Publisher marks 50th birthday with new exhibition in Hanoi
11:42' 12/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Illustrations for children's books produced by the Kim Dong Publishing house over the last 50 years have gone on display in Hanoi.
Pulp fiction: Kim Dong Publishing House's cover illustrations are on display at a new exhibit in Hanoi to celebrate its 50th anniversary.The exhibition is part of a programme of events to celebrate the publisher's 50th anniversary and features thousands of illustrations by more than 300 artists deemed to have made a significant contribution to the development of fine arts in the country.
According to organisers, the exhibition is a way of showing the publisher's gratitude to generations of talented artists who have contributed towards to company's development.
Visitors will be able to meet a number of the publisher's illustrators - either self-taught or graduates of the Indochina Fine Arts College and the Sai Gon Fine Arts College.
A number of those attending the exhibition made their names during the wars against the French and the Americans, while others have helped shape the country's modern art scene.
Among the famous artists who illustrated some of Kim Dong's earliest books are Bui Xuan Phai, Van Cao, Manh Quynh and Nguyen Tu Nghiem.
According to organisers, the exhibited artists have helped to bring an enchanted fairy tale kingdom alive for generations of Vietnamese children, while Kim Dong has set new standards in publishing.
The books are on display at the Viet Nam Fine Arts Association's exhibition house at 16 Ngo Quyen Street. The exhibit runs until next Monday.
(Source: Viet Nam News)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Message of Love
Message of Love
13:18' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Since Nguyen Thi Hien was a child, she was known as an infant prodigy in the painting field, winning first prize six times at the national children fine arts exhibitions.
Being the eldest daughter of famous Vietnamese writer Kim Lan, Nguyen Thi Hien, born in 1946, had many chances to meet famous artists, particularly masters of Vietnam’s painting.
Graduating from the Hanoi Fine Arts University in 1967, she participated in several exhibitions and she captured many prizes which helped affirm her talent and position in the artistic circle.
Between 1968 and 2004, Hien participated in about 40 group exhibitions and was presented with dozens of noble awards both at home and aboard.
“When looking at her paintings, viewers find it easy to realize her expertise in technique, diversity in style and sensitivity in using colours. In any theme, traditional or modern, still-life or portrait – her forte – and despite being painted in the traditional and cubic or free style with glistening colour dots which remind viewers of paintings by famous painters Sislei and Picasso, her paintings always show messages of passionate love,” said Duong Tuong who is a painter, poet and translator.
Hien herself also admitted that she is a painter of multi-styles. For her, the technique or materials only serves as a means to help convey her perceptions about life, happiness and fates of women.
At her two private exhibitions entitled “The Flow”, viewers can see the harmony and tones in the talented artist’s paintings which show nuances of human sentiments, preoccupations of a poor life and marvels of incarnation.
Via the works, the painter wishes to show a message: “I want to be a flow, running all the time and running through life to look for living sprouts in multi-forms and I also want to discover the flow of myself. This life is very short and precious so we should respect the life of ourselves and everything around us”.
Coming to “The Flow” exhibition, viewers will enjoy the sweetness which has been filtered by painter Nguyen Thi Hien for over 50 years.
At present, some of her works are preserved at Vietnam Museum and many private collections both at home and abroad.
"Cylindrical Drum" - Lacquer
"Circus" - oil
"Mothers carry children on their backs" Lacquer
(Source: Vietnam Pictorial
13:18' 13/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - Since Nguyen Thi Hien was a child, she was known as an infant prodigy in the painting field, winning first prize six times at the national children fine arts exhibitions.
Being the eldest daughter of famous Vietnamese writer Kim Lan, Nguyen Thi Hien, born in 1946, had many chances to meet famous artists, particularly masters of Vietnam’s painting.
Graduating from the Hanoi Fine Arts University in 1967, she participated in several exhibitions and she captured many prizes which helped affirm her talent and position in the artistic circle.
Between 1968 and 2004, Hien participated in about 40 group exhibitions and was presented with dozens of noble awards both at home and aboard.
