WCP Women Who Travel - Pt.2: More Than Just a Subject, Why IBUS Vietnam was the Highlight of My Degree

“Your two weeks in Vietnam will be filled with cultural experiences, an enriched education and friendship”

– IBUS subject coordinator

The promise from our initial briefing sounded too good to be true. You always hear from past university students that their biggest regret was not studying more, but missing out on exchange. Having completed the subject, I could not agree more – this is an experience you want do not want to miss out on. If you’re keen on studying abroad, but don’t want to commit to a whole semester/year away this program is perfect for you.

The subject runs three times during the year, with Jakarta, Vietnam and Delhi being one of your destinations (I did the Vietnam stream over the summer period). The subject was split into two sections – the first week was spent on a cultural tour, whilst the second was mainly spent on your project. Both of which are equally valuable, challenging and fun in their own ways.

After touching down in Ho Chi Minh City, we formally met each other for the first time in Vietnam for dinner as a whole group (you do meet each other once in Melbourne beforehand at your briefing). I recommend flying in a day or two early, settling into Vietnam and coordinating this with others from the program. It was a great way to relax after exams but importantly begin to get to know the people you would be spending the next two weeks with.

Independence Palace

My favourite parts of the cultural tour were when we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum. There’s nothing like spending over 4 hours on a bus with people you barely know to get you talking and connected – or in our case blasting some tunes and doing some karaoke! The Cu Chi Tunnels are a 250-kilometer-long underground network in Vietnam, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War for combat, communication, and shelter. They’re pretty cramped and stuffy – the one time being short has paid off! Both the tunnels and museum were a stark reminder of the hardships the country has endured and really opened my eyes to what true resilience looks like. 

You’ll also get a chance to go on the Mekong River tour, I was sick so I missed out but from the videos my mates showed me – it looked like one of the highlights of the program.

One of the best parts of the subject is that you get the weekend to yourself. Take this as an opportunity to explore Ho Chi Minh as much as you can in 48 hours! My friends and I went and watched a play, explored the city and importantly did a lot of shopping! We also explored the Ben Thanh markets and got some amazing facials and massages (don’t skip this!).

My teammates and I in the group project!

As you embark on the second week of the program, the real work begins. The crux of the program involved working in a group to develop a strategy for a Vietnamese company to enter the Australian market. It felt like a case competition at university, where all the groups were given the same issue and had to come up with their own solution to the problem. The project demanded teamwork, analysis and innovation – all of which were challenged and strengthened.

Since you only start the project in week 2, be prepared to stay up past midnight to work on your project. An average day in week 2 looked like this:

7:00 AM	Breakfast
8:30- 11:00 AM	Company visit
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM	A site visit ·  e.g. The Independence Palace (these often got cancelled in the second week, due to company visits going overtime, traffic etc).
12:00 – 1:30 PM	Group lunch
2:00- 4:00 PM	Company Visit
5:00-7:00 PM	Project work
7:00 – 7:30 PM	Dinner ·  You will likely only have time to order the equivalent of Uber Eats to the hotel.
7:30 PM – 12:30 AM	Project work
12:30 – 2:30 AM	Catching up with mates ·  Of course, this part is optional, but I would not recommend skipping it. It made the week much more bearable and gave us something to look forward to while grinding through our PowerPoint. Friendships were put on the line during high-stakes card games, but all was forgiven over face masks at our spa nights.

After 4 days of working on your project, you spend the last Friday presenting your findings to your teacher and a representative for the company you are consulting for. You then get to head off to a final group dinner and are free from the program in Vietnam (you will still have to write a reflective essay and research essay when you return home).

Ha Long Bay

While most people flew home the day after our farewell, I took the opportunity to travel through Vietnam. I was lucky enough to be able to time it so I could explore the country with my brother, but you should do it solo if you can’t get anyone to join you. From my experience, Ho Chi Minh was just the tip of the iceberg of the beauty in Vietnam. Ha Long Bay offers stunning views (trust me, you won’t get this in Melbourne) that are absolutely worth the trip. If you have the time, stop by Da Nang and take a visit to Ba Na Hills to get an amazing view of the city from the cable carts.

The two weeks in Vietnam completing IBUS were some of the best of my life. I’m grateful to have worked with such amazing companies and studied at a university overseas.   

2024 IBUS Vietnam Cohort

The best part of the subject was the friends I’ve made. As university students, we know it all too well when you make a friend in class, only to not be in touch once the subject is over. Not the case with IBUS. If you put the effort in, you will make some amazing friends – I still see mine at least once a week and most of us are in the same tutorials! 

Looking back, the first step to anything is always the hardest – enrol in this subject you won’t regret it. The promises made to us at orientation came true and then some.