Sen Nguyen

Journalist and podcast host Sen Nguyen shares the path that led to her career and the importance of good reporting. The 27-year-old journalist tackles important issues like climate change and migration, and hopes to break the cycle of pressuring women to stick to social standards.

While most of the current ‘new normal' discourse has been about the economic recovery, resumed movement and vaccine acceleration, little about the impact of the pandemic on Vietnamese mental health has been discussed. How have people managed? Or not? How does a country that has typically been distant itself from mental health discourse survive these issues going forward? Because this episode contains materials that may be upsetting to some audiences, your discretion is advised. Your mental health is important to us.

Migrant workers say they face long hours in the cold and substandard living conditions for a job some were allegedly duped into after paying thousands of dollars
Activists and members of the European Parliament have raised concerns about the workers, whose predicament highlights a darker side of the global supply chain

At least 1.3 million migrants left Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities for their hometowns during the worst outbreak Vietnam has experienced. Images of those making the journey, many with children on motorcycles piled with personal belongings, have been shared widely on Facebook and TikTok. The exodus illuminates one of the communities hardest hit by Covid-19. But migrant workers’ difficult conditions already existed before the pandemic. Who are they and what can we learn about them?

Born and raised in post-1975 Vietnam, we come to a realisation that much of the world might not have seen past the Vietnam-equals-war narrative whenever they think of the Southeast Asian country. As children of Vietnamese working-class families and members of a growing young generation, we hope to show the world how we see our homeland as we embrace the good, the bad, the ugly and even the unknown. Our podcast is the beginning of our awakening, and we invite you to join us in this journey.

Coal already accounts for about a third of the country’s operational energy mix and its capacity is set to increase by 2030 under a new draft development plan.
Most of Vietnam’s operational coal capacity has been funded by firms from the US, China, Japan and South Korea – all countries that are trying to decarbonise.

This is the latest disruption to global supply chains already roiled by labour shortages and high shipping costs due to the pandemic.
Factories had moved to Vietnam amid the US-China trade dispute, but there are fears the mass departure of workers could drag down economic growth

As capital Hanoi leaves behind nearly two months of lockdown-like movement restrictions, Ho Chi Minh City residents are still largely confined to their homes.
But the southern business hub, which accounts for almost one-third of Vietnam’s state budget and 80 per cent of its 18,017 virus deaths, is under pressure to reopen.

Seen as competing with China’s Confucius Institutes, the decades-old American aid programme is finally launching in Vietnam after 17 years of negotiations
The Peace Corps’ presence in China was axed last summer after 26 years, amid US-China conflict over trade, technology, and civil liberties

Trang Nguyen is a rarity in Vietnam where civil society is viewed with scepticism and most young people want more lucrative careers.

Binh Duong province is the country’s second-largest recipient of accumulated foreign direct investment after nearby Ho Chi Minh City. The government expects 50,000 new cases there in the next fortnight.
The government allowed factories in industrial zones to stay open if they provided on-site accommodation or direct transport for employees, but the outbreak has complicated this approach.

Logistical difficulties amid extended lockdowns mean second-half shipments in the sector are predicted to fall 30 per cent year on year.
The agriculture ministry is looking to prioritise the inoculation of all workers in the sector to ensure domestic food security and help ramp up some exports.

Vietnam’s strict lockdown to curb its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections has left many unable to work, go out to get food, or even get oxygen
Individuals and up to 90 community groups and organisations have stepped in where authorities fell short, but their efforts are not always coordinated

Vietnam’s Covid-19 hotspot Ho Chi Minh City has twice extended its lockdown, hitting manufacturers trying to export items such as clothing
An economist said the fourth wave is more devastating for labour migrants, informal workers and those in service industries who cannot work from home

The European Chamber of Commerce has also met Vietnamese ministries and officials over accelerating the country’s slow vaccination programme.
The fourth wave has sunk EuroCham’s confidence in Vietnam’s business environment to the fourth-lowest point in the last 12 years.