AT IOB
19
Enriching Encounters …
On the morning of Monday 19 December 2016 , IOB had the honor of welcoming back two former students from Vietnam , Pham Vu Thang and Le Hong Viet . Pham Vu Thang and Le Hong Viet studied jointly in Antwerp in 1998 and later on got married … a true ‘ IOB couple ’.
Le Hong Viet is professionally active in a Vietnamese local government , while Pham Vu Thang ( PhD ) is the director of the Center for Economic Development Studies ( CEDS ) at Vietnam National University in Hanoi as well as the director of Thriive Hanoi . Thriive provides pay-it-forward financing for production equipment to ambitious small business entrepreneurs , helping to expand their businesses . Through this ThriiveCapital system , loans are not repaid in cash , but instead “ paid forward ” with donations of basic necessities and job training to vulnerable community members .
Looking for synergies between both academic institutes on research and education , several IOB staff members engaged in interesting discussions with the two alumni on academic research , alumni relations and promotion of the IOB Master programmes . Hopefully , this visit was only the start of more intensive exchanges in the future .
Exchange to change January 2017