Today, we began our day with a site visit to Coherent, a company that originated from the US that now has sub branches in many parts of the world, including HCMC. Its focus is on a wide range of products, all dealing with electronics and lasers of the sort. According to one of the senior engineers, Coherent has achieved vertical integration, and sells products in all forms of production. As well, the company is trying to tap into all sectors of the market, from high end to inexpensive technical parts, catering to all of its potential customers. For this reason, along with the fact that the company continues to promote innovation and explore new products that can be made, Coherent is able to dominate the market share and secure its position as the main supplier for most of the electronics and lasers that the United States companies use. Though I do not have a thorough understanding about the technical parts of the products, it is evident that its lasers and electronics are needed in a variety of different applications, such as Lasik eye surgery, Face ID, and 3D surrounding detection. It is obvious how important these products are for the advancement of technology in our society.

Part of the tour that I found significant was the fact that the factory workers earn $3 dollars an hour there. While I knew that wages were much lower in Vietnam than in the US, it still surprised me to hear that they earn so little while doing such intricate work for a lucrative international company. During the tour, we saw the workers use microscopes to assemble minuscule parts together. From my observation, the job seemed to take quite a lot of skill and attentiveness, unlike other assembly line jobs. Especially for a company with the highest paid CEO in the US (over $101 million USD), I am sure it could provide better benefits and salaries for its workers, the core backbones of the company. As well, the work spaces seemed to have a strong aroma from the chemicals and the machines operating there. I am concerned for the workers there that are inhaling these fumes everyday; I am sure that it has no positive effects on the body or its immune system. That is another reason that I believe the company should have better benefits for its workers, to ensure that they have some security in case they get sick from working at the site long-term.

After the site visit, we went to eat some more Vietnamese food. My favorite today was the steamed chicken, eaten with sticky rice. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to change and prepare for the sports day with UEF. We competed with UEF women and men’s soccer teams for bonding. Later, we also played a folk game that was fun and simple. While it was very hot in the gym, we had lots of fun both on the sidelines and participating in the games. I cannot believe that we only have 4 more days left!