Creating and promoting the values ​​of new-age student identity

On the occasion of the Traditional Day of Students (January 9), Nghe An Newspaper had a conversation with student Phan Thi Hoai Thuong (born 2003) - Vice President of the Student Association of Nghe An Pedagogical College, Member of the Secretariat of the Student Association of Nghe An province, Member of the Executive Committee of the Central Vietnam Student Association.

PV:The Congress of the Vietnam Student Association for the 2023-2028 term clearly stated the slogan of action: “Vietnamese students have a strong identity - are rich in aspirations - create the future - build the country”. In your opinion, how should the mentioned factor of “identity” of students be understood correctly? Why is it placed at the top of the slogan of action for a term?

Phan Thi Hoai Thuong:An American journalist once said: “When I came to Vietnam, I didn’t expect to see vibrant hip hop performances on the street, nor was I interested in enjoying fried chicken and fast food. What I wanted to see was the unique characteristics of your country.” When I heard that, I thought a lot about my own identity, or more broadly, that of the student population in general.

Because, there is a current reality that many young people are not interested in the historical and traditional cultural values ​​of the nation, gradually losing the good customs and traditions and being indifferent and lacking understanding of the good traditional values ​​of the place where they were born. In fact, that is also one of the issues that the Vietnam Student Association has been very concerned about in recent times.

Therefore, at the 11th Congress of the Vietnam Student Association, term 2023-2028, Ms. Ho Hong Nguyen - Permanent Vice President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association affirmed that the identity factor is extremely important. It helps students to "integrate but not dissolve". Vietnamese students on the basis of their unique personal imprint will contribute positively to the overall development of the country.

Analyzing more clearly in terms of the identity of new-age students, the basic factors identified include: Connection with national cultural roots along with knowledge, creativity, pioneering spirit and critical thinking. This will create a fulcrum to build endogenous strength in the process of deep integration, facing challenges in the context of globalization.

Students with a strong identity will know how to select and absorb useful information, thereby developing their knowledge and skills systematically. They are not only consumers of knowledge but also creators of value, contributing to the development of the community and the country.

Therefore, identity is not only about preserving cultural heritage in a rigid way but also about connecting and developing to create spiritual resources, which is the foundation to help Vietnamese students integrate effectively and develop themselves in depth.

In Nghe An, students are always proud of their hometown, a locality with a long history of formation and development, rich in revolutionary traditions and studious spirit. From that pride, Nghe An students always strive to compete and practice to highlight the qualities of "diligence" and "studiousness" - virtues that are considered to be the traditions of Nghe people for generations.

Along with that, in the heroic Soviet homeland, the generation of Nghe An students always tries to live responsibly towards the country, firmly believing in the revolutionary ideal. That is also the motivation that pushes me to participate in the "Light of the Way" contest organized by Nghe An Provincial Youth Union and win the Encouragement Prize.

At the same time, in the common development of the province, you and your friends not only have to master the history and culture of the nation but also have to strive to keep up with the digital transformation, improve your foreign language and IT skills to meet the increasing demands of society.

PV:As Vice President of the Student Union of Nghe An Pedagogical College, member of the Provincial Student Union Secretariat, member of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Student Union, what do you think the Student Union needs to do to support students to "maintain their identity" in the context of global integration?

Phan Thi Hoai Thuong:It can be said that the Association's work programs and student movements are ideal environments to help students identify and promote the good values ​​of personal identity.

In the current context, all levels of the Vietnam Student Association in general and Nghe An in particular are making efforts to create many programs of activities on the origin, competitions, seminars... on issues of national history and culture. Not only in theory, organizing practical experience activities has helped students better understand national identity and arouse pride and inspiration with good values ​​of life.

Student Associations at all levels need to continue to effectively maintain propaganda programs on the good values ​​of the socialist regime, the Party's revolutionary ideals, the country's and people's goals and aspirations. At the same time, they should increase creative, lively, and psychologically appropriate ways to help students easily access and love social sciences and humanities, the core of which is the system of political theory knowledge such as infographics, short clips, plays, etc.

In particular, in the context of the development of social networks, many students are beginning to show signs of "lack of resistance" against hostile forces, so the issue of "cultivating ideals" in students is very important. Therefore, the Association at all levels has also made efforts to organize forums and exchanges with experts related to "Young people and behavior in cyberspace".

Thereby, grasping students' trends, at the same time propagating to help students understand the Law on Cyber ​​Security, behaviors that go against the nation's ethics, traditions, and customs... to preserve the "truth - goodness - beauty" identity of Vietnamese students in general, and Nghe An in particular.

