Day: November 18, 2021

The Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMA) on November 17 held a Vietnam symposium on sustainable development governance in the context of COVID-19 pandemic in both online and in-person formats in Vietnam and several countries.

This was an activity within the framework of the Leadership and Policy Reform Forum organised by the HCMA’s Institute for Leadership and Public Policy and the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global) biennially.

HCMA Deputy Director Le Van Loi said that sustainable development is a consistent policy of the Vietnamese Party and State since the Doi Moi (Renewal) process started. Vietnam has nationalised the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into a National Action Plan with 17 general and 115 specific goals in line with the conditions and development priorities of the country.

Participants focused on discussing the identification and analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of countries; clarifying the relationship between the crisis and sustainable development; studying models and mechanisms of national governance, international governance and international cooperation, as well as socio-economic recovery solutions to ensure post-pandemic sustainable development.

HCMA Deputy Director Duong Trung Y said that addressing challenges caused by crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensuring sustainable development are the responsibility of the whole society. This needs attention from leaders, managers, authorities, communities and people, in which scientists play a very important role.

Governments need to work closely together to overcome the pandemic, restore production, and ensure sustainable development goals, he stressed.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Vietnam Education Conference (VEC) slated for November 21 will take a look at the school culture amid education-training reforms, heard a media briefing of the organisers held in Hanoi on November 18.

The event will be jointly held by the National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for Culture and Education, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The general session will touch on school culture from State management agencies’ viewpoints; Vietnamese and foreign experts’ opinions on the issue; and challenges, policy recommendations and solutions.

The VEC will also scrutinise school culture and its relations with internal and external factors, and in the context of digital transformation and integration.

More than 200 reports by scholars at home and abroad have been sent to the organising board.

Since 2017, the annual conference has offered a forum for NA deputies, domestic and foreign experts, and educators to share experience and discuss education-training issues and put forward solutions, mechanisms and policies for effective implementation, said standing member of the NA Committee for Culture and Education Do Chi Nghia.

In over the past 10 years, the educational sector has rolled out a number of campaigns to build a healthy pedagogical environment, raise students’ awareness and improve teaching and learning quality.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on November 18 attended a ceremony held by the Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE) to mark the establishment’s 70th founding anniversary (October 11, 1951 – 2021) and receive the first-class Labour Order for the second time.

Appreciating the university’s contribution to the country, Phuc expressed his wish that as a key national pedagogical university, the HNUE will make quick and strong adaptation to equip students with new skills and knowledge required by the current era, when the COVID-19 pandemic forces countries to completely reshape the way they work and study.

Priority should also be given to developing the teaching staff in both quantity and quality, he stressed.

The State leader urged the Ministry of Education and Training and related ministries and sectors to well implement the planning of the network of universities and colleges, especially pedagogical colleges and universities.

For students, the President said that online learning during the current complicated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic will have certain effects, but these are only short-term difficulties. He expressed his wish that the students would study well to be worthy of the teaching profession – “the noblest among noble professions”.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

South Asia’s linkages with East and Southeast Asia in the past and at present come under spotlight at the 4th Asian Consortium of South Asian Studies (ACSAS) conference held via video teleconference on November 18 – 19.

Held by the Institute for Indian and Southwest Asian Studies (VIISAS) under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), the event provided a forum for scholars to explore ways to expand and promote South Asia’s linkages with East and Southeast Asia for better integration and shared prosperity in Asia.

In his opening remarks, VIISAS Deputy Director-General in-charge Dr. Pham Cao Cuong said as Asia is rising, it is important to initiate ways to tighten the inter-regional connectivity, creating infrastructure for greater political, economic and social interactions.

In the Asian Century, linking South Asia – a region of less integration in the world map – with the developed East Asia and dynamic Southeast Asia is viewed as a driver for accelerating Asia’s integration, he said.

The conference featured three main sessions, namely “Connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia: Integration and Cooperation,” “Factors affecting the connection between South Asia and Southeast Asia,” and “Connecting culture, religion and people between South Asia and Southeast Asia.”

The discussions aimed to identify the historical and current linkages between South Asia and East – Southeast Asia, thereby exploring strategies to optimize the potential of regional integration and development; conceptualize the formal and informal linkages between South and East-Southeast Asia; and promoting sub-regional economic networks and framework between South and East-Southeast Asia, such as Mekong-Ganga Cooperation and ASEAN Plus.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education and the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee’s Ideological Department held an online talk on November 18 to discuss further tightening ties between the two Parties and nations, as well as share experience in ideology work and Party building.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the commission Nguyen Trong Nghia underlined the special traditional friendship between the two nations, saying that the organisation of the talk at this point of time reflects the determination to further deepen the fraternal solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust between the two Parties, States and peoples of Vietnam and Cuba.

