Welcome to VNHELP’s new blog feature: a weekly news roundup of the latest events in Vietnam’s social and economic development. There is always a ton of stuff going on in Vietnam and in the international development world, and sometimes it can be hard to keep track of what the latest innovation in water technology is or why inflation in Vietnam is sinking or cresting. We’ve prepared the weekly round up to help you stay posted with interesting and informative articles around the web. The weekly round up is curated by our staff, with an emphasis on global news that directly and indirectly affects Vietnam.
The International Community Reacts to Rio+20 Agreement from the Development Newswire
Between June 20 – 22, hundreds of state, business and NGO leaders convened at a conference organized by the UN in Rio de Janeiro to discuss sustainable development. Considering how sustainable development is often lauded as tantamount to a more prosperous, equitable and healthy planet, a meeting between leaders of different sectors to discuss the topic sounds like it would be highly productive and lead to some key decisions that could change future global growth, right? Apparently not. The consensus seems to be that the meeting was ineffectual, and differences in opinions between different countries and groups could not yet be resolved. This Devex article concisely sums up the critiques–and accomplishments–of the Rio+20 conference.
School Stampede Highlights Vietnam Education Woes from CBS News
Parents camping out at 3 a.m. to enroll their students in American-style kindergartens, Fortune 100 companies unable to hire skilled workers they need to staff their local offices in Vietnam, growing cheating among students and proctors–all signs that Vietnam needs an improved education system.
President Obama Signs Waver Allowing Ex-Im Bank to Move Forward with Export Financing for Vietnam Communications Satellite from Market Watch
The US is lending Vietnam $125.8 million so Vietnam can purchase television and telecommunication satellites from the US.
EU Trade Talks Progress May Trigger Vietnam Investment Revival from Bloomberg Businessweek
After a slowdown in economic growth (at about 4% in the first quarter of 2012–the slowest quarter since 2009), progress in free-trade talks with the European Union may help boost Vietnam’s growth again. Foreign direct investments had fallen 32% in the first five months of 2012, but many European countries are showing a renewed interest in Vietnam. Part of the discussion about free trade in Vietnam will include greater transparency in Vietnam’s business environment to prevent corruption.
Photo by OmarC via Flickr (Creative Commons)