“When looking at her paintings, viewers find it easy to realize her expertise in technique, diversity in style and sensitivity in using colours. In any theme, traditional or modern, still-life or portrait – her forte – and despite being painted in the traditional and cubic or free style with glistening colour dots which remind viewers of paintings by famous painters Sislei and Picasso, her paintings always show messages of passionate love,” said Duong Tuong who is a painter, poet and translator.
Hien herself also admitted that she is a painter of multi-styles. For her, the technique or materials only serves as a means to help convey her perceptions about life, happiness and fates of women.
At her two private exhibitions entitled “The Flow”, viewers can see the harmony and tones in the talented artist’s paintings which show nuances of human sentiments, preoccupations of a poor life and marvels of incarnation.
Via the works, the painter wishes to show a message: “I want to be a flow, running all the time and running through life to look for living sprouts in multi-forms and I also want to discover the flow of myself. This life is very short and precious so we should respect the life of ourselves and everything around us”.
Coming to “The Flow” exhibition, viewers will enjoy the sweetness which has been filtered by painter Nguyen Thi Hien for over 50 years.
At present, some of her works are preserved at Vietnam Museum and many private collections both at home and abroad.
"Cylindrical Drum" - Lacquer
"Circus" - oil
"Mothers carry children on their backs" Lacquer
(Source: Vietnam Pictorial
Monday, June 11, 2007
Discoverer of children’s beauty
VietNamNet Bridge – Not until he was 50 years of age did he discover photography. But Bui Van Chung quickly found his place as the discoverer of children’s beauty.
A photo with Silver Medal at FIAP (Croatia), a Honor Medal at FIAP (France), and Youth Medal (Portugal) (source: vietnamculture.vn)
Four major prizes and 11 works taking part in international exhibitions in 2006 testify to Van Chung’s talents. As a doctor working at the Kien Giang Province Department of Health Services, daily work almost keeps him locked him inside the four walls. But without much time to look for subject matter as well as lacking professional knowledge of photography, Van Chung has still succeeded in capturing the golden moments of childhood.
Young in the profession, Van Chung always brings new things into his works. He can’t approach childhood from a wide variety of angles like other photographers, but working in a hospital where every minute he witnesses a child struggling against death, he looks at children in the subtle and profound way of a doctor.
With the whole heart (photo: Van Chung)
Perhaps it is a doctor’s love for children that urged him to record the images of naked country children washing in the stream in “summer moments”, or of premature infants quietly fighting for life in electric heaters in “with all the heart.”
Van Chung is a sensitive photographer, which was reflected most clearly in a work titled “Childhood.” This photo was taken by chance at a party the Department of Health Services organised for children of people working in the department. According to Mr. Chung, the children gathered in a conference room, and were told to sit in the back rows. Suddenly, a tiny child in the last row craned his neck to see what was happening on the stage. Van Chung took a snapshot of it.
When enlarging the picture, he saw the child’s twinkling eyes and perfectly round “sweet” corner of the mouth, which tempted him to send it to photo contests. It brought him 3 international prizes: the silver medal at FIAP in Croatia, the honour prize at FIAP in France and the Youth Prize in Portugal.
To us all, Van Chung’s photos are indeed warm-hearted reminders of childhood and children.
Source: Tien Phong
A photo with Silver Medal at FIAP (Croatia), a Honor Medal at FIAP (France), and Youth Medal (Portugal) (source: vietnamculture.vn)
Four major prizes and 11 works taking part in international exhibitions in 2006 testify to Van Chung’s talents. As a doctor working at the Kien Giang Province Department of Health Services, daily work almost keeps him locked him inside the four walls. But without much time to look for subject matter as well as lacking professional knowledge of photography, Van Chung has still succeeded in capturing the golden moments of childhood.
Young in the profession, Van Chung always brings new things into his works. He can’t approach childhood from a wide variety of angles like other photographers, but working in a hospital where every minute he witnesses a child struggling against death, he looks at children in the subtle and profound way of a doctor.
With the whole heart (photo: Van Chung)
Perhaps it is a doctor’s love for children that urged him to record the images of naked country children washing in the stream in “summer moments”, or of premature infants quietly fighting for life in electric heaters in “with all the heart.”
