Two years later and the AIP (Australian Institute of Packaging) along with the support of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) was back in Vietnam and again what an experience being involved in a five day residential training program (RTP) in Packaging Technology in the province of Tra Vinh, Vietnam.

At this training, there were 34 students from industry. We used the facilities at one of Tra Vinh University’s satellite facilities, state of the art Mylan Group, located just outside the city of Tra Vinh in the heart of the Mekong Delta. More than ever before it was evident that there is a need as well as a desire for many, across our globe to learn more in the science and technology of packaging.

The WPO in collaboration and with the support of AIP (Australian Institute of Packaging), those who have the knowledge and the ability to share information; I believe have an obligation to help those in developing countries. In this event the standard was high and all students absorbed information like a sponge and simply wanted more. They were keen and eager to learn which was evident in their final course related presentation at the end of the week.

This initiative was led by the WPO President, Tom Schneider having met the Mylan Group founder and CEO, Dr My T Nguyen at PackExpo in Chicago in 2013. Dr My T as we have come to know him affectionately again invited us back. Although this recent training covered the entire spectrum of packaging technology, what drove the students, which was evident in their questions, was how one can improve packaging; reduce costs, what their packaging counterparts were doing in developed countries and how they can improve packaging of foodstuffs to reduce wastage.

The challenge I found was conveying the information, especially the technical aspects to the students through translators. The two translators were exceptionally patient and my sincere thanks and appreciation for translating non-stop for the week.

As part of the training program, we visited converting facilities, state of the art and the first high tech company in the province, i.e. Mylan Group’s flexible manufacturing plant for high barrier films used for electronics, food and pharmaceuticals. This facility matches and in many cases is better than any European based facility that I have seen. The mere fact that this is the third training program that we have done in Vietnam is a step in the right direction in helping packaging training across a broad spectrum of packaging technologists of the future in Vietnam. Plenty more education is required at all levels of the packaging spectrum, i.e. formal and informal sector, but at least the WPO/AIP is present and doing something about education.

Similar training programs undertaken this year by the AIP and supported by the WPO were Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, Iran, and the remaining part of this year, we will be in China and Italy. The aim is purely to get more people in developing countries educated in Packaging Technology. It continues to be a long road but a hugely rewarding one.

Written by Prof Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CPP, Education Director