Huyen Nga Le, Vietnam

Huyen Nga Le's MEG journey as part of the 2015, MEG11 intake

I am a MEG11 graduate from Vietnam with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Before joining MEG, I used to work for a few years as a coordinator of environmental and climate change projects financed by a Korean development bank. During MEG, I had the chance to do internships in Madagascar and Jordan, getting engaged with a variety of projects and stakeholders. Both of the trips were funded, thanks to EPOS’s policy and MEG’s networks.

I was fortunate to get a six-month scholarship for an internship through the Carlo Schmid Program and the opportunity to intern at UNESCO Office in Jakarta, Indonesia. I came back to Vietnam after graduation and have since been working for the Multilateral Trade Policy Department at Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade. My overarching mandates include negotiating free trade agreements, implementing their commitments, and monitoring Vietnam's compliance with such commitments.

Huyen Nga Le, Vietnam, EPOS-Alumna, Intake 2015, Speaking at a joint trade forum

In the Multilateral Trade Policy Dept., I lead the team of unconventional commitments in trade deals, namely labor, environment, and sustainable development. I coordinate the setting up of the Vietnam Domestic Advisory Group (VN DAG), an institution required under the Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Chapter of EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA). I am also a member of the VN DAG Secretariat. Other trade regimes I also monitor include the WTO, the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), and the UK-Vietnam FTA (UKVFTA).

I am researching environmental policies and initiatives that might impact international trade and am among the contributors developing and proposing the Vietnamese government's positioning on this matter at both bilateral and multilateral levels. Some outstanding topics I have worked on include the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

I am grateful for everything the MEG has equipped me with so that I can live the life I wish as it is now: being able to work on issues that I am passionate about.