"Living without purpose is like sailing a ship without a compass."

It had probably been quite a while since Dr. Doan Huong had the opportunity to speak with students from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication. As she shared, this remains her beloved home, where she has shared countless memorable moments with colleagues and students throughout her research and teaching career. For generations of students in the Faculty, meeting Dr. Doan Huong is a cherished dream. Emotions played a crucial role throughout the conversation, causing the speaker to pause several times due to emotion.

The story shared by Dr. Doan Huong revolves around the importance of young people's behavioral culture in achieving success and happiness. This includes how they interact with society, with their families, and with themselves.

"Live with ideals and specific goals. Because only a purpose and ideal in life, clearly defined early on, will allow us to reach our destination, return safely, and overcome life's difficulties," she said. If you don't know what you want and who you want to become, it's like "sailing without a compass"—you'll lose your way and have no motivation to live.

Dr. Doan Huong

She said that the happiest thing in her life is being able to do the job she loves, which is becoming a researcher and lecturer on culture, especially Eastern culture. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature from the Faculty of Linguistics, Hanoi University, and then became Vietnam's first Doctor of Science in Linguistics after 10 years of study and research in Russia. For her, her love of literature has extended to the field of culture and then to journalism.

Before the establishment of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, most journalists came from literary backgrounds. Even today, the training tradition of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is characterized by its combination of the romanticism of literature and the practicality and relevance of journalism. The romanticism and rich cultural background help students gain a broader and more insightful perspective, allowing them to understand social phenomena more deeply. The practicality and dynamism enable them to keep pace with current events and reflect on issues with a clear and objective perspective. This is the pride in the Faculty's tradition of journalism training. And I advise young people to understand, preserve, and develop this pride throughout their professional careers.

So how can young people behave appropriately in a rapidly changing and complex social environment? Dr. Doan Huong believes that only with a foundation of cultural knowledge and life experience can we behave correctly. To achieve this, young people need to read extensively; learn foreign languages ​​as a vital tool in today's era of integration; actively participate in community and social movements; live positively and value time; improve physical fitness and broaden their minds; and live with compassion and love…

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai introduced her latest poetry collection, "Refugee in the Afternoon," at the talk. She expressed her wish to sell 1000 copies to raise funds for a student facing difficult circumstances in Ho Chi Minh City.

The story about the cultural conduct of young people in life, as told by Dr. Doan Huong, was continued by Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai with a discussion on cultural conduct in journalism for students majoring in Journalism and Communication. Dr. Minh Thai shared her aspiration, shared by many colleagues, to work together to build the Faculty of Journalism and Communication into a cradle for training skilled journalists for the national press. The goal is for journalism students to be able to enter the workforce immediately after graduation, making contributions worthy of the position and role of journalists, as well as meeting the expectations of society today.

She emphasized that information, novelty, and respect for the truth are fundamental elements of journalism. A good journalist must have a strong cultural background and a deep understanding of their national culture. Furthermore, they must have a love for literature and beauty, and be fluent in Vietnamese. Besides university education, young people should learn from skilled journalists at vocational schools. Simultaneously, they need to self-study and make a great effort to improve themselves in order to succeed.

In response to a student's question about choosing between upholding professional ethics and ideals and the pressures of making a living, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai affirmed: Those who practice journalism with integrity and ethics always live healthy lives. If they are passionate and skilled in their profession, young people will overcome all temptations and difficulties to find their own place in the world.