Van Chung is a sensitive photographer, which was reflected most clearly in a work titled “Childhood.” This photo was taken by chance at a party the Department of Health Services organised for children of people working in the department. According to Mr. Chung, the children gathered in a conference room, and were told to sit in the back rows. Suddenly, a tiny child in the last row craned his neck to see what was happening on the stage. Van Chung took a snapshot of it.
When enlarging the picture, he saw the child’s twinkling eyes and perfectly round “sweet” corner of the mouth, which tempted him to send it to photo contests. It brought him 3 international prizes: the silver medal at FIAP in Croatia, the honour prize at FIAP in France and the Youth Prize in Portugal.
To us all, Van Chung’s photos are indeed warm-hearted reminders of childhood and children.
Source: Tien Phong
Friday, June 8, 2007
Toxic sauce: investigation of information hiding suggested
Toxic sauce: investigation of information hiding suggested
16:57' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Director of the HCM City Health Department Nguyen The Dung on June 6 said that he had asked the HCM City People’s Committee to transfer the matter of the slow promulgation of information about the toxic soya sauce to the local inspection agency for consideration.
“The public even suspects corruption between the (HCM City) Health Department and toxic sauce producers, which harms the prestige of the department, so this case can’t be solved internally,” Mr Dung said.
The official said that the HCM City inspection agency would consider this case objectively and any individuals who were discovered as being involved in corruption would be punished under the law.
“If investigators don’t find corruption the investigation results will help appease the public,” Mr Dung added.
This health official has many times apologised to the public and the press about the lateness in delivering information about toxic sauce. However, HCM City Department of Health’s leaders and Chief Health Inspector Nguyen Duc An said that the tardiness was unintentional.
In related news, the Ministry of Health on June 7 sent a report to the National Assembly’s Scientific-Technology and Environment Committee about the trade and use of toxic soya sauce.
In the report, the Health Ministry says that after having issued the warning of the European Union Food Safety Committee about toxic sauce, the ministry collected information about sauce with high contents of 3-MCPD carcinogen. For Chinsu sauce, tests of 26 samples showed no 3-MCPD. For other kinds of sauce produced by other companies and by Vitecfood, the producer of Chinsu, tests on 221 samples revealed 99 with 3-MCPD (ten samples of Vitecfood) and 82 of them exceeded the standards on 3-MCPD.
The ministry will set up two inter-ministry inspection teams to inspect sauce quality in the two biggest cities of Hanoi and HCM City. The teams will comprise representatives of the Food Hygiene and Safety Agency, the Ministry of Industry, the Market Control Agency, the Goods Quality Control Agency, the General Department of Economic Police, the Public Health Institute and the Institute of Nutrition. The Ministry also proposes that the National Assembly put the Food Law into the law building programme for the 12th National Assembly.
The ministry suggests the government develop a system of food quality and hygiene from the grassroots to the central levels, properly invest in material infrastructure for this task and clearly define the responsibility of related ministries and agencies in controlling food hygiene and safety.
On June 7, HCM City market control forces inspected soya sauce producing establishments and seized nearly 200,000 sauce bottles at Nam Duong enterprises that had quality below the quality standards the producer announced.
(Source: Lao dong, VNE)
16:57' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Director of the HCM City Health Department Nguyen The Dung on June 6 said that he had asked the HCM City People’s Committee to transfer the matter of the slow promulgation of information about the toxic soya sauce to the local inspection agency for consideration.
“The public even suspects corruption between the (HCM City) Health Department and toxic sauce producers, which harms the prestige of the department, so this case can’t be solved internally,” Mr Dung said.
The official said that the HCM City inspection agency would consider this case objectively and any individuals who were discovered as being involved in corruption would be punished under the law.
“If investigators don’t find corruption the investigation results will help appease the public,” Mr Dung added.
This health official has many times apologised to the public and the press about the lateness in delivering information about toxic sauce. However, HCM City Department of Health’s leaders and Chief Health Inspector Nguyen Duc An said that the tardiness was unintentional.
