day 3

Wednesday, May 9th

Today we started out by going to VSIP (Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park). This is a joint venture between the Vietnamese and Singaporean governments which allows trade and commerce between the two countries. They offer tax incentives for companies to lease land in their industrial parks, and in addition, there is a customs office on-site. I thought it was an interesting concept, and I find it interesting that I've never heard of anything like this happening in the United States. Also, the companies are required to keep 30% of the space green, which seems like a higher environmental standard than we have back home. After we had a general tour of the campus, we went to II-VI and took a tour of the factory. II-VI is an optics company, which develops lenses for many purposes including Lasik. It was interesting to hear both the process that they use (physics 2 does apply to real life!!) and the perspective of an American company working in Vietnam.

After the tours, we went back to the hotel for lunch. Then we went to a different campus of UEF and listened to a commercial officer from the US Consulate talk to us about the economic situation in Vietnam and how the Consulate helps US companies sell and export goods in a foreign market. We heard a lot of familiar things about the market drivers and business challenges in Vietnam. We also found out that the US Consulate gathers market intelligence, helps US companies find partners, and promotes trade. At first it was surprising that the US government is so involved with private companies trading overseas, but thinking about it, it's in the best interest for our country to have connections around the world and to export goods and services wherever we can.

Later, the Vietnamese students took us to a restaurant called Barbecue Garden. It wasn't quite like American barbecue, but it was more familiar for sure. It was delicious! It was also cool, because there were gas stovetop grills built into the tables, so we got to cook the food for ourselves. We ate pork, chicken, and goat, and I dipped mine in a sauce that I was told had lemon, pepper, and salt in it. I was amazed, because the cost per person was under $6 in US dollars. When we were done, we walked home through the city. I am looking forward to exploring more on other nights!