:: UCLA TODAY Home

©2004
The Regents of the University of California
 

ENGINEERING

The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) have forged an agreement to allow top scholars from Vietnam to enter UCLA for graduate training in science and technology. These VEF Fellows will be jointly supported by the school and VEF, which started as a special initiative by Congress to bring the two countries closer through educational exchanges. The foundation is in its second year of operation and receives the full support of the U.S. National Academies in its fellowship selection process. Currently, VEF has more than 100 Fellows at 37 top U.S. graduate institutions, mostly for doctoral degrees. For more details, visit www.vef.gov.

COMMENCEMENT 2005

Political, business and education leaders will be among the speakers delivering keynote addresses at commencement ceremonies, which will run through June 18. UCLA will award approximately 10,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees this year. An estimated 89,000 guests are expected to attend the events, the largest of which will be held June 17 at Pauley Pavilion when 2,500 UCLA College students don mortarboards. Recognizing the exceptional contributions of leaders in fields such as architecture, education and entertainment, the university will bestow its highest honor, the UCLA Medal, on six: Terry S. and Jane Bovingdon Semel, who donated $25 million to endow the NPI; Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins; author and University of Bologna Professor Umberto Eco; architect Frank Gehry; and educator James A. Banks.

UC BOARD OF REGENTS

UCLA students are urging the UC Board of Regents to help end mass killings in Darfur, Sudan, by shedding investments in the country. Tristan Reed of the UC Sudan Divestment Taskforce told the Committee on Investments meeting at UCLA on May 16 that the Sudan government uses money generated by businesses operating in the country to pay for killings by state security forces and proxy militia. The UC has about $66 million invested in two international funds that students believe are involved in the Sudan, said UC Treasurer David Russ. Committee members did not respond to the divestment request, but students hope to discuss the issue later with the full board. In the meantime, Russ said he will provide students with a more detailed accounting of investments.