Professor Pham Quang Minh, Rector, attended the launch ceremony of Facebook's Digital Age Thinking and Digital Security Program in Vietnam.

FB4VN is the first comprehensive campaign dedicated to Vietnam to strengthen Facebook's long-standing commitment to Vietnam, as well as to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States. The program will be implemented across several key pillars: Digital Safety and Skills, Digital Economy, Innovation, Smart City Support, and Facebook for the Community.

The Digital Age Thinking program aims to provide knowledge about digital communication, privacy, safety, and well-being, as well as improve information comprehension, critical thinking, and empathy in the online environment. The program's three main pillars are: How to raise awareness of digital thinking; How to educate about digital thinking; and Leadership thinking.

Sharing his thoughts on the program, Mr. Ruici Tio (Asia Pacific Regional Policy Program Manager, Facebook) said: “We believe that equipping users, especially young people, with the knowledge and skills for the digital future is extremely important. In line with that mission, Facebook has developed the 'Digital Mindset' program, and we are delighted to expand it to Vietnam and contribute to building a generation of responsible digital citizens. We collaborate with experts in the region to create resources and training materials to develop a community of responsible digital citizens, equipped with the skills to navigate the digital world.”

Appreciating the role of Vietnamese partners in Facebook's development and implementation of the Digital Thinking program, Mr. Ruici Tio said: "Domestic partners have played an extremely important role in the development journey, making the program useful and impactful. We are delighted to collaborate with the Vietnet Information Technology and Communication Center, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU Hanoi, the HOCMAI Education System, and the ISDS Institute for Social Development Studies in this program. The collaboration of partners from the private sector, the public sector, and civil society organizations is crucial in bringing digital citizenship skills to local communities, especially the younger generation."

During the ceremony, there was a discussion among the guests on the following topic:Promoting training to raise awareness of digital skills and digital safety through multilateral cooperation.The aim is to discuss the importance and necessity of digital citizenship and digital safety skills, the role of various ministries/agencies in promoting digital citizenship and digital safety skills, and possible plans to create a safer and more informed online community in Vietnam.

Ms. Phuong ChiButFacebook's Public Policy Management team shared the latest developments in the implementation of its Digital Age Thinking program in Vietnam in 2020: Firstly, the program targets a new audience: enhancing the role of parents in raising children's online safety awareness. Secondly, for the first time, Facebook is incorporating the Digital Age Thinking program into its undergraduate curriculum in collaboration with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Thirdly, the program content will be made available on a Vietnamese online education platform, creating free courses accessible to everyone.

Answering a question about the role of digital citizenship skills in helping Vietnamese university students succeed in the future, Professor Pham Quang Minh, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, shared his perspective: We are living in the digital age, so we need digital citizens with skills, understanding, and knowledge of the digital space and how to behave in it. Students aged 18-22 will be the pillars and future owners of this digital age, so they need to be equipped with digital knowledge and thinking. Information today is soft power, and whoever grasps and uses this soft power effectively plays a crucial role.

With 3 billion customers globally, including over 60 million users in Vietnam, Facebook is a highly influential technology corporation. They have been implementing a meaningful program with far-reaching impact on raising awareness among today's youth. This is a transnational issue requiring multilateral and multi-stakeholder cooperation. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is pleased to participate in this program, contributing to promoting Vietnam's transformation into a digital nation in the future.

Sharing about the collaboration with Facebook, the Rector stated: Four years ago, the university established the Internet and Society Program to conduct research on the impact of social media on young people. In 2019, a delegation from the university visited and worked with Facebook Singapore, initiating official cooperation with Facebook in building content and bringing knowledge about digital literacy to university students in Vietnam. This knowledge is not only organized into official courses, targeting different student groups within the university, but is also integrated into extracurricular activities and student club activities in diverse forms. Through this, the university hopes to contribute to the multi-faceted dissemination of information about digital thinking and digital literacy among the student community from North to South.