Vietnamese student’s journey to knowledge, community service
His story is a vivid testament to the determination, resilience and aspirations of the younger generation in the era of integration, as he strives to expand his knowledge and contribute to the community.
Le Minh Hieu, a 12th grader of Quang Tri High School in the central province of the same name. (Photo: VNA)
Quang Tri (VNA) – ꦦLe Minh Hieu, a 12th grader of Quang Tri High School in the central province of the same name, has been named one of 16 young delegates representing Vietnam at the 49th Ship for South-East Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) next year. His story is a vivid testament to the determination, resilience and aspirations of the younger generation in the era of integration, as he strives to expand his knowledge and contribute to the community.
Born and raised in Quang Tri ward, Hieu began attending advanced English classes from the fourth grade. He is also an active member of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, enthusiastically participating in volunteer work, start-up initiatives, scientific research, and cultural exchange activities in his locality.
This year, Hieu and a friend jointly developed a project titled “Self-propelled wheelchair supporting people with hemiplegic amyotrophy in mobility and communication,” which won a first prize at the national science and technology contest. The Ministry of Education and Training selected the project as one of Vietnam’s nine entries to the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in May in Ohio, the US, where the pair achieved a fourth place overall.
Hieu recalled that he first learned about SSEAYP in the 10th grade through social media. The programme’s combination of cultural exchange, skills development and international networking immediately appealed to him. Although he was too young to apply at the time, he began honing his knowledge, improving his English, and accumulating achievements to pursue this goal.
When he finally met the eligibility criteria, Hieu submitted an application showcasing an impressive record and a personal essay emphasising his sense of community responsibility. In the application, he expressed a strong desire to contribute to fostering friendship between young people from Vietnam, other ASEAN member states, and Japan.
For the talent segment of the selection process, instead of performing a traditional item, Hieu chose to blend technology and culture by creating a digital application to generate chord arrangements for a song about Vietnam. “As I could not bring a guitar with me, I wrote code to create the chords. I also designed software that transforms images into 3D pictures bearing the Vietnamese flag. Through this, I wanted to present to international friends a country that is friendly, innovative, and rich in cultural identity,” he explained.
Hieu is an active member of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, enthusiastically participating in volunteer work, start-up initiatives, scientific research, and cultural exchange activities in his locality. (Photo: VNA)
SSEAYP is an annual youth exchange programme organised by the Government of Japan in cooperation with ASEAN member states since 1974, aimed at enhancing mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation among young people in the region. The 49th programme is scheduled to take place from January 15 to February 17, 2026, aboard the Nippon Maru, travelling from Japan to Singapore and Thailand. Delegates will pay courtesy calls on government leaders of the host countries, visit institutions, schools and landmarks, engage with local youth, and experience local cultures.
As the sole representative from Quang Tri, Hieu carries both pride and a special sense of responsibility. He is actively preparing his onboard presentations, with a focus on portraying the image of Vietnam and its people, as well as his place of birth – a land of heroic tradition, scholarly spirit, and strong potential for integration.
“I have prepared small gifts bearing the imprint of my hometown, such as keyrings featuring the local Hien Luong bridge and ancient citadel, jungle hats with the Vietnamese flag, and tourist maps of Quang Tri. I am also planning to create a multimedia presentation combining music and virtual reality images to introduce Quang Tri,” Hieu said./.
Vietnam officially joined the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) in 1996, one year after its accession to ASEAN. The programme offers a unique platform for Vietnamese youth to broaden their horizons, sharpen their skills, and present a dynamic, forward-looking image of the younger Vietnamese generation to the international community.
Themed “Global young Vietnamese intellectuals contribute to the nation’s advancement into a new era,” the sixth Global Forum for Young Vietnamese Intellectuals created a multi-dimensional dialogue platform where young intellectuals shared ideas and jointly outlined new directions in key areas such as science and technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, education, health care, smart agriculture, climate change, and digital transformation.
On the evening of March 23, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, in collaboration with the Vietnam Young Talent Support Fund and Vietnam Television, hosted the award ceremony for the Outstanding Young Vietnamese of 2024. From 159 nominations across 55 organisations nationwide, the award council selected 10 exceptional young individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in various fields, including academics, scientific research and innovation, labour and manufacturing, business and entrepreneurship, national defence, public security, sports, social work, and arts and culture.
