When I first applied to this program, the focus on sustainable development stood out to me for a variety of reasons, one of which being because I want to work for a company who cares about sustainability in their production. This morning’s lecture with Professor Minh on Green Transformation in Vietnam expanded my perspective. 

Some aspects of his presentation simply taught me more about Vietnam’s impact on environmental damage. For one thing, I didn’t know that Hanoi (Vietnam’s capital) is the largest polluter city in the world. This is because millions of people have moved into the city, overpopulating it with vehicles that both create traffic and emit heavy exhaust. As a whole, Vietnam’s negative environmental contribution centers around air pollution because of traffic exhausts and the emissions from burning coal, which makes up over 50% of Vietnam’s energy generation. 

Professor Minh introducing himself.

To combat these issues, Vietnam is working towards net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal that even Professor Minh says could be a stretch. In a more short-run, Vietnam is trying to cut by 15% by 2030, mainly by converting coal-generated energy sources to renewable sources. With this, there are challenges, such as capital costs and technical limitations, but since Vietnam’s people are most susceptible to climate change because of the industries they rely on, these changes are important. 

All of this interested me because I didn’t realize how much Vietnam impacted climate change. Even though I knew that every country contributes to climate change in some way, I naturally think of larger countries like the United States or China to be the most vile contributors. Professors Minh helped me realize how different countries contribute to global climate issues in varying ways, often targeting different types of environmental harm based on their way of life. Since Vietnam depends heavily on gas-dependent transportation, and has only recently developed more public options, they cause a lot of environmental harm through air pollution. 

After lunch, we made our way over to FPT Software’s Ho Chi Minh location, where we took time exploring their facility and listening to a presentation by one of their business analysts, Phil (La Hoai Vu). Like many tech companies, the facility was intently designed. Two of their HR employees brought us to the meeting rooms, recreational areas, and others, all of which were designed to accommodate their engineers’ work and personal needs. As we walked through the building, I loved how they incorporated greenery and koi ponds into their outdoor areas, which were integrated seamlessly between their indoor sections. 

A model of FPT’s Ho Chi Minh location.

Moving on to Phil’s introduction to FPT’s mission and projects, I enjoyed his explanation to the software development process. More specifically, he shared that one step, incremental delivery, involves many tests and analysis, and has a cycle of steps on its own. What I found cool was that this part of the software process is often what app consumers experience as an update, a sign that developers are testing the product and improving it. 

What I liked about the company’s culture was that they value their employees. Just walking through the building, you could see how much they understand the importance of their employees’ lives outside of work. I asked Phil about how FPT handled employee care throughout the pandemic, to which he shared how they were provided with the hardware they needed or an allowance. Along with this, they aided employees with integrating back to the office by helping all employees get their vaccinations. Beyond this, Phil says that he has noticed a growth in FPT’s gender ratio (at least in Vietnam) over the eight years he has worked there, an indication of overall growth and inclusion. 

Me at FPT!

Since I am getting further into my education, and I am preparing to apply to different companies, it is important for me to know what I am looking for in a company. FPT helped me recognize that I value visible growth in a company, such as factors like more balanced gender ratio over time. As we visit more companies during this trip, I am excited to see what aspects I resonate with!

Here are some extra photos from the last few days!

Last night, we had authentic wagyu pho in a hot stone bowl (that I kept burning myself on) for only about $4 USD.

Anna, Chloe, and I at UEF before the opening ceremony.