fostering the love of Vietnamese culture for Lao students
On December 14, 2025 - Department of Communication and Foreign Culture and the Lao student delegation of the Diplomatic Academy, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized the Vietnam - Laos Student Cultural Exchange Festival (Lao Sao Fest).
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to Vietnam, Ms. Khamphao Ernthavanh, said that over the past time, Vietnam has supported Laos a lot in implementing socio-economic development plans through each stage, especially helping to train human resources at all levels and sectors from the pre- released period to the present and in increasing quantity.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Dong, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy, said that the cultural exchange festival will create conditions and opportunities for students of the two countries to love, recognize and understand the fine cultures of the two countries.
He hopes that through the event, Lao students in Vietnam will increasingly connect with Vietnamese students, together building a new future for the relationship between the two countries.
Phetnakhone Soulivongsack Head of the Lao Student Volunteer Union of the Diplomatic Academy affirmed that through today's event, each student is more aware of the responsibility of Lao - Vietnamese youth, inheriting the tradition of their father, promoting the spirit of solidarity and developing the relationship between the two countries.
For every Lao international student like me, studying in Vietnam is a great honor. We are not only equipped with professional knowledge and vocational skills but also receive the attention and sharing of Vietnamese teachers and students. This makes us feel that Vietnam is truly our second homeland, said Phetnakhone Soulivongsack.
Students practice "real-life" experience
In addition to cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Laos, the festival also has many meanings for Vietnamese students when they are given full rights, from the stage of developing ideas, calling for sponsorship, organizing, and operating events...
Pham Anh Duc - a 3rd year student, Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy - head of the organizing committee, and his friends have been implementing the program for more than a month.
Duc's team applied the theoretical knowledge learned in practice, operating the entire event under the supervision and guidance of the teaching staff.
"I feel proud to have experienced the operation of an event right on my school chair. The working process also helps us better understand the culture of your country" - Duc said.
Dr. Nguyen Dong Anh - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy said that at the academy, hands-on activities are considered an important criterion to evaluate students' learning outcomes.
Students can start participating in the Academy's event activities from their second year, as volunteers or collaborators. In the third and fourth years, when they have accumulated enough knowledge and skills, they are assigned to take on the main role in managing and organizing large-scale events with a high level of interaction, under the guidance and supervision of lecturers in charge of the lesson.
"Early exposure to real work, real partners and practical professional requirements helps students be able to work right after graduation, and be more confident when entering the labor market" - Dr. Nguyen Dong Anh said.
