Anne Frank Project expands, adds Vietnam and Kenya to its international destinations

In March 2026, Buffalo State professors Drew Kahn and Gehan Senthinathan spent five days in Vietnam, laying the groundwork for what will become a new study abroad program for Buffalo State students in June 2027.

Neither Kahn nor Senthinathan are strangers to international travel and collaboration—since 2011, Buffalo State’s Anne Frank Project (AFP), founded and led by Kahn, has brought more than 200 students to Rwanda for a study abroad program designed to build community, manage conflict, and explore identity by sharing stories stifled by oppression. The program focuses on utilizing stories as the curricular platform in the classroom and the delegation immerses itself in authentic experiences in schools, Genocide memorials, safaris, urban and rural villages, and local markets, as well as forming personal cultural connections. Last summer, Senthinathan, who is an associate professor and Chair of Social and Psychological Foundations, and his wife, Anita—also a Buffalo State professor—joined the delegation. 

Senthinathan traveled extensively before coming to Buffalo State; in fact, part of the reason he came to teach at Buffalo State was because of the university’s support of the global community. (He and Anita have continued to travel for research during their time at Buffalo State.) During the Rwanda trip, Senthinathan was struck by the similarities between Rwanda and Vietnam, which he’d visited during a five-week backpacking trip while pursuing his doctoral degree.

“It became clear to me that what students go to Rwanda for had a lot of parallels with Vietnam,” Senthinathan said. “Building empathy, social responsibility, acceptance of the past, how we move forward…it’s the perfect platform for that. The ground is fertile for this kind of discussion.”

“We want to put our students in the midst of difficult places,” Kahn added, “so they are learning how to navigate complex, challenging environments.”

Through AFP’s established relationship with the Global Engagement Institute (GEI), which provides students and professionals with transformative education and engagement programs in Africa and Asia, Kahn and Senthinathan arranged a trip to Vietnam to assess interest and feasibility of developing a program. GEI’s director had already been meeting with the Vietnamese Ministry of Education, which opened the door for visits to potential partner universities and schools. Kahn and Senthinathan met with representatives from Thao Dan Centre, a social organization based in Ho Chi Minh City dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children; the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, a member institution of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City and one of Vietnam’s leading universities in the fields of social sciences and humanities; Can Tho University, a leading public university in southern Vietnam and the flagship higher education institution of the Mekong Delta region; and K–12 American Collegiate Academy, a bilingual K–12 school in Can Tho. 

“Each of the meetings we had went exceptionally well,” Senthinathan said. “The groups were happy to meet, excited to collaborate, and open to sharing. It was equitable.”

In addition to the meetings, the Buffalo State professors visited Ho Chi Minh Museum and the War Remnant Museum; Cu Chi Tunnel, constructed and expanded by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War and used as living quarters, supply routes, and hiding places; Independent Palace (Reunification Hall), the home and workplace of the president of the Republic of Vietnam; Cai Rang Floating Market, a wholesale floating market specializing in the trade of vegetables and fruits on the Hau River; and took a cultural walking tour in Thanh Da District to learn about the “living culture” of today’s Vietnam. 

Senthinathan said the program will blend academics and culture, just as he and Kahn did during their trip. The experience is open to students from any discipline and involves a collaborative course during which Buffalo State students partner with students at a partner university in Vietnam. The students will be broken down into small groups and work on projects throughout the semester; the collaboration will culminate in the Buffalo State cohort visiting Vietnam to finish and present projects with their groups in person. Students will also visit a war museum to prompt discussion and reflection around conflict resolution and increase cultural awareness.

“Can Tho University has a global mission that is similar to ours,” Senthinathan said. “Our students need to experience the culture, but we also want them to understand what happened during the war, to interact with Vietnamese students, and do some community work. It’s important for students to see the atrocities of war and how we rebuild. The idea is that Can Tho students and Buffalo State students will have built relationships over the course of the semester, so they’ll be more comfortable having these difficult conversations.”

Kahn and Senthinathan are currently working on program approvals and logistics; recruitment and applications for the 2027 trip will begin next month. Senthinathan said he is encouraged by the positive response from potential partner organizations in Vietnam.

“We went in with open hearts to share our views and interests, we found commonality,” he said. “These community-driven universities and spaces want to uplift communities and help students have a global lens in this changing world.”

In addition to Vietnam, AFP will be adding Kenya trip its international offerings. This trip, like all of AFP’s offerings, would also be multidisciplinary and open to students of all majors; focus on the power of stories and reconciliation; require pre- and post-travel courses; and facilitate connections with local New American communities from the visited countries here in Buffalo.

“These international trips are a direct response to what students have been asking for,” Kahn said. “We are grateful for Buffalo State’s developing commitment to international education.”

Applications for the Vietnam study abroad program are now open. To learn more and apply, visit the website.

Photos courtesy Gehan Senthinathan.