In related news, the Ministry of Health on June 7 sent a report to the National Assembly’s Scientific-Technology and Environment Committee about the trade and use of toxic soya sauce.
In the report, the Health Ministry says that after having issued the warning of the European Union Food Safety Committee about toxic sauce, the ministry collected information about sauce with high contents of 3-MCPD carcinogen. For Chinsu sauce, tests of 26 samples showed no 3-MCPD. For other kinds of sauce produced by other companies and by Vitecfood, the producer of Chinsu, tests on 221 samples revealed 99 with 3-MCPD (ten samples of Vitecfood) and 82 of them exceeded the standards on 3-MCPD.
The ministry will set up two inter-ministry inspection teams to inspect sauce quality in the two biggest cities of Hanoi and HCM City. The teams will comprise representatives of the Food Hygiene and Safety Agency, the Ministry of Industry, the Market Control Agency, the Goods Quality Control Agency, the General Department of Economic Police, the Public Health Institute and the Institute of Nutrition. The Ministry also proposes that the National Assembly put the Food Law into the law building programme for the 12th National Assembly.
The ministry suggests the government develop a system of food quality and hygiene from the grassroots to the central levels, properly invest in material infrastructure for this task and clearly define the responsibility of related ministries and agencies in controlling food hygiene and safety.
On June 7, HCM City market control forces inspected soya sauce producing establishments and seized nearly 200,000 sauce bottles at Nam Duong enterprises that had quality below the quality standards the producer announced.
(Source: Lao dong, VNE)
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City go wireless
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City go wireless
10:26' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - FPT Telecom has said that there are now 5,000 locations dotted throughout Hanoi and HCM City that are being provided with free Internet access via its WiFi systems. For the most part, the beneficiaries of the 1.5 million USD WiFi FPT Telecom programme are universities, colleges, cafes, restaurants, banks and securities companies in the countries’ two largest cities. The programme is a platform for which to eventually turn both Hanoi and HCM City into WiFi cities where the public can always be connected to the Internet. A FPT Telecom representative said that the total number of WiFi FPT Telecom Internet hotspots in Hanoi and HCM City is expected to reach 8,000 by the end of this year. The company also plans to open branches in the northern port city of Hai Phong, the northern provinces of Ha Tay and Vinh Phuc, and the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
(Source: VNA)
10:26' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge - FPT Telecom has said that there are now 5,000 locations dotted throughout Hanoi and HCM City that are being provided with free Internet access via its WiFi systems. For the most part, the beneficiaries of the 1.5 million USD WiFi FPT Telecom programme are universities, colleges, cafes, restaurants, banks and securities companies in the countries’ two largest cities. The programme is a platform for which to eventually turn both Hanoi and HCM City into WiFi cities where the public can always be connected to the Internet. A FPT Telecom representative said that the total number of WiFi FPT Telecom Internet hotspots in Hanoi and HCM City is expected to reach 8,000 by the end of this year. The company also plans to open branches in the northern port city of Hai Phong, the northern provinces of Ha Tay and Vinh Phuc, and the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
(Source: VNA)
H5N1 may be transmitted via human waste
H5N1 may be transmitted via human waste
17:07' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – With the assistance of experts from the US’ Offox University, doctors at Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital discovered H5N1 virus in not only the throat and gastric juices but also in the stool of the type A/H5N1 patient from the northern province of Vinh Phuc.
This information was released by Dr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Head of the General Planning Department of the Bach Mai hospital, on June 7.
Dr. Tuan warned that H5N1 could completely spread through human waste, which is very dangerous if this disease attacks rural areas where many families don’t have standard toilets.
According to Dr. Tuan, as doctors can determine the quantity of H5N1 virus in an individual, they can follow the disease in each phase of development to apply suitable treatment methods. In addition, thanks to continuous blood filtering methods, the patient from Vinh Phuc has quickly regained his health.
Dr. Tuan said that these were new methods and useful for type A/H5N1 patients in general. They have been proven through the recovery of the patient from Vinh Phuc, the first Vietnamese type A/H5N1 patient since November 2005.
Those discoveries will be shared with experts of the Japan International Health Centre early next week at a video conference, Dr. Tuan said.
