Bridging Europe and Vietnam - My Transformative Journey with the EUVP

The profound impact of my participation in the EU Visitors Programme (EUVP) continues to resonate with me.

In my current roles as a Communications Consultant for WWF-Viet Nam and a Project Manager/Proposal Writer for development initiatives, I focus on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection area. During my EUVP study visit, I sought resolutions to the critical challenges facing NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Vietnam. These challenges, which also affect development professionals like myself, include securing sustainable funding, navigating policy implementation, managing projects effectively, addressing capacity limitations within local CSOs, and tackling pressing issues in biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.

I had the privilege of managing an EU-funded project under the guidance of the EU's Delegation to Vietnam. The project, titled “Establishing a funding foundation for biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability in Da Nang City, Vietnam”, fostered a meaningful connection with the Delegation, which subsequently led to my nomination to participate in the EUVP.

The EUVP offered me an opportunity to gain critical insights and establish connections with key officers from the European Commission and the European Parliament. I engaged with several Directorates-General (DGs) including Climate Action (CLIMA), Environment (ENV), External Policies of the Union (EXPO), International Partnerships (INTPA) and Parliamentary Democracy Partnerships (PART), as well as other EU bodies such as the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European External Action Service (EEAS). Each entity contributed unique perspectives and expertise to the discussions.

During meetings with DGINTPA and the EEAS, I gained insights into the EU’s funding mechanisms and strategies across various sectors in different countries, including Vietnam. Specifically, I learned about the EU’s funding priorities for NGOs and CSOs in Vietnam during the 2021–2027 period in the development sector. This information offered me a comprehensive perspective to support CSOs in identifying funding opportunities through proposals and tenders, aligning with both our focus areas—biodiversity conservation and environmental protection—and the EU’s intervention priorities. Importantly, I now understand the EU’s funding procedures and general regulations for submitting proposals and tenders, which enables me to better support CSOs in achieving their development goals. Additionally, I received valuable information on grant management, which I intend to apply to project management upon returning to Vietnam to maximize community benefits.

The meetings with DG ENV and the EEA enhanced my understanding of EU policies aimed at protecting the environment and biodiversity, minimizing risks to human health, and promoting the transition to a circular economy. I also attained a better grasp of the international cooperation programmes implemented by the EU globally, which create a synergistic effect for collective actions on environmental protection and climate change adaptation, including in Vietnam. These align closely with the priorities of our current interventions. I am confident that my participation in the EUVP will pave the way for increased collaboration between the EU and Vietnamese NGOs and CSOs in the future, with myself as a facilitator. This collaboration will hopefully contribute towards the achievement of the shared goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, which we are both striving toward.

The meeting with DG PART allowed me to understand how this DG coordinates efforts by Parliament liaison offices and representations outside the EU to support legislative and policy dialogue with external partners. I hope that EU interlocutors gained greater understanding of Vietnam’s policies from meeting me, and that this will lead to more flexible development cooperation policies in the future.

I also had the opportunity to meet with the Head of the Communication and Outreach Unit in DG EXPO, which was beneficial. To build a network of CSOs working for biodiversity conservation and environmental protection in Vietnam, communication is indispensable. This is why I currently work as a Communications Consultant at WWF. Through meetings with colleagues who work on EU communications, I gained insights into how they identify and collect data about target audiences, analyze the data, develop unified messaging, and select communication channels to effectively deliver their messages. I also learned how the EU uses communication activities to engage citizens across its 27 member states. I plan to apply all this knowledge to the communication activities that I am implementing in Vietnam.

Participating in the EUVP and engaging in dialogue with EU interlocutors changed my previous perception of the EU as a single entity. In reality, it is a harmonious system consisting of institutions, bodies, and decentralized agencies spread across the EU, with clear and democratic functions, structures, and interventions.

I am deeply grateful to the people behind the scenes—the EUVP team for their efforts towards creating seamless visits for me and other participants. I understand the level of stress they must have faced given the tight schedules and heavy workloads. I attended a total of 17 meetings in various EU offices. The programme was organised in a highly professional manner, and its financial and logistical arrangements were commendable. 

I also extend my gratitude to the EU interlocutors for their warm welcome in Brussels and for taking the time to share valuable insights with me. While I cannot yet say that participating in the EUVP has resolved all the challenges faced by NGOs, CSOs, and myself in Vietnam, I can confirm that this programme has provided me with pathways to address these issues in the future. The programme’s value lies not only in the information shared but also in the networking opportunities it offers, paving the way for sustained and expanded collaboration between Europe and Vietnam through NGOs and CSOs. This collaboration is driven by shared values for people, nature, and climate.

Lastly, I sincerely thank the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam for nominating me to participate in such a meaningful programme and for continuously supporting my mission in the development sector.