Students experience the culture and business of Vietnam during Winter Term

Students visited Vietnam to gain a first-hand look at the country's efforts to become a “socialist-oriented market economy.”

Students in the Business and Culture of Vietnam course explored five cities in Vietnam during January to learn how Vietnam developed politically and economically after a long and difficult war.

Students visited various business, cultural, and political sites while in Vietnam including the Hanoi Stock Exchange, Topica Edtech group, Imperial Palace, and the War Remnants Museum, among others.

“I now have a greater appreciation for business because I got to see places like the Hanoi Stock Exchange and some smaller non-profit businesses,” said Robyn Lane ’20, one of the students of the course.  “We learned how they started their businesses and what their struggles are with creating a business in a communist society.”

The students completed coursework to enhance their knowledge of the political and economic development of Vietnam and its booming hospitality industry.

“Vietnam is so interesting because it is just moving into the free market sphere,” said Emily Fouche ’19. “It is so new and exciting for them to move away from entirely state-owned entities to privately owned businesses. The people we met in Vietnam were as interested in us as we were in them which allowed us to learn so much more about their hopes and dreams for their economic future.”

The course was led by Assistant Professor of Finance Todd Stonitsch and Assistant Professor of Accounting Ifeoma Udeh. 

The students were abroad from Jan. 4 to Jan. 22.