(Source: CAND)
17:07' 08/06/2007 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – With the assistance of experts from the US’ Offox University, doctors at Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital discovered H5N1 virus in not only the throat and gastric juices but also in the stool of the type A/H5N1 patient from the northern province of Vinh Phuc.
This information was released by Dr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Head of the General Planning Department of the Bach Mai hospital, on June 7.
Dr. Tuan warned that H5N1 could completely spread through human waste, which is very dangerous if this disease attacks rural areas where many families don’t have standard toilets.
According to Dr. Tuan, as doctors can determine the quantity of H5N1 virus in an individual, they can follow the disease in each phase of development to apply suitable treatment methods. In addition, thanks to continuous blood filtering methods, the patient from Vinh Phuc has quickly regained his health.
Dr. Tuan said that these were new methods and useful for type A/H5N1 patients in general. They have been proven through the recovery of the patient from Vinh Phuc, the first Vietnamese type A/H5N1 patient since November 2005.
Those discoveries will be shared with experts of the Japan International Health Centre early next week at a video conference, Dr. Tuan said.
(Source: CAND)
Staging American play in Vietnam
Staging American play in Vietnam
10:17' 24/05/2007 (GMT+7)
David and actress Tuong Vy playing the game of imitating each other while talkingVietNamNet Bridge – One month ago, David Chapman embarked on a project to adapt famous American playwright Tennessee Williams’s Summer and Smoke to Vietnamese theatre and it has proven to be successful.
Games
Different from Vietnamese directors who often know beforehand whom they want to perform what role, David announced a public casting open to all acting students at the HCM City College of Theatre and Cinema.
During the casting, while students were all in a flutter, David asked them all to sit in a circle and play games. They were fun little games like looking into each other eyes or holding a thing and acting as though it was something else.
The anxiety melted away so fast that some students even forgot they came to compete against others and laughed and spoke freely. In a far corner, Karen, David’s colleague, silently observed how the contestants played their games and revealed their feelings and characters.
The games continued even after the actors had been chosen and throughout the practicing and rehearsing process. In one game, players imagined they were all sitting on a gigantic, balancing plate. They had to move in such a way as to keep the plate in a state of balance without tilting.
David said this game taught actors how to fill up unnecessary space on the stage and use meaningless sounds to convey meaningful messages.
Games sometimes went for so long that they took up time for practice. But no actors thought their time had been wasted.
Focusing on process
Graduating from University of Northern California, 25-year-old David Chapman came to Vietnam in September 2006 on an Asian Fund scholarship to study modern folk opera and theatrical activities in a country he had only known through “war” stories.
He later asked the Asian Fund to sponsor a Vietnamese-American theatre project. Summer and Smoke was thus translated into Vietnamese and adapted to the stage of The Gioi Tre (Young World ) Theatre in HCM City.
David made a point of doing things in the “American” way: Signing contracts with all actors, requesting them to come on time and work in a professional, serious and enthusiastic way. Yet, not all actors regularly came to practice since they were either busy with families or other shows.
In the eyes of young David Chapman, process is more important than result, especially in theatre. He thus paid the same amount of money for actual performances as well as practice sessions.
On the first performance night, the team had to borrow such things as vests, wide brim hats, coats, bottles and glasses all from a team member since renting them from other official sources was too troublesome.
All troubles seem to have paid off because since its debut, Summer and Smoke, which is about a professor’s daughter’s one-sided love for a young wild doctor, has received positive reviews and been called a play that deserves to be watched and thought about.
The last three performances of the play will be at 8 pm on May 25-26 and at 5 pm on May 27 at Young World Theatre at 125 Cong Quynh, District 1, HCM City. Entrance is free.
(Source: Tuoi Tre)
10:17' 24/05/2007 (GMT+7)
David and actress Tuong Vy playing the game of imitating each other while talkingVietNamNet Bridge – One month ago, David Chapman embarked on a project to adapt famous American playwright Tennessee Williams’s Summer and Smoke to Vietnamese theatre and it has proven to be successful.
Games
Different from Vietnamese directors who often know beforehand whom they want to perform what role, David announced a public casting open to all acting students at the HCM City College of Theatre and Cinema.
