Cultural Exchange and Debate Finale

The day began on a more lively note with us being placed at the center of a cultural event in front of the TDTU student body. 

Hundreds of students filled the auditorium for the event

Though a bit overwhelming, it was an exciting prospect to be able to do some cross-cultural exchange with the TDTU students. Though it felt a bit staged with the questions having been chosen prior to our arrival, it was still immensely enjoyable to get to learn some unknown and fun facts about the traditional Vietnamese Tet holiday. We got a celebrity's farewell at the end as well when we were swarmed by eager crowds of students, lining up to take selfies with us.

Group picture after interacting with the crowds of students

We then proceeded to have back-to-back meetings with a representative from Betterwork and 2 US Consulate representatives in Vietnam. Both were enlightening and interesting discussions about current events in Vietnam. It was interesting to ask questions on the same topic to both representatives, as they both worked for two similar, yet different institutions. The Better Work Representative was perhaps the most enlightening speaker of the trip thus far as she provided information about its 2 main goals of improving working conditions and improving the adherance to labor standards by companies and factories enrolled in its program. This meeting was aptly placed as we had just had a Factory Tour at Fashion Garments Ltd. We were all buzzing with questions in order to compare our first hand experience at the factory to Better Work's standard. The approach that Better Work takes is to focus on continuous improvement, as it offers advisory, assessment, and training service, unlike a third-party monitoring company. What makes this information so crucial is the fact that it makes change more sustainable and it will be critical to help Better Work eventually help factories be compliant, sustainable and equitable employers on their own.

The most exciting conclusion to our day was the final night of the debate camp. Our exhausting week of work finally came to a fruitful conclusion when we all gathered for the final debates. Though the topic was a bit confusing, it was an apt topic that embodied the studies of both the TDTU and Cornell students (should unions become compulsory by the state). There were many students and faculty, including the Dean of the Labor School himself, that came to watch the final showdown between Olivia and Veronika’s team. There was laughter, crying, yelling and cheering as the final argument and rebuttal came to a close and we could finally conclude the Cornell Debate Camp at TDTU. A close call, Olivia's team came out on top as the debate workshop champions. I really enjoyed this particular part of the program because it was so unique and it is perhaps the reason why all the Cornell students were able to become so close with the TDTU students. This program will also, in my opinion, be of great value to the TDTU students as it will surely help them gain immeasurable confidence in not only their English, but their critical thinking, analytical and public speaking skills. We had such a wonderful time and although we would all agree that it was a long and exhausting journey, the end result was more than worth it. We ended the night at our favorite vegetarian restaurant right across from the campus. — Veronika