HCMC, 28 Nov 2017

Saigon South International School (SSIS) received a visit on 28 November from the IOM HCMC Head of Office, Mark Brown, along with two other IOM HCMC staff, Mr. Tuan TRAN and Ms. Cuong PHAN.

The SSIS students gave IOM a specific assignment for the visit. They want to know more about (1) migration in Vietnam, (2) the role of IOM and the UN in globalization, and (3) refugees, specifically the current Rohingya crisis. Mr. Brown addressed all of the issues in detail, and tried to answer all questions. The students seemed impressed because their last questions included: "How can I work for the UN? What do I need to study, and what is a typical career path? What is your background, how did you get to your current position?" The Geography teacher, Clare Alexander, said they had studied many of the topics Mr. Brown brought up. It was good to see that the terminology and issues are very real.

Mr. Brown and Ms. Cuong stayed to speak with the SSIS Model United Nations club after school. The students wanted to know how to research current affairs. They asked how do UN staff know what’s really happening in a given situation, how to take in account local culture and how to be sensitive to those needs, and how to convince others to care and take action. Mr. Brown's presentation gave lots of tips, but emphasized that there's no secret. Research is hard work.

Mr. Brown said he appreciated all of the students' enthusiasm!