During the casting, while students were all in a flutter, David asked them all to sit in a circle and play games. They were fun little games like looking into each other eyes or holding a thing and acting as though it was something else.
The anxiety melted away so fast that some students even forgot they came to compete against others and laughed and spoke freely. In a far corner, Karen, David’s colleague, silently observed how the contestants played their games and revealed their feelings and characters.
The games continued even after the actors had been chosen and throughout the practicing and rehearsing process. In one game, players imagined they were all sitting on a gigantic, balancing plate. They had to move in such a way as to keep the plate in a state of balance without tilting.
David said this game taught actors how to fill up unnecessary space on the stage and use meaningless sounds to convey meaningful messages.
Games sometimes went for so long that they took up time for practice. But no actors thought their time had been wasted.
Focusing on process
Graduating from University of Northern California, 25-year-old David Chapman came to Vietnam in September 2006 on an Asian Fund scholarship to study modern folk opera and theatrical activities in a country he had only known through “war” stories.
He later asked the Asian Fund to sponsor a Vietnamese-American theatre project. Summer and Smoke was thus translated into Vietnamese and adapted to the stage of The Gioi Tre (Young World ) Theatre in HCM City.
David made a point of doing things in the “American” way: Signing contracts with all actors, requesting them to come on time and work in a professional, serious and enthusiastic way. Yet, not all actors regularly came to practice since they were either busy with families or other shows.
In the eyes of young David Chapman, process is more important than result, especially in theatre. He thus paid the same amount of money for actual performances as well as practice sessions.
On the first performance night, the team had to borrow such things as vests, wide brim hats, coats, bottles and glasses all from a team member since renting them from other official sources was too troublesome.
All troubles seem to have paid off because since its debut, Summer and Smoke, which is about a professor’s daughter’s one-sided love for a young wild doctor, has received positive reviews and been called a play that deserves to be watched and thought about.
The last three performances of the play will be at 8 pm on May 25-26 and at 5 pm on May 27 at Young World Theatre at 125 Cong Quynh, District 1, HCM City. Entrance is free.
(Source: Tuoi Tre)
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Local firms lure talents with stocks
Local firms lure talents with stocks
18:26' 06/06/2007 (GMT+7)
From the left: Luu Duc Khanh, Huynh Dai Thang, Han Ngoc Vu, and Nguyen Quoc Sy.VietNamNet Bridge – A high wage is no longer decisive in attracting qualified personnel, but stock ownership is.
One day in mid 2006, Luu Duc Khanh, strategic manager of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in HCM City, received a call from Hanoi: “Khanh, do you want to work for us?”
After several months of thinking and some sleepless nights, Khanh decided to quit his job at HSBC to come to An Binh, a rural joint stock bank that had just been upgraded into an urban bank.
Khanh is one of the people creating the opposite wave in the human resources market in which high-ranking personnel leave foreign firms to work for local companies under the influence of the bustling stock market of Vietnam.
Foreign banks like HSBC, Citibank, Mizuho and some multinational companies have become unwilling training centres in the ‘stock fever’ of Vietnam. Many qualified personnel have left foreign firms. Headhunters said that foreign companies had everything to keep qualified employees, from high wages to active working environments and opportunities of promotion – but not stocks.
Seeking the difference
According to Luu Duc Khanh, going from HSBC to An Binh Bank is like going from sitting in a Mercedes running down a highway to being on a motorbike threading through a narrow road. However, with over 10 years of experience at HSBC, Khanh quickly understands what he should do to blow a new wind into An Binh in the position of General Director and a member of the bank’s management board.
“I really don’t pay attention to my current wage. The thing that ties me and An Binh is the volume of stocks that I’m holding. That’s my commitment to the bank. Working for the bank is working for myself,” Khanh said.
Nguyen Quoc Sy, former manager in charge of local companies of HSBC, had a more risky choice. His current office is a small room in an apartment block on Phung Khac Khoan street, District 1, HCM City, which is completely contrary to the luxurious building in HCM City’s heart where HSBC office is based. Sy is now Deputy General Director of the Western Rural Joint Stock Bank, which is based in Can Tho city.
