Education and Specialization

International Business Administration

• MBA California State Polytechnic University, US

• M.Sc Management Boston University and Vrije Universiteit Brussels Faculty of Economic & Social Sciences, Brussels, Belgium

• Advanced Curriculum Design Research at Teachers College

• Coaching Program, School of Professional Studies, New York University, New York

• B.A. Cum Laude, Boston University, Boston

• Columbia Visiting Scholar and Scientist Program 2011-2018

Cross-Cultural Collaboration

• Post-Doctorate, School of Art and Communications, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

• PhD Leeds Metropolitan University, UK

• MA Fine Art Musashino Art University, Tokyo

• MA Fine Art Goldsmiths, University of London

• BA (Hons) Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London

• Taiwan MOE Huayu Scholar, National Cheng Kung University

• Sophia University, Tokyo

• American University in Paris, Paris

Areas of Specialization

• Building cross-cultural collaboration across organizations

• Coaching and mentoring Future of Work in Organizations

• Advanced Curriculum Design Training (TC)

• Comparative Cultures: Modern to Contemporary (BA/MA/PhD)

• Studio Art and Collaborative Practices (BA/MA/PhD)

• Cultural and Creative Entrepreneurship (MA/PhD)

• Masters and Doctoral Supervision (MA/PhD)

Academic Positions

• Research Scholar on Education, Columbia University (2025)

• Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar on Art and Performance, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi (2022)

• Highland Institute Fellow India (2022-present)

• Visiting Associate Professor, Visva Bharati University (2022)

• Professor of Record, Renmin University (2013-2019)

• Postdoctoral Fellow University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (2015-2017)

• Research Scholar, University of the Arts London Research Center on Transnational Art, Identity and Nation, London (2015)

• Japan Ministry of Education and Culture Scholar on Japanese Art and culture, Musashino Art University, Tokyo (1997-2001)

Introduction

Xin chào, tôi tên là Les Joynes. My journey in international education began in 1983 and was deepened during my years of study in France, UK, Belgium, Taiwan and Japan. In Japan, I was a Monbusho Scholar (1997–2001) at Musashino Art University, conducting research on art and cultural diplomacy, and in the 1980s also studied at Sophia University in Tokyo.

I first visited Vietnam in 1999 while based in Japan, and ever since, Vietnam has remained central to my vision of education as a bridge across cultures. I view Vietnam as a gateway to Asian business, creativity, and cultural innovation. I greatly admire the country's dynamic and forward-thinking approach to higher education—especially its efforts to internationalize its curriculum, foster creative industries, and expand global business engagement. I am particularly drawn to Vietnam’s expanding regional leadership in international education and cross-cultural exchange.

Having worked across Asia for the past twenty five years, I have taught and collaborated with institutions in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Mongolia, and China. I bring this deep cross-cultural experience to new collaborations in Vietnam, and I am eager to work alongside faculty and students to support globalized curriculum design, enhance intercultural learning, and promote sustainable educational leadership.

Academic Profile: Dr. Les Joynes

Dr. Les Joynes is a Columbia University Research Scholar in Coaching in Education Leadership at Teachers College, with a specialization in international curriculum design and global engagement. He is committed to advancing internationalization in education, with a focus on transnational learning models, inclusive pedagogy, and cross-cultural mutual understanding.

Dr. Joynes studied at Sophia University and was awarded the Japanese Ministry of Education (Monbusho) Scholarship, completing his postgraduate research at Musashino Art University (1997–2001). His academic foundation in Japan laid the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to fostering international education and intercultural dialogue.

Dr. Joynes has held academic appointments as Professor of Record at Renmin University of China and Visiting Professor at the Institute for Cultural Industries at Peking University. He has lectured and led workshops at Cambridge University, the University of Melbourne, Teachers College Columbia University, Kookmin University in Seoul, the Bauhaus in Germany, and the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture.

A Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar to India, Dr. Joynes served at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi and as Visiting Associate Professor at Visva Bharati University. He currently leads India’s first coaching and mentoring programs for Tribal youth in Nagaland, fostering educational access and professional development.

Dr. Joynes began publishing in 1989 with co-authored work on Parallel Learning Models for technology transfer and has since contributed to journals including Art in America, Sculpture Magazine, Art Monthly, and Springer. He is a founding Editorial Board member of ProjectAnywhere, a peer-reviewed journal for artistic research, and serves as a Board Director of the College Art Association in New York.

He has led international cultural diplomacy projects supported by the U.S. Department of State in India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Brazil, and China. His research fellowships include appointments at the University of São Paulo, the Highland Institute in India, and the Centre for Transnational Art, Identity, and Nation at the University of the Arts London. His academic background also includes advanced degrees from Boston University, the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Leeds Beckett University, and training in coaching and education leadership at New York University.

Throughout his career, Dr. Joynes has dedicated himself to building educational bridges that promote mutual understanding, student mobility, and faculty collaboration. His commitment to educational internationalisation is grounded in decades of on-the-ground experience, a passion for mentoring, and a belief in the transformative power of intercultural learning.