Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Transport Technology



C. Vreeken Attracting vessels to Can Tho Port & Improving curriculum at CTU. Report of traineeship in Viet Nam.
Internship, Report 2003.TL.6812, Transport Engineering and Logistics.


Part A. Attracting vessels to Can Tho Port

The objective of this first part of the assignment is to find out why vessels choose in many cases the route via Sai Gon and to try to find ways attracting vessels to Can Tho Port. After analysing general information about the region of the Mekong Delta, including finished and ongoing projects, it became clear the disadvantages for the vessels on their way to Can Tho are numerous. Three companies were interviewed and they confirm the results of the preceding survey. The main existing reasons for the relative unattractiveness of Can Tho Port can be listed as follows: Besides that there are several other restrictions for the global transportation system of Viet Nam, but also for vessels coming to the port of Can Tho. These problems are mainly due to the central planned and bureaucratic government.

Solutions at port level can be found in three directions: the access route, the port itself and the hinterland. But these possible solutions will not be effective if the government fails to control the ongoing and future projects in the Mekong Delta. Regarding the staffs of Can Tho Port, they have to start with the port itself, because the route to the port and the consumers in the Mekong Delta are harder to influence than the management of the port.

There should be paid more attention to marketing aspects. As mentioned, the facilities and services of Can Tho Port cannot be brought enough under attention of the shipping companies. Try to keep in touch with the existing customers as close as possible. Concluding from the interviews, the companies don't know the present situation and opportunities of Can Tho port.

To predict the possible progression of the situation of the region, an economical analysis should be carried out to calculate the future developments in consumption and production in the Mekong Delta, related to the import and export of goods. A supplementary survey is recommended to analyse the logistical capacities of the current equipment and the berthing times of the vessels.


Part B. Improving the curriculum at CTU

Although the education system at CTU faces many efforts to develop its quality, there still some lacks in the curricula. In the specialization of Transportation Engineering the given lectures are rather theoretical and relation to practical work is low.

The objective of this second part of the assignment is to improve the curriculum by giving advice on implementing problem based learning projects and buying software. For example the application of the courses in group projects could be very useful. The deficiency of experience in this field could be fulfilled by providing suitable workshops to instruct the teachers.

Regarding the software, there is a wide range of modelling and simulation packages available in different (price) categories. Depending on the needs of both the quick developments in industry and the demand for research on the university a choice had to be made.

Further consults should concentrate on the exact setting up and implementation of the PBL-projects. Combining the available experience and skills of other universities with the present knowledge at Transportation Engineering, instructive projects could be designed. It is also important to involve the students in the concerning developments for evaluation.

To choose the most suitable software for the Transportation Engineering curriculum, it is recommended to collect more detailed information from the different companies. After comparing the software packages, advice could be asked from experts resulting in a well-balanced curriculum.


Reports on Transport Engineering and Logistics (in Dutch)
Modified: 2004.01.03; logistics@3mE.tudelft.nl , TU Delft / 3mE / TT / LT.