Overview of the working session
At the beginning of the meeting, on behalf of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities' leadership, Vice Rector Lai Quoc Khanh congratulated Mr. Khamton Samvong on officially assuming the position of Cultural Counselor at the Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in Vietnam, and expressed the hope that during his term, the Counselor would support, assist, and facilitate cooperation between the University and the Embassy and educational and cultural organizations in Laos.
Vice Rector Lai Quoc Khanh shared: "Over the past period, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has actively participated in implementing training and development activities for high-quality human resources for Laos (at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels) as well as short-term training courses for officials. The University is very grateful for the trust and effective cooperation of the Lao Embassy in this work. Although Mr. Khamton Samvong has only recently taken up his post in Vietnam, he has shown special affection for the University. In today's meeting, the University hopes to hear specific opinions and suggestions from the Counselor to further improve the quality of training and the content of cooperation between the two sides in the future."
Cultural Attaché of the Lao Embassy, Khamton Samvong, expressed his pleasure at visiting the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He shared: "Having been a student of the University, I am always grateful for the teaching of the professors, and I sincerely thank the University for its support to our country. Over the years, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has welcomed many Lao students to study, cultivate knowledge, and improve their moral character, after which they became excellent experts and officials who returned to contribute to Laos."
To build upon these positive achievements, Mr. Khamton Samvong expressed his desire for the university to strengthen cooperation to help Lao students and staff improve their Vietnamese language skills and gain a deeper understanding of Vietnamese culture. He also proposed that the two sides jointly organize more cultural exchange activities and competitions on Vietnamese history and culture to attract a large number of Lao students, thereby helping them improve their Vietnamese language skills and further strengthening the close friendship between the two countries.
Speaking at the reception, representatives from various departments and the Youth Union of the school affirmed that all departments and teachers are ready to support Lao students studying at the school, not only in their studies but also in their daily lives. However, students should also feel free to discuss and propose requests or share difficulties so that teachers can provide timely support.
Dr. Dinh Tien Hieu (Deputy Head of the Student Affairs and Student Support Department) gave a speech.
Representatives from the Cooperation and Development Department proposed several solutions to improve the quality of training: The Lao government should select high-quality students and officials to send to study in Vietnam. Before enrolling in bachelor's programs, Lao students could participate in short-term training courses to improve their Vietnamese language skills. A Vietnamese language certificate (according to the Vietnamese language proficiency framework for foreigners developed by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and recognized by the Ministry of Education and Training) should be required. This should be a mandatory requirement in the output standards of each training level.
Dr. Pham Hoang Hung (Head of the Cooperation and Development Department) presented several proposed solutions to improve the quality of training for Lao students at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Mr. Cao Van Sy (Deputy General Director, Vietnam Culture Group) expressed his desire to collaborate with the school and the Lao Embassy in organizing numerous cultural and tourism events that attract the participation of a large number of Lao students, helping them to become proficient in Vietnamese while also enhancing their professional knowledge.
Concluding the meeting, Vice Rector Lai Quoc Khanh once again expressed his gratitude for the attention and affection shown by the Lao Embassy and the Cultural Attaché personally to the University. As a leading training institution in the country in the field of social sciences and humanities, and fulfilling our national responsibility, we are always ready to welcome a large number of Lao students to study, improve their professional skills, and provide maximum support to help them complete their studies with the best possible results. Upon graduating from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the students will feel proud and confident to apply their knowledge and skills to building their homeland and fostering friendly relations between the two countries. At today's meeting, representatives from both sides exchanged views and agreed on a number of specific cooperation activities: organizing short-term training courses to improve Vietnamese language skills, strengthening cultural exchange activities, organizing competitions, clubs, and tours to learn about Vietnamese history, culture, scenic spots, and cuisine for Lao students and students from other countries, etc.
At the end of the working session, Vice Rector Lai Quoc Khanh presented gifts to thank the Cultural Counselor of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam and took a commemorative photo with the participating delegates.
