Can’t believe this is my final blog post!!! Ahhh! The last two days have been busy but also nostalgic as our trip comes to an end.

Yesterday, our final site visit included trips to Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park and II-VI Vietnam Company.

Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park is a company that develops commercial factories and residential areas for businesses and factory workers. Over a span of 20 years, has developed a large area outside of the city. The rare partnership began when the Prime Minister of Vietnam asked the Prime Minister of Singapore for help with their economy. The governments have worked cooperatively for the last two decades, allowing the company to be very successful. The benefits of being a government associated company includes growth without fear of competition, however cons include that they could possibly be limited by the governments control.

After VSIP, we went to an outlet mall where we saw artisans hand painting ceramics and bought little figurines. We then left and went to another mall where we are udon soup and exploded the different shops. The mall reminded me of the high end mall near my house, with pretty stores and high prices.

We left the mall and then headed to II-VI a company that specializes in the manufacturing of lasers and lenses. They are a growing player in the industry, with 10% of the market share and the ability to create products that no other company can. II-VI is a global company, with operations in the U.S. and Asia. The company moved to Vietnam due to the decreased cost of skilled labor as well as government tax breaks.

Friday morning began with fun and games, as we had a sports tournament with the UEF students. We played soccer, basketball, and tug of war. The UEF students put up a good fight, beating us 2 out of 3 rounds in the tug of war.

We then cleaned ourselves up for our final presentation and dinner in our tailored Ao Dai. We ate at a rooftop buffet downtown that served Vietnamese food. A lot of the traditional food that we have tried on our trip was served, as well as other interesting things such as frog legs and an entire fish on a stick.

I can’t believe this adventure is already over! The past two weeks have been an incredible adrenaline rush. I’m so grateful to have had the experience exploring the beautiful country of Vietnam