I got to see my Vietnamese friend from breakfast again this morning, that started my day off nicely. Once we made it to UEF, we attended a lecture on Vietnamese history and culture, followed by another language class. I got to try café suda, a traditional Vietnamese coffee. Finished it in three sips.

Lunch was amazing today. We went to a food court-style location, and I ordered beef, fried rice, soup, and a strawberry smoothie. But then, I saw that one of my friends had ordered chicken feet:

I took a huge bite out of the foot. Apparently, you’re not supposed to do that. Oopsie! It was hard to eat, since there was very little meat on the foot, but the bites I did manage to get were delicious. Here’s the other thing I got:

Today’s company visit was VinaCapital. It is a large investment management and real estate development company. The company trades on the Vietnamese stock market, managing over one billion USD. The stock market is able to process up to 300,000 orders per day, and equities are capped at a five percent change in value from the previous day’s close.

Most of the investment comes from foreign investors looking to capitalize on Vietnam’s rapid development. As Vietnam continues to expand its economy, more foreign investors will be attracted, leading to more expansion, then more investment, etc. VinaCapital seeks to kindle this economic growth by investing in the right places. The best places to invest are areas that will further Vietnam’s development while also providing profits for the investors. One such area is the manufacture of high-tech products, which make up a third of Vietnam’s exports. One difficulty encountered by the company stems from the Vietnamese government. Investments in infrastructure such as apartment high rises would stimulate urbanization. This is attractive for VinaCapital. However, existing laws do not adequately outline and ensure bank investment in infrastructure. As a result, there are many half-built buildings in Ho Chi Minh City- the government is paying for the construction, but only when they are able. Globalization in the form of foreign pressure to refine these laws may address this issue.

Lastly, we listened to a representative from the VinaCapital Foundation (VCF), which is a non-profit organization to support disadvantaged children in Vietnam. One of their most successful programs was providing 7,000 free surgeries to children with heart failure. VinaCapital provides VCF with office space and consulting services. The company also covers any overhead costs. VCF contributes to the development of Vietnam by helping sick children, the leading cause of poverty. Through a program called Brighter Path, VCF also improves gender equality by empowering minority and disadvantaged women.

Tomorrow, I will buy a bigger coffee.