Young overseas Vietnamese professionals turn global experience into local impact | Vietnam Today

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0:00As Vietnam modernizes and integrates

0:02more deeply into the global economy,

0:05young overseas Vietnamese are supporting

0:07the country's development by bringing

0:09international expertise, global

0:11networks, and fresh perspective to a

0:13growing variety of fields. They are

0:15turning ties to their roots into

0:17long-term careers and practical

0:19contributions. More in the following

0:21story.

0:25>> Tam Nguyen is a Vietnamese American

0:27sustainability professional based in

0:29Singapore. His work aims to curb plastic

0:32waste in Vietnam by providing funding

0:34and technical training for local

0:35recycling businesses.

0:37These efforts have helped improve the

0:39safety, livelihood, and recognition of

0:41informal waste workers.

0:43Currently, Tam is seeking opportunities

0:46to establish large-scale recycling

0:48facilities in Vietnam.

0:51>> Organizations like VietCycle and others

0:53that we support financially and

0:55technically, they're the ones really

0:57helping to uplift this these workers and

0:59recognize them. And really formalize it.

1:02That way, I was mentioning earlier, that

1:04work that we're doing to help capacity

1:06build to improve the skills,

1:08they can improve what they collect, earn

1:10more income as well.

1:13>> For Alex, a French-trained legal

1:15professional, a journey to discover his

1:17roots became a 16-year career in

1:20Vietnamese business law. After studying

1:22in Ho Chi Minh City, he's now an

1:24arbitrator, lecturer at two

1:26universities, and advisor to foreign

1:28investors. He has [music] supported

1:31hundreds of global investors, helping

1:33them navigate Vietnamese law with

1:34greater [music] confidence, while his

1:36mentorship helps Vietnamese startups

1:38expand overseas.

1:40>> [music]

1:41>> There's still many foreign investors

1:43coming, so I'm always busy.

1:45Plus, beyond that, I would say that

1:48I fell in love with the country and the

1:50people, so I'm still happy to stay here,

1:53and Vietnam actually became my my

1:55>> Sustainability and law are among the

1:57[music] expanding fields attracting

1:59international professionals to Vietnam,

2:01including young overseas Vietnamese.

2:04Thơm [music] and Alex are among those

2:05who engaged early and built long-term

2:08career paths connected to their

2:10homeland.

2:11As Vietnam [music] enters its next phase

2:13of growth, new opportunities are

2:14emerging for professionals with

2:16international [music] experience,

2:18cultural ties, and a desire to

2:19contribute.

2:22>> A young overseas Vietnamese can bring

2:24innovation, international experience,

2:26and valuable networks to Vietnam as the

2:28country pursues its double-digit

2:30development goals. But, how best to

2:33unlock this potential and enable more of

2:35them to contribute? For one perspective,

2:38we'll hear from Kim Bong Oh, a

2:40Vietnamese-Canadian fintech specialist.

2:44>> Thank you for joining this interview.

2:46First, what are the main opportunities

2:48and challenges for young overseas

2:50Vietnamese working in the country?

2:51>> In Vietnam, there's a lot of

2:52opportunities, mainly because we're

2:54still in a a growth stage. The

2:56opportunities here are revolve around

2:58helping with the standardization,

2:59helping Vietnam really get connected to

3:01the global standards, and Việt Kiều have

3:03a unique perspective. They see the two

3:05worlds, they have experience in

3:06corporate, living, and every other

3:08aspect. So, they can bring that back and

3:10help marry that so that Vietnam can find

3:12its own path. However, some of the

3:14challenges that help or limit that from

3:16really being fully

3:18uh activated and freely engaged is

3:21partially um

3:22areas like

3:24residencies and permits. For example,

3:26some of us are considered

3:29uh người Việt, gốc Việt, yet we don't

3:31have any special rights. Other gaps I

3:33would suggest we look at is, you know,

3:34we have to find a way to close

3:36the salary or compensation gap.

3:39>> Following Resolution 23 of the

3:40Politburo, what practical steps do you

3:43expect to attract more young overseas

3:45Vietnamese?

3:46>> So, I'm actually very excited for

3:47Resolution 23. Now that we are seen as

3:49kind of strategic pillars, active

3:51members that can really bring back

3:53uh our experience, our relationships,

3:55capital. I think that's the opportunity

3:57for a lot of young Cubans to really look

4:00at I would love to see uh more active

4:02engagements and policies around

4:04establishing ways that shall ensure that

4:06Cubans can fully contribute. For

4:08example, non-Vietnamese citizen Cubans,

4:10even though

4:11Cubans

4:13they cannot participate in associations,

4:15organizations. Uh having something like

4:17that would be very useful. Helping us

4:19with access to preferential personal

4:22income tax and paperwork for permits to

4:25return. Last one that I think is very

4:26useful

4:27>> [clears throat]

4:28>> is that if you really want to try to

4:29leverage some of the expertise

4:30capabilities, look at specialized funds,

4:33right? Uh co-investments for Cubans who

4:36are working on interesting technology

4:37that Vietnam is really looking for. And

4:39then there's a co-investment by the

4:40government and the Cubans themselves.

4:42They have to bring capital, they have to

4:43bring investors, but the government will

4:45work with them to match or provide a

4:47support of a percentage of that.

4:49>> How can young overseas Vietnamese

4:51contribute to Vietnam even if they are

4:53not ready to move back?

4:54>> I would actually suggest a lot of Cubans

4:57to stay in your home wherever you are at

4:59the moment and climb up move up to at

5:01least middle management and then return.

5:03Because by that time you only got the

5:05academic experience, but you have the

5:06work, relationship, capital, and

5:09knowledge that you can bring back

5:10practically to the country. The country

5:12is developing in in massive ways. We're

5:14looking at semiconductors, advanced AI,

5:17so many different industries that we

5:19need that kind of experience. And a lot

5:21of people have a love for the home

5:22country, yet they don't know how to do

5:24so. By having a community like for

5:26example, the Association of Cubans, one

5:28of the things I'm working on is to help

5:30activate and provide the right community

5:32for Cubans. There's a lot to navigate

5:34when you come back. There's a lot of

5:35time that must be

5:37uh invested to understand Vietnam. Even

5:40if you are a Cuban, you were born in

5:42Vietnam, there are things that are

5:44constantly changing, constantly

5:45evolving.

5:46>> As Vietnam marks the National Day, what

5:48message do you have for young overseas

5:50Vietnamese?

5:51>> Happy National Day. It's great to see

5:52that Vietnam is moving on, moving

5:54forward. We're proud of who they are,

5:56right? I am, too. You know, we see the

5:58change the country has gone through in

6:01the last couple of decades. You are part

6:03of that future, young men. Yeah, young

6:05men and young women. Go out there,

6:06learn, make friends. The more you do,

6:09you will naturally see where you can

6:11contribute back. You will naturally have

6:13connections back to Vietnam, to the home

6:16country.

6:16>> Once again, thank you for your insight.

6:19>> Thank you.

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Young overseas Vietnamese professionals turn global experience into local impact | Vietnam Today