Dr. Le Thi Khanh
Current Position: Head of Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agronomy, HUAF

Responsibilities: Administration and lecturing

Class of 16th RTC (1997-1998).  Sponsored by SDC

Views:  The RTC provided an opportunity to learn about the agriculture activities in Thailand and enhance English speaking skills.  Found that 5 months should be sufficient to enable practice of skills taught in the RTC, especially in English.  Recommended more focus on research techniques and management skills in future courses.  The RTC helped her to complete her study for a Ph D, especially in the collection of relevant literature.  Following her participation at the RTC she was promoted in 2000 to be head of the Horticulture Department.

Ms. Truong Thi Hong Hai
Current Position: Ph D student at Leibnez University, Hannover, Germany

Responsibilities: While in HUAF, she was a lecturer

Class of 19th RTC (2000-2001).  Sponsored by SDC

Views: Learned much about vegetable production from Thai farmers.  The RTC provided excellent opportunities on knowing how to conduct better experiments, analyse data, and prepare better presentation.  Found field trips most useful during the course.  For a new graduate, a five-month long RTC is useful to prepare for working life.  Moreover, the experience in RTC helped her to focus on thesis work at AVRDC and Germany.

Mr. Do Dinh Thuc
Current Position: Senior Lecturer, Horticulture Department,
Faculty of Agronomy, HUAF

Responsibilities: Teaching students

Class of 21st RTC (2002-2003).  Sponsored by SDC

Views:  Found natural agriculture and marketing most interesting during the RTC as this is an emerging concern of sustainable agriculture.  These should be emphasized in future courses and supplemented with field visits to successful safe vegetable programmes in Thailand.  The RTC should be reduced to 3 months.  Following the RTC, he was promoted to be a senior lecturer and was involved with several internationally funded projects.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thi
Current Position: Lecturer/Vegetable Research, Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agronomy, HUAF

Responsibilities: Research in vegetable physiology

Class of 22nd RTC (2003-2004).  Sponsored by SDC

Views: Found learning experimental methods and agro-statistics at the RTC very useful to supplement the basic knowledge acquired at undergraduate studies.  Found the 5-month course too long and felt that a three-month course would be sufficient.  Field trips are very valuable for learning about progress in vegetable research.  More activities in experimental approach will be helpful.  The RTC should help participants to understand and implement Farmer Field School approach.  Mr. Thi reported that the experience in RTC helped him secure more international projects to work on at HUAF.

Mr. Vu Tuan Minh
Current Position: Lecturer, Horticulture Department,
Faculty of Agronomy, HUAF

Responsibilities: Besides lecturing, involved with an internationally funded project

Class of 22nd RTC (2004-2005).  Sponsored by SDC

Views:  The RTC offered a new learning experience as he was exposed for the first time to international lecturers.  He found the session on safe vegetable production most interesting supplemented by field visits.  Have no problem with 5-months duration for the RTC.  Suggested that exposure to the RTC allowed him to work with an internationally funded project.

Mr. Nguyen Cuong
Current Position: Extension staff

Responsibilities: Involved with World Bank project on Forestry

Class of 22nd RTC (2003-2004).  Sponsored by SDC

Mrs. Trinh Thi Sen

Current Position:  Lecturer, Faculty of Agronomy, HUAF

Responsibilities: Besides lecturing, she coordinates training at the Faculty and participates in a collaborative programme between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Class of 23rd RTC (2003-2004).  Sponsored by SDC

Views:  She found advanced vegetable production techniques valuable and field experimentation/statistics interesting during the RTC.  Coupled with practice and field visits, it enhanced learning.  While 5 months may not be too long, it could be reduced to 3 months.  Felt that there should be a good balance between lectures and practice in the curriculum.  The RTC provided an opportunity for Mrs. Sen who was new to vegetable production to gather more knowledge and develop skills so that she can work effectively with farmers.  She felt that learning to work with farmers is the most valuable part of the RTC.