Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development

Examine economic and social development in the cultural context of Vietnam, one of Southeast Asia's most fascinating and rapidly changing countries.

At the Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi

After emerging from decades of war and isolation, Vietnam today is experiencing tremendous growth and, over the last decade, has boasted one of the strongest economies in Asia. Concurrent with this growth, the country has been wrestling with critical issues such as sustainable resource management, intense urbanization, changing family and marriage patterns, and integration with global networks and institutions.

Students in the Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development program examine these trends firsthand. Through interdisciplinary coursework, field study, and complementary educational excursions led by academic and community experts, students learn about Vietnam's history, social characteristics, and recent economic development trends. Intensive language study, learning activities with Vietnamese peers, and a meaningful homestay further facilitate deep cultural immersion and cross-cultural learning.

Field study outside the program base is an essential component of this program. In most semesters, program participants are able to examine Vietnam's different cultural contexts and development processes in three distinct regions: Southern, Central, and Northern Vietnam. Topics for inquiry in a field-study context include:

Exploring a host of pressing issues caused by rapid urbanization within the context of the Doi Moi "Renovation” economic reform
Examining the challenges of sustainable development and current strategies for new rural development in the Mekong Delta
Exploring the effects of war, development, and tourism on Vietnam's rich but increasingly fragile heritage through travel to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, the ancient streets of Hoi An, and the old imperial citadel of Hue
Learning about the lives of Hmong and Red Dao ethnic minority groups in the Sapa mountains
Studying key social issues, including internal migration, domestic violence, and community outreach toward Vietnamese living with HIV/AIDS, in An Giang (Mekong Delta region), Ho Chi Minh City, or Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial and cultural center, serves as the program base and is where students begin their thematic coursework, field study seminar, and language instruction. As the country's most populous metropolitan area, Ho Chi Minh City serves as an exceptional location to examine Vietnam's rapid pace of urbanization.

Learn more about living and studying in Vietnam with SIT through the words and photos of a recent alum.