Top Catholic universities and formation institutions of the Church in America have opened wide arms for Vietnamese religious sisters. During the last two years, more than 200 Vietnamese nuns have arrived in USA to study.

With great efforts, nine religious sisters, most of them from the archdiocese of Hà Nội, North Vietnam, are pursuing PhD programs in Biblical, Theological, Philosophies, Education and Pastoral Counselling Studies, said Sr. Teresa Nguyễn, a doctoral student, from Vietnam’s Lover of the Holy Cross congregation.

Religious sisters educated in America can help improve the formation within the Church and religious life in Vietnam. However, their contributions to the education of the society at large may be still limited due to the harsh scrutiny of the government.

Private organisations including foreign ones can participate in the education system in Vietnam. Recent statistics show that 163 universities and senior colleges, and 223 junior colleges, in which 50 senior colleges and 30 junior colleges are non-public. However, so far, the government has never granted permissions to any private organisations affiliated with the Church.

Here and there, Vietnamese nuns can run kindergarten and child care centres in large cities if local authorities turn a blind eye. In remote area, it is somewhat impossible.