INTERVIEW WITH MR. QUOC VIET – THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS & FINANCE
October 31, 2023
1. Kindly tell us something about your work profile/business including yourself.
Hello, I am Nguyen Quoc Viet – The Director of the Spanish and Latin American Institute at University of Economics and Finance UEF, which is one of the major universities in Ho Chi Minh City. It has around 20,000 students and multiple educational facilities. Currently, the university is increasingly asserting its position in terms of both quantity and quality of education, as well as its internationalization strategy.
2. When did you start working in UEF and why you choose Spanish market to develop?
I started this job on November 20, 2022. I have a passion for the Spanish language and a deep interest in researching the diverse cultural backgrounds of Spain, as well as Latin American countries (that speak Spanish). Currently, knowing only English is not enough; young people and everyone in the world should be proficient in various foreign languages to expand their knowledge and connect with people from around the world. That’s why I chose Spanish as my second language after English.
3. How has your professional career or your company’s career developed since then?
– The job is developing very well. UEF has successfully enrolled and taught numerous Spanish language classes, including short courses for beginners at the A1.1 and A1.2 levels. These courses are open to students, tour guides, and individuals outside UEF who wish to participate in learning them.
– The university has also invited many speakers, Ambassadors, Consul Generals and professors from Spanish-speaking countries such as Spain, Argentina, Cuba, Panama, Chile, Mexico, etc., to engage in discussions with students and lecturers. This is aimed at promoting the trend of learning and teaching the Spanish language in line with current trends.
– UEF has organized numerous university-level and institute-level events to introduce the language, culture, and cuisine of Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and Spain.
5. As far as your sector stands today, what services UEF offers to their students/clients?
For students:
– Providing short-term and long-term Spanish language training, offering study abroad consulting services, including settlement and internship assistance for long-term work opportunities in Spain and various Latin American countries.
– Implementing short and long-term student exchange programs between UEF and Spain & Latin America (Spanish-speaking countries). This includes summer study abroad programs, short-term programs ranging from a few weeks to several months, and even four-year bachelor’s degree programs.
For businesses:
Establishing collaborative programs and organizing events, seminars, cultural exchanges, and international conferences to promote the exchange of information, language, and economic trade such as B2B, B2C, and B2G.
5. What do you think are the biggest challenges for this sector in the future?
There is a need for coordinated policies and budgets among government authorities at various levels in campaigns: political-diplomatic relations, people-to-people relations… Collaboratively organizing programs involving city governments, businesses, universities, high schools, primary schools, and international schools to further promote the language and culture of Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and Spain.
6. What type of promotional and communication campaigns do you work on?
As the Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Spain & Latin America Friendship Association (ECASA) under the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and as the Director of the Spanish and Latin American Institute at UEF, we will launch promotional campaigns through city-level events. These campaigns are aimed at spreading information exchange and economic activities with governments and businesses, with Ambassadors and Consul Generals, as well as diplomatic corps, to organize seminars, events, and information exchanges for mutual understanding in economic and diplomatic fields. Within UEF, there will be social media pages and the university’s website to advertise and communicate in this area to students, businesses, and the community of young people and students in the city.
7. What is your advice to companies interested in your services?
We should collaborate in organizing numerous events and seminars on language, culture, cuisine, and sports to introduce the language and culture of Spain and the Latin American countries to Vietnamese people.
8. Please tell us a little about future plans of your company.
– UEF will continue to offer various short-term Spanish language courses.
– Continue to carry out student exchange programs with universities worldwide.
– The university will organize numerous events to further promote cultural, culinary, and sports exchanges between Vietnam and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America & Spain.
– UEF will invite more international speakers, Ambassadors, Consul Generals, and VIP guests from Spain & Latin America to visit, work, and engage in discussions with UEF lecturers and students.
Many thanks to Mr. Quoc Viet for sharing your experience with us.