He shared experience in Party building in the aspect of ideology, which he said the CPV always attaches importance to ideological work. He also highlighted two tasks of enhancing the Party’s theoretical work and studying the contents in documents of the 13th National Party Congress.

Participants at the event looked into how to improve the quality of studies and consultations on ideological work and Party building, protect the Party’s ideological foundation amid the fourth industrial revolution, and use technological advances in fighting and refuting wrongful and hostile opinions in the new situation.

They agreed to further boost cooperation in fields of strength, contributing to boosting ties between the two Parties and diversifying forms of collaboration amid the pandemic.

Nghia also took the occasion to invite Rogelio Polanco, Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and head of the department to Vietnam when conditions allow.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s chapter in Ho Chi Minh City on November 18 held a requiem for Vietnamese who died of the COVID-19 in order to show gratitude to the frontline forces in the fight against the pandemic and help ease the pain of the victims’ relatives and families.

The virtual ceremony included the Buddhist rituals of praying, offering incense and chanting.

Vice Chairman of the Council Thich Le Trang said COVID-19 has caused great pain and losses for the humanity in the world and in Vietnam. The requiem, in response the call of the State, was held to send peaceful energy to the deceased as well as to soothe and warm the hearts of their relatives, he added.

Echoing the view, Chairwoman of the municipal Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee To Thi Bich Chau said the event also calls on people to raise vigilance against the epidemic.

HCM City: Grand requiem held for deceased victims of COVID-19 hinh anh 2

At 8:35 pm on November 19, Buddhist pagodas and establishments in HCM City will ring their bells, light candles, offer incense, and pray for those who died of COVID-19 at the same time with a national requiem to be co-organised by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the municipal Party Committee.

More than 23,180 people in Vietnam, including over 17,260 in the city, had died due to the pandemic by November 15.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang, on November 18, talked about some information related to citizen protection work and other international issues of public concern.

At the ministry’s regular press conference taking place virtually on the day, Hang affirmed the achievements that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese people have made over the past 100 years are enormous and impressive.

She hoped that under the CPC leadership, the Chinese people will continue to obtain greater victories on their path of development, and make positive contributions to peace, stability and properous development in the region and the world.

Commenting on the US-China relations, the diplomat said that Vietnam pays attention to and follows developments of international relations in the region and in the world.

Vietnam wishes that China and the US will maintain cooperation and dialogue, promote their important role, make positive contributions to regional and global peace, security, stability, cooperation and prosperity, and sustain cooperation with and respect ASEAN’s centrality in an evolving regional architecture.

Regarding information about Vietnamese workers in Serbia being beaten and assaulted, Hang said: “We have just contacted the Vietnamese Embassy in Romania, concurrently in Serbia, and learned that the embassy had received information from several Serbian press agencies.” It is working to verify the information, firstly via contacting the workers in Serbia, labour export companies, and relevant local authorities, she added.

Initial information from the embassy showed that no Vietnamese workers were assaulted or beaten. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the embassy to continue to grasp the situation and contact local competent agencies to verify the information and take measures to protect the rights and interests of Vietnamese citizens and workers in Serbia, thereby ensuring their safety.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnam has shown its resolute objection to Taiwan’s military exercises in the territorial waters around Ba Binh island belonging to Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, and demanded Taiwan to end those actions and not to repeat them in the future, Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has said.

At the ministry’s regular press briefing held online on November 18, Hang reiterated the country’s viewpoint that Vietnam has sufficient legal grounds and historical evidence to affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa archipelagoes that is in line with international law.

She said any patrol or military exercise by Taiwan in the territorial waters around Ba Binh island of Truong Sa archipelago seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty over this archipelago; threatens peace, stability, safety and security of navigation; causes tensions; and complicates the East Sea situation.

Vietnam resolutely objects to and demands Taiwan end the above-mentioned activities and not repeat them in the future, Hang stressed.

Regarding the report that the Philippines accused China of blocking its supply ships in the East Sea, the spokeswoman said Vietnam’s stance on the sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, as well as the East Sea issue as a whole, is clear and consistent.

Vietnam calls on the parties concerned to comply with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in every activity in the East Sea, and not take any action that may complicate the situation so as to help maintain peace, security, stability, and legal order at sea in the region, she added.

Source: Vietnam News Agency