In addition, organizing and attracting students to participate in extracurricular activities with foreign students, in Nghe An there are Laotian students, Thai students also creates opportunities for students to broaden their vision and knowledge, at the same time introducing Vietnamese culture to the world. From there, students understand and appreciate the cultural values ​​of their nation more.

All these efforts not only help students preserve their individual identity but also help them become global citizens with a more comprehensive vision and understanding.

PV:It can be said that the “5 Good Students” movement has always been considered the main backbone of the student movement. In your opinion, in the new situation, does this movement need any additions to adapt to changes in society and create the premise for “5 Good Students” to be more highly recognized in the labor market?

Phan Thi Hoai Thuong:The “5 Good Students” movement has contributed to building a comprehensive student class, contributing high-quality young human resources to the country. I myself am also a “5 Good Students” at the provincial level, so I understand that achieving this title is very difficult, requiring training in 5 criteria: “Good ethics - Good study - Good physical strength - Good volunteering - Good integration”.

However, in the new context when the country is moving into the digital revolution, the digital capacity factor should be considered to supplement. It could be more proficient and agile in using digital tools such as computers, smartphones, social networks and advanced application and software platforms. Or the ability to analyze and think critically to evaluate and process a huge amount of information that one must access for future work.

Early equipping and enhancing digital capacity for students will create experiences, habits, and behaviors related to digital technologies from daily life to learning, research, and work. Thanks to that, students will easily integrate into the digital transformation ecosystems of businesses and units after graduation.

Along with that, when the Gen Z student generation is increasingly large with many new personalities, movements should also add youthfulness and modernity on the basis of promoting traditional values, not being stereotyped or mechanical.

As for the issue of how to make the labor market appreciate the “5 Good Students” more after being recognized, I think that is the concern of many students. Because, although being recognized and honored at all levels from school to provincial level, the policies and solutions for the “5 Good Students” after graduating and after receiving this title have not received much attention.

Therefore, I think there should be a policy to introduce "5 Good Students" to units in need of human resources. For example, introduce to local authorities, agencies and training programs so that they can grasp the human resources of "5 Good Students".

At the same time, for students, the Association at all levels also needs to approach and introduce local source cadre projects to motivate students to strive. In addition, it is necessary to disseminate to students the standards that businesses need to have to turn it into one of the scales to evaluate students' capacity during their university studies.

PV:Talking about the role and responsibilities of students, many people assert: "Students only need to study well and practice well, volunteer activities are not necessary". What is your opinion on this statement?

Phan Thi Hoai Thuong:College is not just about the hours spent in the classroom. College also offers many opportunities for students to gain real-world experience. And one of the ways to get these lessons is through volunteering.

Besides students who devote all their time to studying and their personal lives, on the other hand, many students still maintain good academic performance but have done a lot of humanitarian work for the community and society.

Remember when Nghe An was struggling to fight the Covid-19 epidemic, many medical students volunteered to coordinate with the authorities to fight the epidemic, which moved many people. Or pedagogical students did not hesitate to go to remote areas to teach children for free. Engineering students worked together to repair "Light up the countryside" projects, or together built roads and playgrounds for children.

Those contributions bring love to the difficult land of the province. And add to the kindness in the hearts of students that no books can replace.

In addition to helping the community, volunteering is also a way to help students themselves. As a Student Union officer at all levels, having had contact with many generations of students, I have noticed that students who both study well and actively participate in volunteer activities are always mature, sociable and quick in behavior and lifestyle. They have the ability to work effectively in groups as well as have skills in time management, work management, planning, projects... much better than those who only focus on studying.

These are important factors for a student to be able to find a good job after graduation. Therefore, in my opinion, every student should participate in at least one volunteer activity. To help yourself grow and mature after each journey of youth!

PV:Thanks for the chat!

Phan Thi Hoai Thuong (born 2003) - Student of class K43D, Faculty of Preschool Education, Nghe An Pedagogical College is currently Vice President of the Student Association of Nghe An Pedagogical College, Member of the Secretariat of the Nghe An Provincial Student Association, Member of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Student Association.

Outstanding achievements: Excellent student of the 2022-2023 school year; Certificate of Merit from the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Student Association for outstanding achievements in association work and student movements in the 2022-2023 school year; Certificate of Merit from the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Nghe An province for outstanding achievements in union work and school youth movements in the 2022-2023 school year; Title of "5 Good Students" at the provincial level in 2022; Encouragement Prize of the "Light of the Way" Contest in 2023 of Nghe An province...