NOTE--due to the focus of this program only ILR undergraduate students who have completed or are currently enrolled in Labor Relations (ILRLR 2050) are eligible for this program.

The is the info Youtube video from last year to learn about the program and hear from the past teaching assistants!

https://youtu.be/ks9bIykEpOU?si=624Oji3IPU6ECRl2

The ILR International Programs Office and the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution are offering a winter break Engaged Learning (EL) opportunity at Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam.   The focus of the program is labor relations & conflict resolution in the Vietnamese context.  Richard Fincher (ILR'73), the Executive Director of the Asia Labor Arbitration Project (ALAP) in Scheinman will serve as a faculty lead, while Donna Ramil, the Associate Director of the ILR International Programs Office, will be the administrative and engaged-learning lead.  Both Fincher and Ramil will head the pre-departure orientation in fall 2024, travel to Vietnam in January, and lead the post-experience course during the spring 2025.  The pre-departure orientation is required and will begin on Wed, Oct 16, 4:30 to 6:10 pm.   Note that the pre-departure orientation and post-experience course are mandatory with no exceptions. 

Photo of the 2023 ILR and TDTU cohort on the TDTU campus.  January 2024 marked ILR's and TDTU's tenth year of engagement!  

What is unique about this program?

The ILR School and the Labor School at TDTU have engaged since January 2015, making this a unique opportunity for cross-cultural learning by students studying similar academic topics in their respective institutions.  ILR students will learn about labor relations and dispute resolution with peers from Faculty of Labor Relations and Trade Unions at Ton Duc Thang University.  For more about TDTU’s Faculty of Labor Relations and Trade Unions visit the website: https://laborrelations.tdtu.edu.vn/en).

The approximate program dates will be in January 2-16, 2025.  Details will be shared with the students who are selected.  Note that students must be available for the duration of the program with NO EXCEPTIONS.  

Students will live on the TDTU campus and attend daily lectures delivered by TDTU faculty and labor relations practitioners.  Some of the January 2024 lectures included CSR in Vietnam, Labor Relations and Social Dialogue, Cross-cultural Management in Labor Relations, Grievance Resolutions, and Vietnamese Trade Unions.  Additionally Foreign Service Officers from the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City will meet with students to discuss US-VN relations and to share details about becoming a US diplomat.  Last January, the US Labor Attache to Vietnam traveled from Hanoi to the TDTU campus to meet with students, which we hope will be possible in 2025. 

ILR and TDTU students will have the opportunity to visit cultural sites in Ho Chi Minh City and, if possible, travel to the world-famous Mekong Delta.  In 2024, TDTU arranged industry visits which we hope to offer again in 2025. Additionally, students visited the Betterwork ILO Office and met with the director. 

For the second week of the program, ILR and TDTU students will take part in a debate workshop to practice and learn negotiation strategies.  This is an opportunity for students in a unique learning and cross-cultural activity. 

During the program ILR students will select a research topic that they will complete during the spring semester.   This is a required part of the program that is credit-bearing for a grade (further details will be provided). 

A sample of potential research projects includes:

• Labor Implications of international trade agreements
• Human resources strategy at foreign investment enterprises
• Dispute resolution in Vietnam
• Wildcat strikes in the global supply chain
• State-controlled trade union (VGCL)
• Minimum wage policy (MWP) in a developing country
• Monitoring the Codes of Social Responsibility
• Role of the International Labor organization (ILO) in Southeast Asia
• The impact of the Me Too Movement on Vietnamese women in the labor force

To learn more about recent trip experiences see the Vietnam blog.

Program Timeline

Fall 2024

The Info Session will be held on 

Thurs, Sept 19, at 4:30 PM, location TBD. 

Students accepted into the program will be REQUIRED to participate in the pre-departure orientation, beginning on Wed, October 16.  The orientation will cover a mix of topics to prepare students academically, personally, and culturally for the winter break program.

January 2024 (Winter break)

Students will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on January 2 and depart on January 16, 2025.  They will live in a dormitory on the TDTU, campus located in District 7 in HCMC, also called Phu My Hung District.

Spring 2025

Students selected must enroll in a 1-credit post-experience course.  Details will be provided to the students selected for the program.  This course will consist of 3-4 joint class meetings/sessions with the TDTU students to present group projects, focus on reflecting academically, culturally, and personally on the TDTU experience, and in preparing a research proposal and completing a final research paper on a Vietnamese-focused labor relations topic designed by the student.  

How do I apply? 

1) Review the program Requirements. Note that ILR students must be on campus to take the post course in spring 2025. 

2) If possible, attend the info session!  For further questions reach out to the ILR undergraduate assistant Sri Ravisankar (sr822@cornell.edu).   You can also meet with the program advisor Donna Ramil (dmr47@cornell.edu) to discuss the program details and your eligibility.

Photo of the 2024 ILR TAs, Grace (left) and Amalia (3rd to the left), with TDTU labor relations students Kathy (2nd left) and Thao (right) in Mysore, India.  TDTU students joined ILR students in the ILR India Global Service Learning Program in summer 2023. 

3) Complete the online application by clicking on the "Apply" button on this web page. Note that the term is "Winter 2025". You must log in with your NetID and password to access the application. 

4) Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted on a rolling basis as applications are submitted.  The application portal will close on October 2, 2024. Note that interviews will be offered only to students with strong applications. 

5) Priority will be given to eligible students who have not taken part in another global ILR engaged learning program (i.e. India and/or Zambia). 

Please read!  VIETNAM IS AN EMERGING ECONOMY AND COUNTRY WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL VALUES AND BELIEFS.  TO BE SUCCESSFUL, YOU MUST ACCEPT AND RESPECT DIFFERENCES AND UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS ACADEMIC AND CROSS-CULTURAL LEARNING--THIS IS NOT A WINTER BREAK VACATION OR SHOPPING TRIP.  FLEXIBILITY, OPENNESS TO CHANGES, RESPECT FOR TEAM MEMBERS AND HOST-COUNTRY NATIONALS, MATURITY AND ADAPTABILITY ARE REQUIRED. STUDENTS SELECTED TO THE PROGRAM WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN AN ILR CODE OF CONDUCT.

THIS OPPORTUNITY IS NOT A FIT FOR EVERYONE.