Vietnamese diaspora central to 50th Anniversary of Germany-Vietnam diplomatic relations
Germany and Viet Nam are celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations with an exciting programme featuring a cross-country “Career Truck” tour that will highlight opportunities in migration and showcase innovative GIZ-supported start-ups from the Vietnamese diaspora in Germany.
23 September 2025 will mark a significant milestone: 50 years of diplomatic relations between Germany and Viet Nam! To celebrate this, a unique initiative, a Career Truck from North to South, has been launched.
Organised by various German and Vietnamese partners, including the German Embassy in Hanoi, Goethe-Institute, and GIZ, the Career Truck started touring Viet Nam in April. It will be on the road until November 2025, visiting cities such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho. One objective of the career truck is to offer essential information on safe migration pathways, apprenticeships, skilled work, and opportunities for education in Germany.
The Career Truck sparks great interest.
The Career Truck´s route.
The GIZ Programme “Shaping development-oriented migration” (MEG) is set to accompany the Career Truck at six key stops: Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, An Giang, Dong Nai, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh – with some locations already visited. In Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, MEG is working with local partners to coordinate the activities of the career truck. These events will feature interactive sessions, including a talk show on fair migration, STEM-related games, and job fairs, which are particularly important due to the large number of migrant workers from these areas. MEG has been collaborating closely with the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA), Employment Service Centres (ESC), and Migration Resource Centres (MRC) in these provinces to develop the skills of DoHA staff and ESC/MRC counsellors. This cross-country campaign is more than a celebration; it aims to strengthen the partnership between Germany and Viet Nam and create opportunities for mutual benefit.
During the tour, MEG has been showcasing a selection of products from six diaspora start-ups supported under its “Business Ideas for Development” (BID) initiative.
This initiative shows that education in Germany not only opens global career opportunities but also empowers young talents to return and contribute meaningfully to Viet Nam’s development.
Another example showcased is Agrivari, a start-up reshaping agriculture in Viet Nam. Led by Huong Nguyen, Agrivari transforms agricultural waste into microbial organic fertilizer, addressing the critical issue of soil degradation in the country.
BID assists entrepreneurs in Germany with a migration history from Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Serbia, Tunisia and Viet Nam. With support from BID, Huong Nguyen was able to grow her start-up further. By highlighting inspiring diaspora start-ups like Baumarkt and Agrivari, the career truck shows how support of Vietnamese talent in Germany strengthens international ties and benefits both Viet Nam and Germany.
Baumarkt’s participation in the Career Truck highlights a promising AI startup founded by a Germany-alumnus.