Sy and his colleagues are working at full capacity to prepare for the day their bank becomes an urban bank, issues shares to increase capital and expands its operations in HCM City.
“Dinh Ngoc Son – General Director of the Western Rural Joint Stock Bank – is my veteran friend. He asked me to re-organise the structure, seek personnel, call for investment to develop the bank together, which I have not done before. It is a good opportunity for me to develop my ability, isn’t it?” said Sy.
Also leaving HSBC after ten years working there, Huynh Dai Thang, customer relations manager of the enterprise finance department, has become director of an IT company. Thang originally was an IT expert who worked as the technical manager of HSBC.
“I want to bring all of my knowledge of financial operations to build my own company. I’m now not a normal employee. With my capital contribution, the success of this company is my success as well. That’s the essential difference,” Thang said.
HSBC has also lost a deputy director of its Hanoi branch. At first, this woman was hunted by the Saigon Securities Trading Company but then she changed her mind to develop her own business.
What direction is the wind blowing?
The opposite end of the high-class human resources market is being formed. VIB Bank has just hired a new general director, Han Ngoc Vu, who was previously director of the Hanoi Branch of Citibank.
“I planned to work for a local bank several years ago. The development and professionalism of local banks is the foundation of my decision. I want to bring my experience from foreign banks to serve VIB Bank and I believe that I will have a favourable environment to entrust my devotion,” Vu said to the press.
He said that local and foreign banking systems were now running quite smoothly but the challenges at his old and new positions are different and the scopes of work are different as well.
According to human resources experts, the attractiveness of local companies is that they are ready to share their stocks to lure qualified personnel. More importantly, local firms give those personnel key positions which allow them to freely apply their creative ideas and visions, things that they can’t do in foreign firms.
“Foreign companies are at high level of professionalism. The one who is in charge of a field will only focus on his field. Meanwhile, if he becomes a leader at a local firm, he will have a broad view, develop strategies and have the right to make decisions that influence the development of the firm. This challenge is a factor that attracts them,” said a banker.
The banker also said that a business that wants to keep its talents must have three conditions in satisfactory order: income, working environment and promotion opportunity. The most important condition is that income must encourage employees, meaning income must be equal to labour, and stock proves its preeminence in this aspect. However, this kind of stock is not the everlasting gift.
This type of stock is often not allowed to be transferred in under three years. If the owner quits his job before this time, he has to return the stock to the company.
However, in some cases, stock can’t keep talents. A food processing firm on the stock market has said goodbye to its public relations manager. This man returned his stocks to work for a multinational group.
Asked why he didn’t wait for several months more to have his full three years to own the shares, he said that opportunity wouldn’t wait for him. He said he is still young and he wants to experience a working environment with challenges and opportunities that are near to what he studied in Australia.
How long will the opposite flow of brainpower exist? A human resources expert affirmed that it would continue but only for those who have worked for a long time in foreign firms and have hoarded enough experience and knowledge to take initiative to say goodbye. For young people, working for foreign firms is still their dream because they will have opportunities to develop a fast and keen working style.
(Source: Tuoi Tre)
18:26' 06/06/2007 (GMT+7)
From the left: Luu Duc Khanh, Huynh Dai Thang, Han Ngoc Vu, and Nguyen Quoc Sy.VietNamNet Bridge – A high wage is no longer decisive in attracting qualified personnel, but stock ownership is.
One day in mid 2006, Luu Duc Khanh, strategic manager of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in HCM City, received a call from Hanoi: “Khanh, do you want to work for us?”
After several months of thinking and some sleepless nights, Khanh decided to quit his job at HSBC to come to An Binh, a rural joint stock bank that had just been upgraded into an urban bank.
Khanh is one of the people creating the opposite wave in the human resources market in which high-ranking personnel leave foreign firms to work for local companies under the influence of the bustling stock market of Vietnam.
Foreign banks like HSBC, Citibank, Mizuho and some multinational companies have become unwilling training centres in the ‘stock fever’ of Vietnam. Many qualified personnel have left foreign firms. Headhunters said that foreign companies had everything to keep qualified employees, from high wages to active working environments and opportunities of promotion – but not stocks.
