Opportunity to Boost Trade between Vietnam and Germany

The Vietnam - Germany joint programme in advanced business administration training held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the GIZ (German Company for International Cooperation) was formerly InWEnt (Capacity Building International, Germany). The programme not only provides knowledge and improves corporate governance, but also promotes trade and investment between the two nations. It has been run for three years and is in the second phase. Trainees in the sixth course have returned from a one-month study and practice in Germany. The Vietnam Business Forum excerpted opinions shared by trainees about the programme.

 

This programme was very useful. In addition to studying at our class, we also met and interacted with German companies, joining visits to German companies. I was very impressed by the German industry as well as their professionalism. We also learned a lot from such visits which will be very useful applied to our businesses.

 

Apart from acquiring experience in management, production and business, many trainees were able to find trade partners. I hope that the programme will continue to be organised regularly for more Vietnamese businesses to have the chance to access the German market and learn from this country.

 

Although one month is not a long period, the programme provided the opportunity for trainees to understand the German culture and market and seek out business partners. I hope to have more opportunities to share information with German companies.

 

VCCI prepared us for the course very well and helped us to define specific targets in advance. The selection of participants in this course was also suitable, for example, importing and exporting companies, which eagerly wanted to learn about German culture and history to approach importers and exporters in this country.

 

Germany provided funding for the entire one month there. They also willingly arranged meetings with partners in Germany and supported travel fares and other costs. I myself got certain results, especially my direct contact with expected partners. I connected with some German partners to promote export goods to Vietnam. I signed contracts worth US$20,000 to import raw materials and ingredients for vodka and instant noodle production. I also contacted a famous brewery in Germany.

I personally and Hapro highly appreciated this training course. Hapro had participants in almost all courses.

 

In my opinion, this course was very useful for businesses, especially importers and exporters. Germany is a big and open market. When a company wants to export goods to Germany, everything must be very clear. When working with German companies, you must prepare very carefully and know its goods clearly because they will ask very detailed questions about factors related to the goods. They will not care about long-term or brand-new relationship, but about commodities, prices and supply.

 

During one month there, I contacted many partners in Germany and this was the stepping stone for our company to develop and export agricultural products to this market.

 

Currently, the programme can only support approximately 50 trainees a year. I hope that the Governments of Vietnam and Germany will provide funding for more Vietnamese companies to join these courses, access advanced management experience and strengthen trade relations with Germany.

 

The organisation by VCCI and GIZ was very scientific and effective. First was the preparatory course held by VCCI and lectures on management to gain basic knowledge before we went to Germany. The training course in Germany helped us broaden our knowledge, thanks to simple and easy-to-understand methods and the enthusiasm of teachers. Together with that, meetings with German companies were very warm, promising, and friendly. This was the foundation for our future partnerships.

 

In addition to contact with German businesses, the course also provided the chance for trainees, who work in different industries, to interact, discuss and support each other in the future.

 

The seventh course is under preparation and is scheduled to depart for Germany in mid-September. The eighth course will start enrolment in early 2012. Hopefully, businesses and trainees will learn much from these courses and contacts with German partners.