Today was our last day of activities in Vietnam, and we began with the Cat Lai Terminal site visit. I have never visited a domestic or international shipping port, so I was incredibly impressed by the scale of operations and procedures within the terminal. I was particularly interested in how the port was able to…

The Mekong Delta has been the talk of the trip since we first discussed our itinerary. We have been researching the river delta’s culture, development, geopolitical background, relation to climate change, and more since our first class. I have read multiple articles, heard many stories, and seen various photos from the delta from past trips,…

We began the day with an interesting lesson on the theory of Buddhism and its history in Vietnam. I have always loved learning about religion in history class, and much of what we discussed was a good refresher on what I already understood about Buddhist philosophies. In Vietnam, worshippers practice under the Mahayana branch of…

Today, we had the pleasure of visiting two companies for site visits. In the morning, we began with Coherent, a company dedicated to high-technology developments primarily in optics and a few other fields of technology. Coherent is mainly a material science company, but they hire in many disciplines of engineering. The company has grown very…

This weekend’s activities in Vung Tau and the Cu Chi Tunnels were incredible once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I made so many great memories and had an incredible time with everyone from Pitt and UEF. I was really interested and impressed by the Cu Chi Tunnels, a 100+ kilometer tunnel system used during the Vietnam War, and the…

The company visit to VinaCapital Foundation was equally inspiring as it was impressive. Vina Capital Foundation is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to empower disadvantaged children and their mothers across rural Vietnam. The foundation’s eight programs target various different problems faced by these families, including childhood health complications and education on women’s rights. The…

Today was an incredibly interesting and educational day, especially as a chemical engineering student. The lecture at UEF on transitioning the Vietnamese economy to green energy was a great introduction to transformative sustainable business plans across Vietnam. The lecturer’s many years of experience were very evident in the informative nature of the lesson, and I…

Our second day began with two classes at UEF. The first lecture was on rural development along the Mekong Delta, where we discussed the region’s infrastructure and modern sustainable developments along the delta. Next, we had our first Vietnamese language class, which was very fun although difficult. After lunch, we attended our first company visit…

Our first day in Vietnam was absolutely amazing. The afternoon began with a warm welcome at UEF, which was greatly exciting for my peers and I. The UEF students were lovely and so happy to greet us and host our university. On the bus tour, I talked extensively with a senior student at UEF named…

Hi everyone! My name is Henry Lombardi, and I am majoring in Chemical Engineering. I intend to pursue the Sustainability certificate and possibly minor in Bioengineering or Material Science. I was born and raised in New York City, but I have family here in Pittsburgh, which was one of the many things that introduced me…