On October 31, 2008, the VNF organized a discussion panel called “Doing Business in Vietnam: Risk and Opportunity” at the Park Hyatt hotel, Ho Chi Minh City for a group of students and faculty from the Executive MBA program of New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business during their study tour in Vietnam.

Moderated by Kien Pham, President of the Vietnam Foundation, the panel welcomed a great participation of Dr. Toan Nguyen, Chairman and CEO of TNK Capital Partners; Dr. Tuan Pham, Chairman, Elite Models International Vietnam and Topica; Tri Pham, Chief Representative of Deutsch Bank; and Alpha Chen, Director of International Marketing, Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone. Mr. George Smith, Clinical Professor of Economics and International Business; Mrs. Jaki Sitterle, Managing Director, Executive Programs; Ms. Jennifer Ley, Associate Director, Executive Programs; and nearly 50 students of the 2009 EMBA class attended the panel. NYU highly appreciated the cooperation with VNF for the successful panel discussion. Ms. Ley affirmed that the panel discussion had greatly contributed to fulfilling the objectives of the NYU study tour in Vietnam.

At the end of the study tour, VNF co-organized a farewell dinner and gala night featuring a Vietnamese fashion show to promote special aspects of Vietnamese culture to its international friends.