Overview: A bold step in student-centric higher education
Fulbright University Vietnam, Vietnam’s first independent nonprofit liberal arts university, is redefining the student experience by embedding Salesforce across its operations. The goal is clear: to deliver faster, more personalized support to a growing and diverse student body, while simplifying administrative processes for faculty and staff.
Rapid deployment powers a unified, insightful student portal
Within three weeks, the university deployed Agentforce, a Salesforce-powered conversational AI assistant, directly inside the One Stop student services portal. This integration lets students engage in natural language, log service requests, access policy documents, and receive timely updates—without navigating clunky menus or excessive search filters. By anchoring AI responses to data drawn from the university’s Data Cloud, the assistant can provide accurate, context-aware guidance from day one.
Data Cloud: A unified foundation for reliable, proactive support
Central to the transformation is Data Cloud, Salesforce’s hyperscale data engine. Fulbright consolidates structured and unstructured student information into a single, secure knowledge base. This enables Agentforce to offer responses grounded in current, high-quality data and to scale as the student body expands. The result is faster self-service, fewer repetitive queries, and faster triage by service staff when cases require human intervention.
From lifecycle management to a dynamic student services ecosystem
Sales Cloud is used to manage the student lifecycle, while Experience Cloud powers the One Stop portal. The combination creates a cohesive, dynamic ecosystem where students can access services, receive policy guidance, and stay informed about their progress and requirements. The platform helps Fulbright tailor interactions to individual contexts—such as year of study or chosen program—making self-service more efficient and reassuring for students navigating large, sometimes unfamiliar, academic journeys.
Enhancing user experience with contextual, natural language help
The Agentforce assistant responds in natural language, and its replies are shaped by the student’s context. This means a first-year student might receive onboarding reminders and program-specific information, while an advanced student could get guidance on internships or elective options. Such personalization reduces friction, boosts confidence, and frees staff to handle more complex inquiries.
A foundation for future AI and automation initiatives
Quang Ha Nguyen, Fulbright’s director of IT, emphasizes the strategic value of the initiative: “This also opens up tremendous potential for future AI and automation use cases, from automating enrollment to providing proactive advisor support.” The initiative isn’t just about saving time; it’s about transforming how students interact with the university and how the institution delivers services at scale.
Impact: A more responsive, efficient, and inclusive campus
By consolidating data, simplifying processes, and enabling real-time, reliable responses, Fulbright is reducing student frustration and enabling service staff to focus on high-value interactions. The university’s broader digital transformation—anchored by Salesforce—aims to create an inclusive academic community that equips future leaders to address global challenges with confidence and clarity.
Leadership perspective
“For us, it’s not just about saving time—it’s about transforming the way students interact with the university,” said Nguyen. “We’re giving them immediate, relevant answers that reduce friction and improve their confidence in managing their own academic journey.”
