Documentary to highlight Troy University’s Vietnamese college partnership

Representatives from Duy Tan University met with Troy University's chancellor to discuss a future documentary on their schools' partnership.
Published: Mar. 29, 2023 at 8:32 PM CDT|Updated: Mar. 29, 2023 at 10:58 PM CDT

TROY, Ala. (WSFA) - Troy University has been partnering with Duy Tan University in Vietnam for seven years, providing unique educational opportunities to students. On Wednesday, representatives from the school met with Troy Chancellor Jack Hawkins to discuss a future documentary on how this partnership came to be.

That partnership started 10 years ago when Le Cong Co, a Vietnam War soldier and the founder of Duy Tan University, first met with Troy’s chancellor. He was represented by his children at Wednesday’s meeting at Troy University. It’s a school they say has always strived to provide the best education for their students from the beginning.

“We began our conversation and that was one of the more fascinating conversations I’ve ever had the first time we met,” said Hawkins, who served as a Marine in the Vietnam War.

“We were talking about the war from the American perspective, and he was talking about the war from the Vietcong or NVA perspective,” he said.

What was brought on by war turned into a friendship and partnership. For the last seven years, hundreds of students from Duy Tan University have taken courses and graduated with degrees in computer science, hospitality and business from Troy University. Many of them went on to serve in key jobs in government and business in the Asian country, all thanks to this powerful partnership.

For Duy Tan University, Le Con Co’s legacy is only growing. His children serve as provost and vice provost for the school. They said it’s been a valuable decade for them.

“Really changing their life for the better, giving the opportunity to study in Troy,’ said Provost Bao Le.

The documentary is expected to be finished in six months. It will air on national television in Vietnamese and submitted to film festivals.

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