For drawing on brainpower to expand trade

What does Canada’s newest consul general in Ho Chi Minh City think is the most important type of trade between Canada and Vietnam? International students. “Last year we issued 700 student visas for study in Canada,” says Audri Mukhopadhyay from his office in Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon. “That’s nearly three times as many as three years ago.”

Halifax native Mukhopadhyay, 36, is working to build linkages between Canada and the rapidly emerging economy of Vietnam. Recently he was involved with the signing of nine MOUs between Atlantic Canadian and Vietnamese universities that will help strengthen ties.

“The idea was to get a comprehensive MOU to create goodwill,” says Mukhopadhyay. “That way, subsequent deals will be easier to negotiate.” Already the process is improving; in 2008 trade between Canada and Vietnam reached an all-time high of $1.3 billion, up 21% from 2007. Canada is currently the 16th-largest foreign investor in Vietnam, and Canadian companies—ranging from financial services giant Manulife Financial to oil explorer Talisman Energy Inc.—have established a presence there. Ho Chi Minh City also boasts a Canadian international school, a Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and an annual Terry Fox run.

With a median age of 26 in Vietnam, Mukhopadhyay predicts even more progress down the road. “Vietnam produces young brainpower that will seek education opportunities across the globe for the foreseeable future,” he says. “And with the outstanding education institutions in Atlantic Canada, this region is well positioned to train the next generation of Vietnamese leadership. I’m excited to be part of creating partnerships that will generate opportunities in both Atlantic Canada and Vietnam.”