Xin Chao! We started the day off in typical Vietnamese fashion with a lovely bowl of pho accompanied by a plate of fruit before we headed to UEF for class. In today’s class Professor Minh taught us about Green Transformation and Sustainable Economy. As the name implies, Green Transformation refers to a shift towards environmentally friendly practices and Sustainable Economy refers to balancing economic growth with environmental protection. These topics are becoming more and more relevant in Vietnam each and every day as more companies increase manufacturing here in Vietnam. Vietnam’s green transformation revolves around their adoption of various forms of renewable energy. Vietnam is already South East Asia’s hydropower leader, and is looking to expand their wind energy as well. As an environmental engineer with career interests in renewable energy, I found Professor Minh’s lecture to be extremely interesting.

After class, we left UEF to have a flavorful and bold lunch at an Italian restaurant. Then we went to our company visit for the day: FTP Software. Immediately, I was caught by the sleek modern design of FTP’s buildings. Layout of buildings had a college campus feel to them but they looked as if they had been plucked from a futuristic sci fi movie. My favorite part was the greenery that was woven between the buildings, as it made the modern architecture feel more organic. Then they welcomed us into a conference room and gave us the break down on what FTP Software is about. FTP Software is a company that leads initiatives in digital transformation and global delivery while prioritizing sustainability. The most appealing aspect of the company to me were the close-knit teams in which they confronted issues with. Overall, I had a great time during our visit!