From 12:00 on August 17 until the conclusion of the programme, all vehicles – except those with security badges, police and military vehicles, and other priority vehicles as prescribed by law – will be prohibited from travelling on Le Quang Dao street (from Me Tri to My Dinh National Stadium Square) and Le Duc Tho street (from Tran Huu Duc to the My Dinh National Stadium Square).
Within just 48 hours, contributions were said to have exceeded 200% of the initial goal, surpassing 130 billion VND, reflecting the special place Cuba holds in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.
At the launching ceremony, hundreds of thousands of participants nationwide, donning red shirts with yellow stars, joined in the flag-raising ceremony at Ba Dinh Square in person and virtually, sang the national anthem in unison, and began walking in their localities. In the capital alone, tens of thousands gathered around Hoan Kiem Lake as early as 5 am.
The PM underlined that the programme to build 1 million social housing units by 2030 is a major and humane policy of the Party and State to ensure progress, justice, and social welfare, ensuring that “no one is left behind.”
Along with the investment of the State, and the helping hand of the whole society, the country has completed the building of houses for people with meritorious services to the revolution and are effectively eliminating temporary and dilapidated houses nationwide, completing the programme five years earlier than the original target, the PM noted.
The CAAV director said in a document that all Vietnamese airlines must tightly monitor their sales agents' ticketing activities, track booking trends and ticket sales to adjust operational plans, and add services on high-demand routes, especially those to and from Hanoi.
Through the perspectives of multiple artists, with diverse and vivid styles and visual languages, the artworks on display portray those who quietly devoted their youth, energy, and even lives to defending and building the nation.
Hanoi authorities and relevant agencies were told to uphold a strong sense of responsibility, work urgently, and coordinate closely with the steering committee to fulfil all assigned tasks, ensuring the event’s success, absolute safety, and no errors.
More than 100 local fishermen, fishing boat owners, and seafood traders from Cua Tung commune attended the event, which provided information on the Law of the Sea of Vietnam, the Fisheries Law, and relevant directives, resolutions, and regulations issued by the Government, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on IUU fishing prevention and sustainable offshore operations.
NLV Director Nguyen Xuan Dung described the month-long exhibition as a bridge between the past and the present, designed to keep the history alive and inspire future generations. The displays guide visitors on a wild ride, from the historic autumn of 1945 to Vietnam’s present-day achievements.
Cambodian authorities on August 15 handed over 353 citizens, identified by Cambodia as illegal residents, to the Border Guard Station at Xa Mat International Border Gate in the southern province of Tay Ninh.
Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan said the 250 projects to be launched and inaugurated on August 19 are projected to contribute over 18% of national GDP in 2025 and more than 20% in the following years. State-funded works will provide strategic infrastructure frameworks to attract and guide private investment.
Hanoi municipal police on August 14 issued a special arrest warrant for Doan Bao Chau, a well-known karate instructor, for making, storing, disseminating or spreading information, documents and materials aimed at opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Local fishers are moving away from traditional fishing practices, strictly following offshore fishing regulations, logging each trip, and keeping monitoring equipment active at sea. Most vessels now report departures and returns on time, enabling closer oversight.
The bomb was discovered on June 14 during construction of an anti-erosion embankment along the Se Pon River, less than 70 metres from the border marker. It measured 1.54 metres in length and 274mm in diameter.
Jointly organised by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, the event served as a Track 2 dialogue between two leading academic institutions on the East Sea. It aimed to explore innovative ideas for building trust and promoting bilateral collaboration.
Over the past year, the Party and State have paid special attention to preserving and promoting Vietnamese abroad through supportive policies, book donations, teacher training, and the application of technology in teaching.
The 25th Vietnam International Mathematics Competition – VIMC 2025 will take place from August 14-19 in the central coastal city of Da Nang, with the participation of 526 contestants from 31 countries and territories.
Vietnam should adopt a comprehensive, multi-sectoral approach to addressing violence against women and children, particularly in the context of natural disasters and crises.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam has suffered more than 17,600 fires over the past five years, leaving 560 dead, 606 injured, and around 4 trillion VND (153.8 million USD) in damage.
