Two students receive research awards on the South China Sea.

On August 28, 2012, two students, Cao Huy Hiep and Nguyen Ba Phuc (fourth-year students of the Faculty of Political Science), received the special prize from the East Sea Research Support Program (Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam) for their research paper: "The issue of educating the younger generation about maritime sovereignty and islands."The research paper received significant attention and high praise from scientists and delegates at the conference following the awards ceremony. It was one of three special prizes and ten outstanding prizes awarded in the competition. Authors Cao Huy Hiep and Nguyen Ba Phuc conducted a sociological survey in Hanoi and Da Nang to understand the current state of awareness among Vietnamese youth regarding national sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. Based on data analysis and identifying the causes of this situation, the research paper proposes several solutions to further enhance the awareness of Vietnamese youth regarding national sovereignty over the sea and islands. A particularly noteworthy point in the paper is the risk of gradually "losing" sovereignty, starting from within the "consciousness" of the younger generation – the future owners of the country. Sharing his thoughts after the ceremony, student Cao Huy Hiep said he was very happy to receive the award and considered it an encouragement for his fellow students in their studies and research. Hiep also shared that they will continue to pursue this research direction in the future. The South China Sea Research Support Program was launched with the aim of promoting research to contribute to protecting Vietnam's sovereignty and interests in the South China Sea for Vietnamese students, trainees, and researchers both domestically and internationally. Over 60 research papers from more than 100 authors, both domestic and international, were submitted to the program, either individually or in research groups. The articles covered a diverse range of topics on the South China Sea from various perspectives, including history, law, international relations, maritime economics, national security and defense, education, maritime affairs, construction, and technology. The awards ceremony was attended by former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, along with leading scholars and researchers nationwide on the South China Sea, and the young award-winning authors.