On the morning of November 13, 2011, at the auditorium on the 8th floor of building E, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnamese and international students studying in the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language organized a cultural and artistic exchange to celebrate Vietnamese Teachers' Day.The exchange program also provided an opportunity for Vietnamese and international students to get acquainted, exchange ideas, and explore the cultures of Vietnam and other countries. It also served as a welcome for the second cohort of students from the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies. A large number of faculty members, along with nearly 150 Vietnamese students from the first two cohorts of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and over one hundred international students from various countries and regions (China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Mongolia, Taiwan, the United States, etc.), attended the exchange. International and Vietnamese students exchanged flowers with their faculty members. In his welcoming speech for the exchange program between Vietnamese and international students, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Thi, Head of the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, summarized the rich development and numerous contributions of the Department, wishing Vietnamese and international students to continue upholding the fine traditions of students of the Department of Vietnamese Studies, to excel in their studies and achieve success in the future as many students of previous generations have achieved (among thousands of foreign students who have studied at the Department, eight have become Ambassadors to Vietnam, and many have become Ministers and Deputy Ministers...).
Min Ho Su, a South Korean student currently in her second year of the Bachelor of Vietnamese Studies for Foreigners program, spoke on behalf of the international students, expressing her sincere gratitude to the teachers of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, as well as the teachers of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She recounted her early days when she didn't know much Vietnamese, facing many difficulties in daily life and communication. For example, when she wanted to top up her phone credit, she could only point to her phone and say to the SIM card vendor, "No money! No money!" which they didn't understand at all… Now, thanks to the enthusiastic teaching of the teachers and the support of the environment and friends, your Vietnamese has improved significantly, and you understand and love Vietnam, its people, and its culture much more… The cultural exchange program lasted for three hours with many unique, rich, and attractive performances: The program began with a “Greeting” segment featuring two clips introducing Vietnamese students from cohorts K55 and K56, followed by a performance showcasing the unique and distinctive costumes of various ethnic groups such as the four-panel dress, the ao dai, and the costumes of the Tay, Muong, Mong, and Dao people… Russian students presented the song “Katyusha” with its lively yet profound melody, evoking memories… The Quan Ho folk song “Floating Water Hyacinths and Drifting Clouds” from Bac Ninh, performed by Russian and Chinese students, was enthusiastically received. Mongolian students brought songs with the sounds of the vast steppe. The traditional dance performed by the Korean female students was skillful, beautiful, and moving. Taiwanese student Wei and Ms. Minh Anh performed the song "Mouse Loves Rice" in three languages: English, Chinese, and Vietnamese. The Hmong dance performance "Moonlight Calls You" by the K55 group was unique and elaborate. The K56 students presented a graceful and feminine dance titled "Midday Dream." Particularly noteworthy was the short play "The Scar on the Heart," written by K56 student Duong Thu Huong and performed by K55 and K56 students, which was educational, relevant, and touching.
In the enthusiastic and lively atmosphere of the exchange program, the faculty members also participated in several outstanding performances: Ms. Yen with the heartfelt and tender song "Love for the Land"; Ms. Bich Nga with the vibrant and youthful songs "The Song of the Dove" and "The Student's Guitar"... The program concluded with two songs, "Vietnam, My Homeland" and "As If Uncle Ho Were Present on the Day of Great Victory," sung together by the Vietnamese and international students and the entire auditorium with applause. The exchange program was more successful than expected by the participants. This was truly a meaningful activity for Vietnamese and international students to celebrate Vietnamese Teachers' Day, a spiritual gift to express gratitude to the teachers during the sunny week of November 20th in late autumn Hanoi.
