The Mekong Business Trip was initiated by the Vice President of NUS BINGO Mr.Nguyen Bui Minh Cuong. Together with 20 other Vietnamese students in NUS, they started planning for the trip in January 2006. 

Being all Vietnamese, they were eager to show the rest of the NUS population about their country and the Mekong region of the prospect in term of business it holds. This trip is recognized as a TIP overseas business trip in which each and every student will need to produce a research report on specific business topics of their choice in the country they are visiting. A total of 18 specially selected students and 1 staff from TIP form the delegation for the trip.
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For this trip, we traveled to 3 countries Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, 5 cities of Hanoi, Danang, Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, 9 Universities and 17 companies. In order to promote social responsiveness to our entrepreneurial student delegates, visits to 3 charity organizations were arranged. The students collected over S$2400 of donations within NUS and in collaboration with Salvation Army Singapore which donated blankets and toys for us to bring over to the worthy charity organizations. The donations were distributed totally under the supervision of the Trip Supervisor Mr Anderson Lim to Hanoi Friendly Village of War Veteran (for victims of the Orange Agent), Da Nang Centre De Protection for Street children and Orphans and Save Children Center Phnom Penh.

Prominent Indivlduals met:
We have the privilege to meet up with prominent government officials such as His Excellency Dr Chap Rithy (Director General, Cambodia Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training), Dr Lim Min Hua (Deputy Director, Phnom Penh Department of Social Affairs, Veteran & Youth Education), prominent businessmen such as Mr Vo Quoc Thang (Chairman, YBA Ho Chi Minh City), Mr Nguyen Van Lo (Chief Executive of Central Region Power Construction Material & Transportation), Mr Nguyen Xuan Han (General Director of Maseco), Mr Sung Bonna (CEO, Bonna Realty Group), Mr Paul Lageweg (Managing Director, BAT Vietnam), Mr Nguyen Kim Phuc (Director, Trian Hydro Power), Mr Pham Uyen Nguyen (Managing Director, Vina Capital), Mr Chu Van Quyen (VP, Invenco), Mr Duc Tan (Partner, IDG) and Mr Phuc Tien (Director, VEC), and prominent academics such as Prof Chan Sok Khieng (Rector, Norton University), Prof Hang Chanthon (Dean of Faculty of Science, Royal University of Phnom Penh), Mr Pech Bolene (President, Newton Thilay University)and Ms Virginia Van Ostrand (Director, Lao-American College)

Conclusion:
We have formed good friendships with our hosts in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and have achieved all the objectives we set for this trip. We have also spread love from Singapore to needy children in Hanoi, Danang and Phnom Penh.

Universities visited:
Hanoi Foreign Trade University, Hanoi University of Technology, Danang University, National University of Laos, Lao-America College, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Norton University, Newton Thilay University and University of Social Science and Humanities.

Companies visited:
IDG Ventures Vietnam, FPT, Peacesoft, Vietcombank, Hoang Gia Media, Honda Vietnam, Friendly Village of War Veterans, Tan Cuong Thanh, Larger Beer Manufactory, Da Nang De Protection for Street Children and Orphan, Phaeng Mai, Bonna Realty Group, Pachem Dental Clinic, Save Children Center Phnom PPenh, Tri An Hydropower Plant, BAT Vinataba JV and Unilever Vietnam

Cultural visits:
Vietnam Hoi An City, Cambodia Angkor Wat, Cambodia Choeung Ek Genocide Centre, Vietnam Unification Palace, Vietnam Notre Dame Cathedral, VietnamWar Remnants Museum

Sponsors:
NUS Faculty of Engineering
NUS Office of Student Affairs 
NUS Faculty of Science
NUS School of Business

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