PV:How do you feel about becoming one of three representatives of Nghe An students to receive the Central January Star Award approved by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association?
Nguyen Nguyet Anh:January Star is a noble award of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association to honor the Student Association and Youth Union officials who have good achievements in studying, training and actively contributing to the work of the Union and the student movement. Personally, when I participate in the Union and the Association activities, I do not aim for the award but for my passion and love.
However, when I knew that I was recognized and awarded this title, I was extremely moved. Because this is a title that each student can only receive once in their lifetime. It is a motivation for me to continue studying and practicing during the remaining time of my student life and the following years of my youth.
Besides that honor, I am also aware of my responsibility to contribute to making the work of the Youth Union and student movement more and more practical.
PV:There are some students who still think that participating in Youth Union and Association activities is a "waste of time". What is your opinion?
Nguyen Nguyet Anh:That is a prejudice that is deeply ingrained in the minds of many people. But for me, that is not true. During my time as a student, I had many more opportunities to demonstrate the spirit of youth in volunteer, cultural and sports activities. Each volunteer program is an opportunity for me to experience, accumulate more life experiences and learn how to arrange time and organize work, which are very important skills besides professional knowledge.
The two most valuable things that the Youth Union activities have brought me are empathy for the unfortunate lives in society and the experiences and soft skills acquired after each volunteer program.
I still remember the past summer days, when I and my fellow students from Vinh University went to the border area of Tam Hop (Tuong Duong) to teach English to ethnic minority children. Witnessing the deprived lives of the students and people here gave me a new perspective on social security activities. Something that many students born and raised in comfortable conditions find hard to understand.
During our volunteering journey, we stayed at the dormitory of Tam Hop Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities located in Xop Nam village, Tam Hop commune (Tuong Duong). Understanding the lack of facilities, especially places to cook and wash clothes, the villagers wholeheartedly supported us.
I still remember that in the village, Uncle Hoi and Aunt Nga always cared for us and considered us as members of their family. Therefore, even though the volunteer trip ended and we returned to Vinh to study, that bond was still maintained. Everyone still jokingly called our group of volunteer students by a warm name: The group of adopted children of Uncle Hoi and Aunt Nga. It can be said that after those meaningful trips, we and the students were equipped with a new luggage, which is love for those in more difficult circumstances than us. That is something that no book or notebook has.
In addition, through communication, teamwork, and public speaking when participating in volunteer activities, I also gain confidence and the necessary soft skills. Although soft skills are not learned in school and are not related to professional knowledge, they determine who I am, how I work, and are a measure of my future work effectiveness. Especially when the world is increasingly integrated, people live and work in an open space with more binding relationships.
PV:The world is entering the fourth industrial revolution, also known as industry 4.0. This revolution will change the way people live, work and communicate in a completely new way. So, in your opinion, what should students do to not be left behind in this revolution?
Nguyen Nguyet Anh:In many forums of Nghe An youth, it seems that the issue of improving foreign language and information technology skills for union members and young people is always "hot" and receives great attention from everyone. Because in reality, many Nghe An students are very good at their majors, but because of their weak foreign language skills, they miss the opportunity to study abroad or work in environments that require this factor. In my opinion, foreign language is one of the "golden keys" that opens the door to success in the 4.0 digital era. Knowing another foreign language opens a new horizon. Knowing another foreign language, Nghe An youth have more opportunities to choose a career, and their income will certainly be better.
In addition, our province has issued a Resolution on digital transformation until 2025, with a vision to 2030, focusing on developing digital databases, creating a foundation for developing digital government, digital economy, and moving towards a digital society. This is one of the tasks and revolutionary solutions aimed at achieving the comprehensive goals according to the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress. And Nghe An youth are identified as the pioneering force in this revolution.
Right now, we students must prepare ourselves to be ready to participate in the 4.0 industrial revolution, to update ourselves with new knowledge, techniques, new technologies and master foreign languages. Because that is the factor that connects people to people, connects this culture to other cultures, connects this nation to other nations. Good foreign language and IT skills will help students open the door to the new world and grasp many great opportunities for themselves. Especially when more and more foreign enterprises choose Nghe An as an investment destination.
PV:As a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Student Association, a member of the Standing Committee of the School Youth Union, President of the Student Association of Vinh University, Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Secretary of the Youth Union of class 61A1, what have you done and will do to support students in their studies and training? At the same time, improve the quality of Youth Union activities in the school?
Nguyen Nguyet Anh:I think if I want to support students well and want students to have the spirit of self-development, I have to be a role model myself. For example, if I want to promote the movement of learning English among students, I have to be a person who studies every day and can use English. So, the first thing I do is to keep myself thinking of self-development every day to spread the spirit of learning among students.
Besides, as an association officer, I need to understand the working procedures and regulations so that when students have questions, I can answer them. Regarding improving the quality of Union activities, I, as well as the Student Union Secretariat and the School Union Executive Committee, always worry about how to organize activities that are interesting and useful for students' future work. Activities need to be interwoven with both entertainment and expertise. I often follow and learn about the association activities of students at other schools, so that I can apply, innovate, diversify models, and build operating procedures for students. In particular, during this time, when Vinh University has announced its mission and vision, striving to become a smart university, ranked in the top 500 universities in Asia by 2030 and the top 1,000 universities in the world by 2045, the importance of activities for union members, youth and students is extremely important. Activities are gradually internationalized, and quality requirements are increasingly higher. This is both an opportunity and a challenge for me as well as the Union and Association officials of the whole school.
I believe those goals will come true, because family, teachers and friends who are "comrades" in the association's work have always been a source of encouragement and support for us to move forward together!
PV:Thanks for this chat!
