Ms Bui Thi Lan, a national of Vietnam, holds Bachelor's degrees in French and English from the Hanoi Foreign Language College, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Hanoi Open University and a Master's degree in International Development Studies from St Mary's University, Nova Scotia, Canada. Ms Bui Thi Lan has also undertaken post-graduate studies in Agricultural Trade in Montpellier, France. Ms Bui Thi Lan started her career in 1979 in the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture in Vietnam, first as Programme Officer in charge of bilateral cooperation with France, Belgium, Italy and Denmark. Between 1985 and 1988, she was in charge of cooperation, inter alia, with FAO, UNDP, IFAD and IRRI. From 1986 to 1995, she studied in Australia, Vietnam, Canada and France. In 1996, she was appointed Head of the ASEAN/APEC/WTO Office in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Since 1998, and until her appointment as FAO Representative in Bangladesh, she served as Vice Director-General of the International Cooperation Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in charge of bilateral cooperation in agriculture and rural development between Vietnam and countries in Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East, and agricultural trade negotiations with ASEAN/APEC/WTO. In 2001, Ms Bui Thi Lan was appointed FAO Representative in Bangladesh. Ms Bui Thi Lan succeeds Mr K. Tsurumi as FAO Representative in Nepal.