Source: EM
MIND (Industrial Ecology)
Mother knows best. The idea of listening to Mother Nature, imitating what she does always attracts me strongly. Since I found my interest in the analogy between biosphere and techno-sphere as well as the ideal closed-loop industrial systems, MIND is exactly the master course I am looking for. I believe its interdisciplinary program integrating natural, technical and social sciences and its international view from global to local context would help me a lot in my works in environmental field.
Now I am working in Policy Advice on Environmental Management: Green Industry Development Project by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It combines policy, capacity building and technology towards a greener industry. As a project assistant, I give technical and administrative assistance to project activities. Within five months, I have worked with three international professors and twelve national experts, involving in conferences and researches. After field trips, surveys and consultation workshops in several provinces in Vietnam, I understand the emerging needs of exchanging information among different groups in order to create a network sharing input and output. In my country where small and medium enterprises conquer the market, small investment forces producers to recycle and minimize their materials. Therefore, pre-industrial-ecology model probably has existed but has not developed itself because of the lack of efficient management. For example, one company may transport raw materials from another province while there is a local relevant resource; or in another case, waste is turning into toxic input materials by incorrect treatments. Consequently, I believe eco-industrial services connecting clusters would possibly flourish in the future.
This working experience affected me in my choice of the master course in environmental management. Prof. Rene VanBerkel, UNIDO’s chief, my project manager recommended MIND, the first international master programme in Industrial Ecology worldwide as a great choice.
On one hand, it fits my orientation and expectation. By taking this Master course, I could improve my skills to become an environmental consultant and develop eco-industrial services in my country. I expect to learn problem analyzing and solving methods/tools and update modern concepts and models from your program. I think not only best practices and initiatives in Europe and other areas worth to be learned, but also a travel course is worthwhile. In interaction, I anticipate to become one link of intercultural learning, and share Vietnamese lessons in class.
On the other hand, I find myself eligible to program’s requirements. My ability of idea making and my absorption in environmental issues comes from contests/ volunteer activities hosted by WWF, FFI, Royal Danish Embassy and Embassy of Sweden when I was at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School. Then, because achieving the 2nd prize in Biology National Contest, I was invited to join the Talented Program of Vietnam National University, College of Science. Academic background in Environment and Ecology helped me to complete my thesis in water quality assessment. My bachelor science course included major credits in natural sciences such as: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Informatics and especially, Biology. I was proud being on top students receiving scholarships during four academic years. Therefore, I could pay the tuition fee and save money for my father’s treatment. At that time, I also took part in several environmental projects including assessment-analysis and socio-economic investigation.
Being extremely interested in the programme, I apply Erasmus Mundus Scholarship because I cannot afford the total fee of the course. I would be obliged if you could give me an opportunity to take part in the excellence and diversity of your advanced program. Moreover, I strongly believe MIND will affirm me for better contribution to my country in environmental field.
