On 13 December 2025, the Institute of International Finance Education – Academy of Finance organised a field study and practical learning programme for final-year DDP students at the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son and the Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Office. This is an annual activity within the Academy’s training orientation, aimed at enhancing practical exposure and enabling students to directly engage with logistics, taxation, and customs operations at a key national border gateway.
Hands-on Experience in the Modern Logistics Chain
The delegation of staff and students from the Institute of International Finance Education was warmly welcomed at the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son.
In the morning, the delegation of IIFE staff and DDP students, led by Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen – Director of the Institute of International Finance Education, visited the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son. There, the students were given an overview by Mr. Nguyen Van Chien – Deputy Director of the Park of the end-to-end logistics operating model, encompassing customs clearance, quarantine, inspection, transshipment, warehousing, and cross-border transportation, as well as the high-tech autonomous logistics system applied to vehicle coordination and traffic routing.
As Vietnam’s pioneering logistics project, with a total investment of nearly VND 3.3 trillion and a scale of over 143 hectares, the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son is oriented to become a smart logistics hub in the Vietnam–China border trade area. The early operation of key components has enabled students to directly observe the linkages between modern logistics activities and practical tax and customs procedures in real-world settings.
Mr. Nguyen Van Chien – Deputy Director of the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son, shared his insights at the working session.
DDP students listened to an overview introduction of the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son.
During the discussion, DDP students raised numerous questions regarding operational scale, levels of automation, and workforce demand in areas such as customs declaration, warehouse management, transport coordination, and logistics data analysis. The Park’s representatives emphasized that, alongside the development of modern logistics systems, the demand for highly qualified human resources with solid professional knowledge, a strong understanding of tax and customs regulations, and practical skills will continue to increase.
Speaking at the programme, Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen expressed her strong impression of the scale, professional operational organization, and advanced level of technological application at the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son. The Director affirmed that this is a highly relevant practical model for DDP students to engage with, helping them gain a clearer understanding of the role of logistics in the import–export chain and in state management of taxation and customs.
Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen delivered remarks at the programme.
The Institute of International Finance Education presented commemorative gifts to the Board of Directors of the Viettel Logistics Park in Lang Son as a token of appreciation and a symbol of the collaborative partnership between the university and the enterprise.
Connecting academic knowledge with practical tax and customs operations at the border gate
Continuing the programme, in the afternoon of the same day, the delegation visited and worked at the Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Office. There, students learned about the position and role of the border gate in import–export activities, the significance of national sovereignty markers, as well as customs clearance procedures and practical customs operations.
The delegation of staff and students from the Institute of International Finance Education at the Huu Nghi International Border Gate (Lang Son).
Mr. Nguyen Cong Thanh – Deputy Head of the Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Sub-Department – directly shared with students insights into the history and role of the border gate in Vietnam–China trade, while also providing a detailed explanation of the customs clearance process, key considerations regarding taxation, customs procedures, and legal compliance requirements in import–export activities.
Through these practical exchanges, DDP students were able to compare classroom knowledge with real-world operations implemented at the border gate, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the close interconnection between logistics and tax–customs management.
Speaking at the working session, Dr. Trinh Thanh Huyen emphasized that organizing opportunities for students to directly engage with the working environment of customs authorities is an important component of the Institute of International Finance Education’s training orientation. The Institute not only equips students with theoretical knowledge but also places strong emphasis on helping them develop a clear and in-depth understanding of state management practices in taxation and customs, thereby fostering professional awareness, a sense of responsibility, and discipline from their time at university.
Mr. Nguyen Cong Thanh – Deputy Head of the Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Sub-Department, shared his remarks during the working session with the delegation.
The Institute of International Finance Education presented commemorative gifts to the Huu Nghi Border Gate Customs Sub-Department.
Learning value and career orientation for DDP students
The field study trip to Lang Son provided DDP students with vivid, hands-on insights into the logistics – taxation – customs value chain, helping them to more clearly define their career pathways in finance, taxation, customs, logistics, and supply chain management.
The activity clearly reflected the training orientation of the DDP programme in particular, and of the Institute of International Finance Education – Academy of Finance in general: practice-oriented education, strengthened linkages between universities – enterprises – state management agencies, and a focus on developing high-quality human resources that meet the demands of the economy and the process of international integration.
Although the trip concluded under cold and rainy weather conditions, the practical knowledge, professional experiences, and lasting impressions gained at the border gate have become valuable assets, empowering DDP students with greater confidence in their future academic and professional development journeys.
