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Vietnam's events industry is undergoing rapid professionalization, driven by major productions such as stadium concerts, drone-filled national celebrations, and large-scale festivals. These multimillion-dollar projects rely heavily on technology and global standards, creating new demands for skilled talent. Even smaller-scale events like workshops or brand launches now require livestreaming, social media integration, and automated check-in systems to engage audiences, especially younger ones.

Industry leaders note that while events used to be managed by small, passionate teams, today's clients expect results comparable to regional leaders like Singapore and South Korea. This shift requires expertise in budget control, safety, compliance, and digital tools, making it harder for amateurs to keep up. Salaries reflect rising expectations: coordinators earn VND12–18 million monthly, while project managers earn VND25–40 million, with higher pay for large-scale MICE or international events.

To meet the demand, British University Vietnam (BUV) now offers a BA (Hons) in Events Management awarded by Bournemouth University, ranked among the world's top 100 young universities. The program equips students with skills in risk management, marketing, budgeting, and strategy, alongside real-world training through partnerships with leading brands like Intercontinental, Sheraton, FPT, and Thanh Viet Production.

Students gain hands-on experience in events such as TEDxBUV, fashion shows, and music productions, preparing them for careers across agencies, hotels, museums, and corporate PR. Many also pursue entrepreneurship. Ultimately, Vietnam's industry needs globally trained professionals capable of transforming events into meaningful cultural and brand experiences.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, tuition fees for international students at the top 50 U.S. universities range widely from about $22,000 to $73,000, according to U.S. News & World Report's “2025 Best College Ranking.” The University of Southern California, tied for 27th place, charges the highest tuition at $73,260, while Purdue University, tied for 46th, has the lowest at $22,112. Within the Ivy League, Harvard University is the least expensive at $59,320 per year.

Although tuition is a major factor, it represents only part of the overall cost of studying abroad. Housing, food, books, and other living expenses often push the annual total above $100,000 for international students at some institutions. Schools like Columbia, Cornell, and Brown also exceed $70,000 in tuition alone, while public universities such as UNC Chapel Hill and Georgia Tech offer comparatively lower fees.

The U.S. continues to attract large numbers of foreign students. During the 2023–2024 academic year, over one million international students from more than 200 countries and territories contributed an estimated $50 billion to the U.S. economy, according to the IIE's Open Doors report. Vietnamese students accounted for over 22,000 enrollments, making Vietnam the sixth-largest source country.

However, between March 2024 and March 2025, international student enrollment fell by 11%, a decline experts warn could cost the U.S. economy up to $4 billion. Despite high costs and challenges, top American universities remain leading destinations for students worldwide, offering academic prestige, diverse communities, and long-term career opportunities.

Bali, recently named “Asia's most beautiful island” by DestinAsian magazine, is tightening checks on foreign tourists amid rising visa violations. Authorities are urging visitors to carry passports at all times as immigration patrols increase across the island.

A newly formed task force of about 100 officers, equipped with body cameras and safety vests, is patrolling 10 popular tourist areas, including Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, Jimbaran, and Nusa Dua. Videos from the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office show officers questioning tourists on beaches and roads about their documents and visa status.

The crackdown comes as Bali faces growing concerns about foreigners overstaying or misusing visas. From January to July 24 this year, 148 foreigners were deported, with 66 cases involving visa overstays.

Despite these issues, tourism in Bali continues to surge. The island welcomed over four million foreign visitors in the first seven months of the year, up from 3.89 million in the same period last year. Renowned for its temples, dances, and cultural traditions, Bali remains a global travel hotspot but is now taking stronger measures to regulate visitor compliance.

In 1997, British traveler Linda Tobey joined a 21-day cross-Vietnam tour that became one of her most unforgettable adventures. Starting in Hanoi and ending in Ho Chi Minh City, the trip covered Ha Long Bay, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, and more. Travel was challenging, with long train rides, flooded roads, and even their bus skidding off the trail, but Tobey recalls every obstacle as part of the adventure.

Her group of 12 travelers faced Typhoon Linda during an overnight train ride and braved landslides and floods in Quy Nhon. Some quit early, but Tobey valued the rough journey for the chance to see local life up close. She remembers villagers helping pull their bus from the mud, being laughed at when a market woman checked if she was “white all over,” and sharing liquor with locals in stilt houses. On Cat Ba Island, they slept on a boat deck when hotels were full, while in Da Nang, a fellow traveler lost his teeth to the surf.

The most touching memory came in Ha Long Bay, where a postcard seller joined them for dinner and saved his Coke to take home for his son. Such encounters, along with early glimpses of Vietnam's modernization like new Internet cables, made the trip deeply memorable.

Though she returned briefly in 2003, Tobey has not revisited Vietnam. She treasures the keepsakes and memories of a country then little known to foreigners, shaped by hardship, warmth, and discovery.

Ecnoglutide, a new once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist developed in China, has shown strong potential as both a type 2 diabetes treatment and weight loss drug, possibly rivaling Ozempic. In a Phase 3 trial with over 600 adults, it proved as effective as dulaglutide in lowering blood sugar, while delivering nearly double the weight loss. Participants taking ecnoglutide saw average blood sugar reductions of about 1.9% and weight loss of 5.2–5.7%, compared to 1.65% and 2.8% for dulaglutide.

The drug works by targeting insulin-regulating pathways but avoids one that may weaken receptor activity, potentially boosting effectiveness. Side effects appear similar to other GLP-1 drugs—mainly gastrointestinal issues—that were generally mild and decreased over time.

Structurally, ecnoglutide differs from semaglutide by four amino acids, enhancing stability and making production simpler and cheaper through genetic engineering, unlike the more complex process for semaglutide. This could make it more accessible worldwide.

While direct comparisons with Ozempic haven't been made due to limited availability in China, trial data suggest similar or possibly better outcomes for glycemic control and weight loss. Researchers stress that further studies across diverse populations and head-to-head trials with semaglutide are needed.

Ecnoglutide is not yet approved anywhere, but new drug applications are under review in China. Experts note its effectiveness will be greatest when combined with lifestyle measures like diet and exercise, potentially making it a powerful new option for managing diabetes and obesity.