Hello, Vietnam

My name is Lexi McCool, and I am a junior studying Industrial and Labor Relations in Cornell University’s ILR School. From January 4^th to January 17^th, myself and five ILR students will attend classes at Ho Chi Minh City’s Ton Duc Thang University, located in southern Vietnam. We six students will also travel throughout the city, formerly known as Saigon, tour garment factories, and gain a more thorough understanding of pressing labor issues in the global supply chain—corporate social responsibility, minimum wage policy, and international collective bargaining strategies. We hope our daily blog posts will allow the students and faculty at Cornell to engage with each of these topics and understand Vietnam through our eyes and experiences.

Our first day in Ho Chi Minh City began with cultural immersion and an opportunity to meet the students of Ton Duc Thang (TDTU). Amidst jet lag, the morning started at 9 AM. Ton Duc Thang’s Dean of Labor Relations and Trade Unions, Dean Hoa, and Ms. Vinh, a faculty member in the Labor Relations School, held a welcome ceremony introducing us to the school and country. We enjoyed performances from TDTU students such as “Hello, Vietnam” and a more traditional song, shared in Vietnamese. Both performances were touching and beautiful, exemplifying the art and culture of such a captivating nation. “Hello, Vietnam,” in particular, spoke to the country’s previous war image and a desire to move beyond that perception, exploring the land’s “roots, soil, and soul.” I could not help but relate the song to our emerging experience and the new understanding of Vietnam each of us will have by the program’s end. Next was Cornell’s turn to contribute an opening performance for which we chose to sing the alma mater. Although our presentation of the school song was “happy,” as diplomatically stated by a TDTU student, our raw talent and ability to carry a tune in no way compared to the former performances. Still, it was fun to share a piece of our school and the experience provided an icebreaker for connecting with TDTU students throughout the day.

Welcome Ceremony

During a campus tour, I was impressed by the modernity and well-kept nature of the campus. Although TDTU is only 20 years old, the university has expanded rapidly, adding a library in the past year, and is openly striving for recognition as the top university in Vietnam. The well-manicured vision is led by the university president who aims to make strategic investments to ensure students are globally competitive and encourage research that influences the future of the nation.

Veronika impresses the crowd with her piano skills

Our first day on campus culminated with class on corporate social responsibility (CSR), taught by Professor Fincher, and a meeting with Ms. Lan Anh from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). During class, Cornell and TDTU students discussed global production lines, the CSR system, and possible innovations in sustainable labor practices. In particular, we examined how CSR is influenced by brands, governments, and monitoring organizations and considered how each institution can be leveraged to better enforce the existing labor code. Ms. Lan Anh built on this discussion, sharing the perspective of employers and the business community in Vietnam. Her presentation helped to create a balanced conversation, providing great insight into the challenges and pressures faced by national businesses, and allowed us to think more holistically about the Vietnamese labor experience.

By day’s end, jet lag had caught up with us and we were happy to enjoy milk tea, coffee, and hot pot at nearby restaurants with a few of the TDTU students. Although we went to bed as early as 9pm, our first day in Vietnam was full, exciting, and unique. – Lexi