My name is Trinh. I am a third-year student at Hanoi University in Vietnam. It was a great honour for me to have an opportunity to support the students from the University of Westminster when they conducted their field trip in Vietnam. However, before their arrival, I was anxious about how I would help the...

Having been to a South-East Asian country before and a country ruled under communism, I had presupposed views on what Vietnam was going to be. The second we touched down in Hanoi, however, I realised Vietnam was different from any country I had visited before. The people were lovely and welcoming, although the traffic and...

Encompassing many cultures and ethnicities, Istanbul is a unique metropolis representing its unique identity. During this trip, I had the pleasure of meeting people from different backgrounds: Turkish, Kurdish, Levantine, Armenian, Greek and the list continues. Despite how some Western viewers portray Turkey as a typical post-colonial Islamic state, I found out how, on the...

The field trip to Istanbul was amazing and gave me much more to learn and experience than I had expected. The first thing that struck me most was the number of homeless people in the city. However, I knew from the news and articles that Istanbul’s economic situation could have been better. Seeing so many...

Firstly, the field trip to Istanbul allowed me to make new, amazing friends with people I have been on the same course with for two years but have rarely, if ever, spoken to. Unlike other trips I have attended, I went to Turkey without any close friends to spend time or share a room with...

Visiting Turkey was a fantastic experience, from the sites we saw to the people we met and learned so much about. Before visiting the country, my knowledge surrounding the social and economic position was very surface level, only knowing about the issues within Turkey from media outlets and conversations. The entire trip was memorable as...

For me, in the first place Vietnam was not just a field trip but more than that. I want to call it “school”, not just because it contributed unforgettable memories to my life but, above all, to my personality. As a keen international relations student, one of my dearest fantasies has always been about experiencing...

I’m a psychology student; I had the opportunity to choose this module as my optional module. At first, I was scared and unsure of choosing it, as the description mentioned that it involved going abroad to another country. However, this module challenged me as I had to experience a different environment, come out of my...

As soon as we approached Vietnam, we could start seeing Vietnam’s cities. It was my first time in Asia. I also got my first stamp on my passport. The first impression was alright because it did not surprise me. Of course, I was shocked to be there and hear the loud beeping, but I had...

This trip to Vietnam was nothing less than spectacular and transformative. It was one of the best trips and experiences of my life. A unique group of people attended the trip, all from diverse backgrounds, all incredibly different. Yet we found common ground and similarities, creating a very different bond you can’t make with your...

Hanoi; Vietnam. What an enjoyable experience it has been for the past ten days. There were so many differences in culture, tradition, and lifestyle, which enlightened me in some ways. Rather than saying there has been a change in perception, it has given me a broader view and understanding of what to expect when travelling...

In the beginning, I did not know much about Vietnam; I saw it as a developing socialist country with a lot of potential to grow, rich in history, beautiful geography, and landscapes. Since my course at the university is Criminology, I was particularly interested in learning more about their criminal justice system. Before going to...