Paper Lanterns, Policy Papers, and Packing for Vietnam
Penn Global Seminar: Pacific Worlds: Vietnam
Sarah, one of the Spring 2026 Penn Global Seminar Correspondents, shares her experience abroad during the Spring Break. Follow along with the group of correspondents on our blog and look out for their images on the @pennabroad Instagram feed.
In a few hours, I’ll be boarding a plane to Vietnam – and for the first time, the country I’ve spent months reading about will become more than journal articles and footnotes.
This semester, we’ve studied Vietnam through trade, migration, and political transformation. We’ve talked about global value chains, labor mobility, the long arc of Đổi Mới reforms, and so much more. On paper, it’s easy to trace flows of goods and capital across borders. It’s harder to imagine what those flows actually look like in everyday life – in industrial zones, in city streets, in conversations with students our age.
That’s what I’m most excited for: seeing how theory translates into reality.
One of the moments that stuck with me most this semester was reading about Vietnam’s integration into global supply chains. It’s one thing to learn that electronics exports account for a massive portion of GDP. It’s another to stand in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and understand what that integration feels like – how global capital and local life coexist in the same space.
At the same time, our class hasn’t only focused on macroeconomics. We’ve talked about migration (rural to urban, domestic to international) and how mobility reshapes families and communities. I’m curious to notice signs of that mobility in everyday interactions: who lives in the city, who works where, who moves and who stays.
Earlier this semester, we also celebrated Tết (Vietnamese New Years) together in class! We learned about the symbolism behind the decorations, the zodiac animals, and the emphasis on renewal and family. Sitting around a table cutting paper and talking through traditions made Vietnam feel less abstract. It was a reminder that beyond policy shifts and trade data, there are rhythms of culture and continuity that shape everyday life. That balance between global integration and significantly rooted tradition is something I’m hoping to better understand while we’re there.
Outside the classroom lens, I’m just as excited for the sensory experience. I’ve never been to Southeast Asia before. I’m ready for the humidity, the motorbikes, the street food, the early mornings and long days. I’m trying to pack practically – breathable clothes, good walking shoes, and a notebook that will inevitably fill up quickly. I’m especially looking forward to meeting local students and hearing how they think about Vietnam’s place in the world. In class, we’ve debated sovereignty, globalization, and economic dependency. I’m curious how those ideas resonate (or don’t) with people who are actually living within these systems.
More than anything, I’m grateful. It feels rare to study a place deeply and then have the chance to experience it firsthand. I’m heading to Vietnam with questions and curiosity, and I’m looking forward to seeing how being there reshapes the way I understand everything we’ve studied.
More soon… from Vietnam!