Studying business abroad provides useful insights inside the classroom, but some of the most distinct lessons happen entirely outside of program coursework. Navigating the streets of Vietnam has forced me to look at infrastructure, public space, and advertising through a new lens. When compared to the car-centric, corporate-dominated landscape of Pittsburgh, the daily reality here reveals a society that prioritizes collective efficiency and national identity.
Maximizing Collective Space
The first major difference is the traffic and how it is managed. In the US, driving a personal car is often viewed as a necessity, a mindset reflected in Pittsburgh’s highways and bridges. Here, the perspective is different. The nation places upto 200% import tax on cars, which is a deliberate policy that disincentivizes individual car ownership. Instead, the streets are filled with motorbikes and people using the Grab app. By steering the population toward motorbikes, the infrastructure minimizes traffic from millions of individual cars. This philosophy of maximizing space extends to the sidewalks. Back in Oakland, sidewalks are just for walking from point A to point B. Here, people maximize the space they are given. Shop owners set up small stools and tables along the sidewalk of their street, using them as dining areas for customers. It is a common practice that integrates local businesses directly into the public walkway.
State Presence and Business
The visual landscape of the city also offers a contrast to the American skyline. In Pittsburgh, billboards are dominated by corporate brands, insurance companies, and healthcare conglomerates. In Vietnam, the primary messaging is political. There are pro-Vietnam and pro-communism billboards, Vietnamese flags, and sickle flags everywhere you look. Photos and statues of Ho Chi Minh are omnipresent. On a recent site visit to an LED light manufacturer, they even had a gold statue of him inside the building. This shows how businesses here are driven by the political party of Vietnam, and displaying praise is an expected part of operating within the system.
Street Food and Restaurant Luxury
This distinction between daily utility and luxury shapes the local food culture. In Pittsburgh, eating at a casual restaurant is a standard routine. Here, a lot of the locals stick to street vendors. Outside our hotel, there is a street vendor selling Pho to locals that smells delicious. Going to an actual restaurant is a completely different level of luxury. Every meal we have had at a restaurant has been at least a two-course meal, making it an elaborate experience. Street food is the standard daily option because it fits the fast, open-air lifestyle of the community.
Living in this environment shifts my perspective on what a society chooses to value. The US infrastructure is built around individual space, personal cars, and corporate independence. Vietnam operates on a model that prioritizes collective space and clear alignment with the state. Noticing these differences helps me understand the host country while highlighting the specific priorities we take for granted back home.