On the morning of November 17, 2011, as part of his state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Truong Tan Sang, the Governor General of Canada, David Lloyd Johnston, visited the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and attended a seminar on "Multiculturalism" at the University.Attending the seminar were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh, Rector of the University; Governor General David Johnston; Ms. Deborah Chatsis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Vietnam; Mr. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Canadian Universities and Colleges; Mr. John R. McDougall, President of the National Research Council of Canada; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc, Vice Director of Hanoi National University; and numerous officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, as well as 300 students from the Faculty of International Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Faculty of Journalism, Faculty of Tourism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Diplomatic Academy of Hanoi, University of Law, and a group of Canadian student volunteers currently working in Hoa Binh.
On behalf of the faculty and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh - Rector - expressed his honor to welcome Governor-General David Johnston and other distinguished guests from Canada to visit the university. The Rector emphasized that the visit of the Canadian Governor-General to Vietnam and the University is a vivid manifestation of the good relationship between the governments and people of the two countries. As a leading training center in Vietnam, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi annually sends hundreds of faculty and students abroad for scientific exchange and receives a similar number of foreign teachers and students to visit and work at the university. Particularly in research and teaching programs, the University advocates expanding and strengthening cooperation with countries with strong educational systems to study and learn from the experiences of nations around the world. In addition to the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam, the University also has cooperative relationships with many prestigious Canadian universities: the University of Toronto, Monreal University, the University of Ottawa, Abitibi Temiscamin University, etc. Through cooperative activities in training and science, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and its Canadian partner universities actively contribute to building and developing friendly relations between the two countries in general, and building and developing the field of American studies, including Canadian studies.
Governor General of Canada David Lloyd Johnston sincerely thanked the leaders, staff, scientists, lecturers, and students of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation. The Governor General stated that he was honored to be present at Vietnam's leading higher education institution. For many years, Canada has enjoyed a good relationship with Vietnam in various fields, especially culture and education, as evidenced by the close ties between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and many Canadian universities. Mr. David Lloyd Johnston affirmed that, given Canada's knowledge policy, cooperation between Vietnamese universities and Canadian universities through the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam will contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two countries and looking towards a brighter future.
The Governor General highly appreciated the Vietnamese community in Canada. He stated that the Vietnamese community in Canada is very dynamic, with Canada being home to 250,000 Vietnamese-Canadians, and that the Vietnamese community has contributed significantly to Canada's socio-economic development. Vietnam also has a large number of students studying in Canada. On this occasion, to recognize their positive contributions to the friendly cooperative relationship between Vietnam and Canada, Governor General David Lloyd Johnston awarded medals to two individuals: Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh (Head of the Department of International Studies - University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoi (former Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada, 2002-2006). Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh is a scholar who has participated in cooperation programs with the Canadian Embassy, inviting Vietnamese universities to participate in research programs on Canada… making a special contribution to cultural and educational relations between the two countries.
Canada is a developed country, a member of the G8 and G20. It is a large country, the second largest in the world by area, and has the eighth largest economy in the world. Canada is a world leader in high-tech industries, biotechnology, environmental science, and software.
