A special talk with the Vice Mayor of Rotterdam - Vincent Rotterdam with the topic of "From studies to success: Charting to career path" at UEH

On the afternoon of June 6, 2024, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) hosted a special talk session with the Vice Mayor of Rotterdam, Netherlands - Mr. Vincent Karremans with the topic of "From studies to success: Charting your career path," at Campus A, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh city from 2:30pm to 4:30pm. This event aimed to provide students with new perspectives on the labor market and career orientation after graduation.

From the City of Rotterdam, Netherlands, the event was honored with the presence of Mr. Vincent Karremans - Vice Mayor of Rotterdam; Mr. Joop Polfliet - Director for Public Works; Mr. Johan Verlinde - International Advisor; Ms. Ismay Keus - Economist.

Additionally, UEH was honored to welcome the delegation from the Consulate General, including: Mr. Daniël Stork - Consul General; Ms. Eline van der Veen - Consul; Ms. Giang Le - Senior policy officer; Ms. Minh Luu -Senior economic officer; Mr. Tobias Koster - Intern.

On the UEH side, there was the presence of Prof. Su Dinh Thanh - UEH President; Dr. Dinh Cong Khai - UEH Vice President; Assoc.Prof. Pham Khanh Nam - Rector of UEH College of Economics, Law and Government; Dr. Tran Thi Tuan Anh - Vice Rector of UEH College of Economics, Law and Government; Assoc.Prof. Pham Duong Phuong Thao - Deputy Head of the Department of Research; Mr. Vo Duc Hoang Vu - Deputy Head of the Department of Research; Ms. Dang Thi Bach Van - Deputy Head of Human Resources department UEH; Mr. Huynh Thuc Dinh - Acting Head of CELG Office and about 200 UEH students.

The special talk began with Professor Dinh Cong Khai delivering his open remarks to welcome the Vice Mayor of Rotterdam, his team members and all the representatives from the Consulate General of the Netherlands. Dr. Dinh Cong Khai expressed that "The visit of the Deputy Mayor of Rotterdam this time will strengthen the friendship and cooperation between UEH and the City of Rotterdam, the Netherlands." Professor Dinh Cong Khai also emphasized that UEH prioritizes delivering an education system that satisfies worldwide standards, as well as fostering and cultivating students' research and innovation abilities.

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai gave an opening speech to start the special talk session

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai gave the Vice Mayor a present from UEH

During this visit, the Deputy Mayor of Rotterdam, Mr. Vincent Karremans, gave a talk on the topic 'From Studies to Success: Charting Your Career Path' with the aim of understanding the labor market in the southern region of Vietnam and sharing advice with UEH students about building their career paths.

In such a lively atmosphere, the Vice Mayor - Mr. Vincent Karremans began his speech by encouraging students to invest in career decisions because, realistically, a person will have to spend more time at work than at home. Furthermore, understanding that failure is one of the most common anxieties among students, the Vice Mayor of Rotterdam inspired students to positively embrace and address failures, believing that failure fosters improvement and offers students valuable lessons.

The event continued with a “question and answer” session in which Professor Nguyen Quang respectfully guided the Vice Mayor of Rotterdam through a series of meaningful questions. One of the highlights of this session was when the Vice President discussed his thoughts on the relationship between being an entrepreneur and a Vice Mayor. He shared that an entrepreneur is result-oriented whereas a Vice Mayor is more process-oriented. Nevertheless, as an open-minded thinker, he strives to reconcile the differences between these two perspectives and is always eager to include the result-oriented approach into governmental activity. When the Vice Mayor was questioned about his thoughts and experiences working with the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as what Vietnam and the Netherlands can learn from each other, the Vice Mayor enthusiastically shared many great viewpoints that he had noticed. He praised the Vietnamese government’s ability to convince the business sector to accept responsibility for its actions and decisions which he emphasized the Netherlands should learn from Vietnam. However, with regard to climate change and the environment, the Vice Mayor stated that Vietnam should consider developing a more resilient urban plan and improving water management in the city so that citizens can enjoy going outside more, as he sees Ho Chi Minh city as a very active and vibrant city.

Vice Mayor of Rotterdam engaged in the Q&A session with the participants

He also took time to answer questions from the UEH professor and students. In the discussion with the participants about job opportunities for economics students in the Netherlands, Mr. Vincent Karremans explained the demand for researchers and specialists in the Netherlands is considerable, therefore, there are many great occupational options for international students. Mr. Daniël Stork, Consulate General of the Netherlands in Vietnam also mentioned that supporting exchange programs and promoting international scientific cooperation is also being focused and promoted by the Netherlands. The Vice Mayor of Rotterdam also shared "For students who want to work abroad or want to develop their careers in countries around the world, the essential elements you need are perseverance, hard work, discipline, language ability and openness.” Ending this session, the Vice Mayor hoped that all the students would follow their hearts when choosing a career path.

One of UEH students asked the Vice Mayor a question about career opportunities

Top three students with the best questions took a picture with the Vice Mayor and Prof. Nguyen Quang

Vice Mayor of Rotterdam, related delegations and UEH students took picture together at the end of the meeting

This gathering was a success thanks to its open and amicable interactions. UEH students are now well equipped to take action to prepare for their future professional path and establish a plan for themselves if they aim to work in the global market. This discussion surely will provide students with important knowledge and insights as they pursue their future professional routes.

Additional photos from the meeting:

The Vice Mayor of Rotterdam shared his answers to the questions asked by Prof. Nguyen Quang

Dr. Dinh Cong Khai contributed to the discussion with the Vice Mayor and UEH students on the topic of career paths

The Vice Mayor took a picture with Prof. Phạm Khánh Nam, Dr. Tran Thi Tuan Anh, Ms. Dang Thi Bach Van, Mr. Huynh Thuc Dinh, Ms. Thai Thu Phuong and CELG staff members

News and photos: UEH CELG