negotiations between the two countries.

He emphasized that the next 50 years of Vietnam-U.S. relations would be shaped by younger generations rather than by people like him working in Washington or Hanoi, urging students to recognize their role in shaping the bilateral relationship's future.