DPP 2019-2020 #Southeast_Asia Group successfully conducted field trips to Quan Họ Conservation and Promotion Project in Bac Ninh Province and Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc Province.

Field visits are the key features of DPP teaching. Our group of #Southeast_Asia visited the Quan Họ Conservation and Promotion Project in Bac Ninh Province as part of the Strategic Management week, and the Tam Dao National Park in Vinh Phuc Province as part of the Environment and Development week. Objectives of the project visits are for participants to study and reflect on the practice of strategic management with a real case and to study the approaches that have been undertaken to address environmental issues in practice and assess their effectiveness and sustainability.

With the support of the People’s Committee of Bac Ninh province and in close collaboration with Bac Ninh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Quan ho Bac Ninh Theatre, the first project visit was successfully organized on  August 16, 2019. Participants were divided into two groups which had similar tasks. They conducted their observation and interviews during the visit and interaction firstly with the leaders and staff of the Quan ho Bac Ninh Theatre, then with the Quan ho artisans in Diem Village – an ancient village which is the cradle of Quan ho ancestors, and lastly they visited the Vua Ba and Gieng Temples where they worship the Quan ho ancestors. At the end of the visit participants made a very interesting briefing where they shared about their observations and findings. In addition, participants also prepared and submitted an individual one-page reflection on the opportunities and challenges of one selected tool applied in the Quan ho Conservation and Promotion Project.

While the Quan ho Folk Song Conservation and Promotion Project is designed to help participants to understand how to apply strategic management to a real project, the second field trip to Tam Dao National Park which was held from 21^st to 22^nd August helps them to understand the approaches undertaken to address the environmental issues and how various analytical frameworks introduced in the course could be applied in reality But more than that the project visits helped students to learn the natural beauty of Vietnam. Also in this field trip, the students were introduced about the national park and its biodiversity values, achievements and challenges in the conservation of these values. Participants also visited the Bear Rescue Centre which is an emotional and humane experience. The second trip ended with an experience sharing session with Mr. Thuc, Deputy Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Services (CES), followed by a visit to the botanic garden or project piloting garden where participants were introduced with some results of the CES’s successful researches.