Higher education has proven to be a welcome and useful bridge between the United States and Vietnam, two countries that cut ties in 1975 in the aftermath of a painful war. In 1991, as the two nations began to reestablish diplomatic relations, the Fulbright exchange program with Vietnam quickly became the largest in Asia (Abuza, 1996). A scholarship created by the U.S. Congress has enabled more than 600 Vietnamese graduate students to study at U.S. universities (Vietnam Education Foundation, 2017). And every year, more parents in Vietnam's growing middle class send their children to the United States for a college education. The number of Vietnamese students earning academic credit in the United States has nearly quadrupled in the past decade, to more than 22,000 (Institute of International Education, 2017). Now, a joint initiative that has been years in the making aims to bring some of the hallmarks of U.S. higher education to Vietnam in another way. Governments at the highest level of both countries have lent their support, leadership is in place, and Ho Chi Minh City officials have donated 60 acres of land for the campus. If all goes well, Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) will enroll its first undergraduate class in Autumn 2018. This will raise to a new level the legacy of Senator J. William Fulbright, who in the wake of World War II argued that academic exchange provides the best pathway to mutual understanding among countries. Though the ambitious undertaking is inspired by U.S. higher education, the founding team aspires to create an institution that aligns with Vietnamese culture and values. Furthermore, the making of Fulbright University Vietnam has not been without challenges, but it could provide a useful road map for U.S. education diplomacy in other countries led by authoritarian governments.