Seeking the difference
According to Luu Duc Khanh, going from HSBC to An Binh Bank is like going from sitting in a Mercedes running down a highway to being on a motorbike threading through a narrow road. However, with over 10 years of experience at HSBC, Khanh quickly understands what he should do to blow a new wind into An Binh in the position of General Director and a member of the bank’s management board.
“I really don’t pay attention to my current wage. The thing that ties me and An Binh is the volume of stocks that I’m holding. That’s my commitment to the bank. Working for the bank is working for myself,” Khanh said.
Nguyen Quoc Sy, former manager in charge of local companies of HSBC, had a more risky choice. His current office is a small room in an apartment block on Phung Khac Khoan street, District 1, HCM City, which is completely contrary to the luxurious building in HCM City’s heart where HSBC office is based. Sy is now Deputy General Director of the Western Rural Joint Stock Bank, which is based in Can Tho city.
Sy and his colleagues are working at full capacity to prepare for the day their bank becomes an urban bank, issues shares to increase capital and expands its operations in HCM City.
“Dinh Ngoc Son – General Director of the Western Rural Joint Stock Bank – is my veteran friend. He asked me to re-organise the structure, seek personnel, call for investment to develop the bank together, which I have not done before. It is a good opportunity for me to develop my ability, isn’t it?” said Sy.
Also leaving HSBC after ten years working there, Huynh Dai Thang, customer relations manager of the enterprise finance department, has become director of an IT company. Thang originally was an IT expert who worked as the technical manager of HSBC.
“I want to bring all of my knowledge of financial operations to build my own company. I’m now not a normal employee. With my capital contribution, the success of this company is my success as well. That’s the essential difference,” Thang said.
HSBC has also lost a deputy director of its Hanoi branch. At first, this woman was hunted by the Saigon Securities Trading Company but then she changed her mind to develop her own business.
What direction is the wind blowing?
The opposite end of the high-class human resources market is being formed. VIB Bank has just hired a new general director, Han Ngoc Vu, who was previously director of the Hanoi Branch of Citibank.
“I planned to work for a local bank several years ago. The development and professionalism of local banks is the foundation of my decision. I want to bring my experience from foreign banks to serve VIB Bank and I believe that I will have a favourable environment to entrust my devotion,” Vu said to the press.
He said that local and foreign banking systems were now running quite smoothly but the challenges at his old and new positions are different and the scopes of work are different as well.
According to human resources experts, the attractiveness of local companies is that they are ready to share their stocks to lure qualified personnel. More importantly, local firms give those personnel key positions which allow them to freely apply their creative ideas and visions, things that they can’t do in foreign firms.
“Foreign companies are at high level of professionalism. The one who is in charge of a field will only focus on his field. Meanwhile, if he becomes a leader at a local firm, he will have a broad view, develop strategies and have the right to make decisions that influence the development of the firm. This challenge is a factor that attracts them,” said a banker.
The banker also said that a business that wants to keep its talents must have three conditions in satisfactory order: income, working environment and promotion opportunity. The most important condition is that income must encourage employees, meaning income must be equal to labour, and stock proves its preeminence in this aspect. However, this kind of stock is not the everlasting gift.
This type of stock is often not allowed to be transferred in under three years. If the owner quits his job before this time, he has to return the stock to the company.
However, in some cases, stock can’t keep talents. A food processing firm on the stock market has said goodbye to its public relations manager. This man returned his stocks to work for a multinational group.
Asked why he didn’t wait for several months more to have his full three years to own the shares, he said that opportunity wouldn’t wait for him. He said he is still young and he wants to experience a working environment with challenges and opportunities that are near to what he studied in Australia.
How long will the opposite flow of brainpower exist? A human resources expert affirmed that it would continue but only for those who have worked for a long time in foreign firms and have hoarded enough experience and knowledge to take initiative to say goodbye. For young people, working for foreign firms is still their dream because they will have opportunities to develop a fast and keen working style.
(Source: Tuoi Tre)
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