Bringing a German MBA Delegation to Ho Chi Minh City

A university visit can easily become a ceremony: speeches, photos, gifts, and nothing afterwards.

When Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society in Germany sent a delegation to Ho Chi Minh City, I wanted it to be different.

The group included professors, MBA students and university representatives. I led the program: connecting them with universities in Ho Chi Minh City, preparing each visit so both sides knew why they were meeting, and hosting the delegation at our own office at Clevermann.

My advantage was simple. I had studied and worked in Germany, and I was building a business in Vietnam. I knew what German academics expect from a visit, and what Vietnamese universities hope to gain from one. Most of my work was translation, and not only of language: of expectations, of formality, of what a good outcome looks like for each side.

For the MBA students, it was a first-hand look at one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia. For the Vietnamese universities, it was a direct connection to a German business school. For Clevermann, it was proof that we could build bridges between institutions, not only between individual candidates.

One of the academic collaborators later wrote a recommendation describing the preparation, coordination and support during the visit. That kind of feedback matters to me more than any photo.

The lesson: Networks open doors. Preparation and delivery are what make people want to walk through them again.