The New Administration Building at Tra Vinh University

This morning I did go somewhere, but it was just a few minutes from where I live. Although the distance was short, it still involved a bit of discovery. I went to the new Administration Building, which opened just a few weeks ago here at Tra Vinh University. This is an impressive structure. It's maybe five or six stories tall and bright yellow. The building stands right next to the main gate, so everyone entering the university--or even people just walking, biking, or driving, by the front--will see it.

Inside everything's new and bright. All the tables, chairs, computers, and other equipment are modern and up to date. And there's glass everywhere. Even when walking inside the hallway, it's easy to see inside all the offices and, beyond those, to see out to the world on both sides of the building. To the south, one sees the other buildings on Campus One, and to the north, one sees the palm trees and farmland that make living in the Mekong Delta so beautiful.

In a hot, sunny place like Tra Vinh, this much glass can be a problem, but not in this new building. In hot climates, buildings with a lot of glass on the outside require huge amounts of air conditioning, and that's expensive. How does the Administration Building avoid this problem and expense? Well, although there's a lot of glass, most of it isn't directly on the outside of the building. Around the outside walls of the offices, there are more hallways and these serve an important purpose for maintaining the temperature of the building. These hallways keep the strongest sun off of the walls of the offices but they still allow light to enter. That means that everywhere although it is bright, there is still protection from the sun. Architects in hot countries have learned that adjustments like this are necessary when they build in climates with lots of sun and heat, and it makes me glad to see this king of "green architecture" here in Tra Vinh.

The building isn't completely finished yet. Workers are adding gardens all around it, but soon everything will be done. For me, this small trip to the Administration Building gave me a little bit of insight into the history of both TVU and also Tra Vinh province. The building is new, yes, but really, the entire campus is new. Just 10 years ago, the are that is now Campus One was marsh and farmland. There were no buildings and there was certainly no university. But in less than a decade Tra Vinh University has grown a lot and is continuing to grow.

I like that from the offices, one can see both the university and the countryside. Although there are many majors here, agriculture and aquaculture are two of the most important, and this is only right in an area like the Mekong Delta, which is one of the world's most important regions for farming and fishing. This new building, like most of the others on campus, doesn't hide from the world: it, instead, opens itself to the surrounding area and reminds us of why we are all here, namely to serve the educational needs of people in this part of Vietnam.

Things like this building and Tra Vinh University don't happen by accident. They take a lot of work, money, planning, and support. For me, I'm feel very proud and lucky to be a part of a university like this, one that serves an area that for many years did not have easy access to higher education. Having a university here makes a real difference in the lives of the tens of thousands of people who live in and near Tra Vinh province. The university provides education in many subjects very important for the future lives of students and their families. It helps them be better at agriculture and aquaculture. It also trains them in things like English, tourism, accounting, and law, subjects that are important as Tra Vinh develops industries and services.

If you're near Campus One, come and take a look at this building! And reflect a little bit on what it teaches us about Tra Vinh's past, and future.