Today, we visited the Cat Lai Terminal, a port in Ho Chi Minh that handles 81 containers per hour. As we drove throughout the terminal, I found it interesting how much manpower and equipment it takes to move the containers, which is why I found it impressive that they handle so many in one hour….

Today, we visited the Mekong Delta, a region of Vietnam where the majority of their rice is grown. Because the delta has so many rivers, our main method of transportation was boats. At one point, to get to the other side of one of the island, we took a small wooden canoe paddled by two…

Today we had a lecture about Buddhism and its role in Vietnamese culture and then visited a pagoda in the city. I found the Buddhist philosophy very interesting, especially the idea of having part of the pagoda dedicated to the village leader or hero. I don’t know of many other religions that also pray to…

Today we visited Saigon Hi-Tech Park, a government owned park dedicated to supporting companies focused on logistics and technology. The mission of the park is to help business that would advance Vietnam’s economy and turn the country into a leading force in the technology industry. The part of the visit I enjoyed the most was…

On Saturday, we visited Vung Tau City where we climbed up over 800 steps and saw the Jesus statue on the top of a mountain. We then swam at the beach and in the pool to cool off. Even though this city was beautiful, my favorite day of the weekend was Sunday. We visited the…

Today we visited GreenViet, a sustainability consulting company in Ho Chi Minh City. It was founded 12 years ago back when sustainability was a very new and unknown industry. We learned about how the company was able to grow and establish itself in this unique environment, and how important it was for the company to…

Today we visited the VinaCapital Foundation, which is a non-government organization and a non-profit that focuses on helping the ethnic minority groups throughout Vietnam. They accomplish this mission by building programs that benefit children, young girls, and mothers in need. For example, they give free heart surgeries to children and they provide financial, sexual reproduction,…

Today we visited PECC2, one of Vietnam’s biggest energy consulting companies. Its mission is to provide more renewable energy and increase sustainability throughout the country. They have been building solar panel fields and wind power plants, and decreasing the use of harmful fossil fuels such as coal and gas. Their work in renewable energy has…

While touring the TTT factory, we learned that they take different pieces of wood, and then compress and glue them together. I found this to be significant because it shows how the company is willing to go the extra mile to be sustainable with their materials and decrease deforestation. After learning about this practice, I…

As we met the UEF students and explored Ho Chi Minh, what stood out to me was everyone’s kindness and excitement. Even when there were some moments throughout the day when we didn’t understand something, all of the people we’ve met were very patient with us and extremely helpful. The UEF students were also very…

My name is Cami Samuel. I am from Montgomery County, PA. I am a first-year business student and my major is undecided. Since coming to Pitt, I have joined American Marketing Association and Fashion Business Association. Outside of school, I like to bake and hang out with friends. I also love going to the beach…