We started our day at UEF with a lecture on sustainability in Vietnam. It was really informative, but Professor Minh made it fun as well. He brought a bit of school nostalgia back with some engaging Kahoots (even if we couldn’t make it past level 2).
One of the best parts of the lecture was discussing why sustainability matters to businesses. It was fascinating to realize that being sustainable can actually save companies money. I had never thought of it that way before—I’d always seen sustainability from the perspective of global health in the long run and public perception or reputation. I find it interesting that it needs to be so heavily publicized, even though it can improve profitability. A strong point was made: if sustainability didn’t save money, companies likely wouldn’t pursue it. It’s an unfortunate truth, but businesses generally don’t act solely out of a sense of morality.
Our second site visit was to FPT. The building was very modern, and the architecture was striking. I noticed a number of holes in the protrusions on each floor—perhaps they’re there for environmental reasons like airflow or natural light, or maybe it’s just a design choice. My favorite part of the building was the open space and central fauna. Even though it’s a workplace, they offer sports, clubs, and events to bring employees together, which I really appreciated.
Later, we had a presentation from Phil. Building on my previous point, one of the most interesting topics was workplace dynamics. Since COVID, employees have had the option to work remotely, but the fact that many Vietnamese workers still choose to come into the office speaks volumes about their value for team chemistry. Their outlook on work is quite different from what I’m used to in the U.S., where people often look for any reason to work from home.
Personally, I’m not especially interested in working at a software company, but their low attrition rate says a lot about the work environment. Even in their hiring process, they focus on cultural fit in addition to technical skills, which I think contributes significantly to that low turnover.
