Study Abroad in Vietnam During the January 2019 Intersession

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Students on the Global Community Development in Vietnam program build a biogas system for a local family.

During the January 2019 intersession, Steven Kopp, associate professor in the Department of Marketing of the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will lead a two-week community development study abroad program to Vietnam.

University of Arkansas students participating in this program will partner with students from Can Tho University in Vietnam to learn about business. The program is designed for students interested in community service and hands-on work experience.

The Global Community Development in Vietnam Study Abroad will begin Dec. 27, 2018, and end Jan. 13, 2019.

"This program is unique because we live and work with the Vietnamese. It is much more than a lecture tour. The students from Arkansas become lifelong friends with the students from Vietnam," Kopp said. 

Students in this program will work in Hoa An, a village in the Mekong Delta. Ho An is a community dependent on aquaculture and rice farming. Projects vary by year but they are designed to help students understand how business works in rural Vietnam. During the 2018 January intersession, students built biogas systems for families and assisted a local farming coop with market research.

"My favorite part about the Vietnam trip was the non-traditional education I experienced. Instead of sitting in a classroom, we were out in the field helping people and applying not only formal education, but creative problem-solving," said William LaRue, information systems and management major.

Excursions for the program may include visits to the following locations: Historic Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the War Remnant Museum, scavenger hunts in Can Tho, floating markets of the Mekong River and Phu Quoc Island.

"One of my favorite memories on the trip was the scavenger hunt we went on, because it took us all over the city and let us learn more in a creative way outside of a classroom setting," said Jacob Coffman, marketing major. "I also really liked how close we got to our tour guides, as well as the other students on the trip. Going into the trip I didn't know anyone, but by the end of it I had made great friends who I am still in contact today even after graduating."

The program welcomes students from all majors.

For those interested in learning more, meeting the faculty leader and asking questions, there are two upcoming information sessions:

• Friday, Aug. 31, from 2 to 3 p.m. in WCOB 241
• Tuesday, Sept. 4, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in WCOB 116

For more information, contact Walton Undergraduate Programs at 479-575-4622 or go to hogsabroad.uark.edu.