Vietnamese students need to determine their mindset, responsibility towards the country

President Võ Văn Thưởng (centre) at the 11th National Congress of the Việt Nam National Union of Students in the 2023-28 tenure, held on Tuesday in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese students need to determine their mindset and responsibility towards the country, and together with the entire nation realise the aspiration to become a developed and high-income country by 2045.

President Võ Văn Thưởng made the statement when he attended the 11th National Congress of the Việt Nam National Union of Students in the 2023-28 tenure, held on Tuesday in Hà Nội.

Thưởng said that every Vietnamese student must understand that Vietnamese people had to go through long years of war, sacrificing the blood and bones of millions of people, to preserve the integrity of the country and gain the right to freedom and the right to pursue happiness, so that the country had peace, independence and freedom like today.

“The prerequisite for students to enter their career journey must be knowledge and dignity, along with the nation’s heroic historical traditions, the noble values of Vietnamese culture, the spirit of great righteousness and kindness of a nation that always loves peace, friendship and respect for other nations,” he said.

He also added that from being a colonial country, today Việt Nam has diplomatic relations with 193 countries. The country was a member of 70 regional and global organisations. It was also a bright spot in implementing the millennium development goals and steadily implementing the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

He added that those traditions and pride should be spread and deeply known by each student so that they could be confident when going out into the world.

Thưởng said that Vietnamese students were an important human resource serving the construction and defence of the nation.

“The Party and State always place deep faith in the youth and student force, identifying them as one of the important factors determining the future and destiny of the nation,” he said.

Therefore, the Party and State had issued many policies to educate and train students to become a loyal force, continuing the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation.

Thưởng also highly appreciated the Việt Nam National Union of Students in the past tenure for organising many creative and practical movements, gathering and uniting Vietnamese students, both domestically and abroad, to participate in building and protecting the country.

The ‘Student of Five Merits’ movement spread widely among students and society, contributing to improving the quality of training; better supported students, especially those in difficult circumstances; organised many volunteer campaigns to contribute to solving social problems.

The ‘Student of Five Merits’ movement means students with good morality, good study, good integration, good volunteerism and good physical condition.

However, he also said that the world and regional situation were developing complicatedly. After nearly 40 years of Đổi mới (Renovation), the country’s position and strength were constantly increasing but also faced many difficulties and challenges.

Thus, Vietnamese students, who had high education, full vitality, noble dreams and ambitions, had to determine their mindset and responsibility to the country, he said.

Thưởng told the Việt Nam National Union of Students to strive to become a close friend, taking care of the students’ personal needs, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of students, in order to help students reach the goals: “Strong identity – Rich in aspirations – Creating the future – Building the country”.

Speaking at the congress, Nguyễn Minh Triết, secretary of the Central Youth Union and president of the Việt Nam National Union of Students in the 2018-23 term, said during the past five years, with the spirit of “bravery, learning, creativity, volunteering, integration, development”, the student union had made efforts to overcome difficulties, gaining many important and comprehensive achievements.

According to Triết, the student union would continue to innovate, enhance its role and reputation; and make constant efforts to meet the legitimate needs and aspirations of students, determining to complete the mission entrusted it by the Party, State and people in the future.

Triết continued to be selected as President of the Việt Nam National Union of Students for the 2023-28 term at the solemn session of the 11th National Congress of the Việt Nam National Union of Students on Tuesday morning.

He said that was a great honour and a great task for him. — VNS