We started today at one of my 2 favorite universities in the world, UEF. Professor Minh was kind enough to give a talk about the role of sustainability and green transformation in the economy of Vietnam. I really appreciated his emphasis on how not only does sustainability fill a moral obligation to preserve the environment for future generations, but it benefits the economy by helping cut costs. For example, when companies try to reduce energy use by turning the lights off more frequently, they practice sustainability and cut costs. Or, on a larger scale, if a company commits to reducing plastic use in their products, it will also cut costs.

After this lecture, we had our second company visit to FPT Software. This cutting edge software development firm had an absolutely beautiful office here in HCMC. The building had lots of flora that created a very serene and peaceful atmosphere — easily my favorite part of this building.

In this building, we attended a lecture by an employee for FPT, Phil. Since I am changing my major to math and data science, the highlight of our discussion was when he talked about integrating AI and data science into a global economy. He described his company efforts to provide AI consulting services and how he manages working with international clientele. For example, he mentioned that his company has an entire division dedicated to dealing with Japanese clients.

Overall, today was another unforgettable day in Ho Chi Minh City!