Beautiful images of Vietnamese youth in Europe to be built up

Young intellectuals representing the Union of Vietnamese Youth and Students Associations in Europe welcome the visit of National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue at the Belgian military airport, September 2021. (Photo: provided by the interviewee)

Last September, the Union of Vietnamese Youth and Students in Europe was established. As the first Chairwoman, could you share the significance of this event?

It can be said that the birth of the Union is the outcome of the formation of youth clubs and student associations in the 1990s (in France, the Czech Republic and Poland), the 2000s (in Hungary, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands and Belgium) and during the past 10 years (in Germany, Austria, and Italy).

After many events and activities full of solidarity and cohesion, the programs and movements of young people and students of different generations in Europe have formed a strong connection channel.

Following that process of development, with the support of the Union of Vietnamese Expat Associations in Europe, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the Vietnamese community in host countries as well as from ministries, departments and related sectors, the Union of Vietnamese Youth and Student Associations in Europe was officially established after nearly two years of " incubation".

The Union was born with the desire to bridge, gather and unite the Vietnamese young people and overseas Vietnamese students in Europe to support each other, integrate deeply in the host country and have more activities towards the homeland.

What are the outstanding plans that the Union will implement in the coming time to help young Vietnamese people integrate in the best way, as well as preserve the culture and actively promote the image of Viet Nam abroad?

Our outstanding plans in the near future are to build an innovation network in Europe, successfully organize the Europe-wide Vietnam Young Initiative Forum - InnoCity 2021 with the Vietnamese Student Association in the Netherlands and the Camping Festival Vietnamese Youth and Students in Europe, specifically in Germany in 2022.

In addition, we want to establish a platform for employment opportunities, organize events and training courses for young people, students from young intellectuals, conduct cultural exchanges, culture tours and cuisine fiestas in European countries, in coordination with associations and businesses that also participate in integral activities, preserving and developing the Vietnamese culture.

President of the Union of Vietnamese Youth and Students in Europe Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh. (Photo: provided by the interviewee)

The European countries are always an ideal environment for learning and career development, cherished by many young Vietnamese students. What will the Union of Associations do to enable the connection and promotion of the power of this intellectual resource?

In a spirit of solidarity, the Union now has members from all over Europe. Each country represents itself as an important bridgehead to carry out joint activities. We will also work closely with youth associations and students in other countries to develop programs with relevance to the condition of each country.

In addition to direct support or organizing the event to exchange experiences and knowledge, the Union also connects, supports the learning and finds career opportunities to best help Vietnamese students in Europe.

Moreover, communication channels between youth associations and students and the Union of Youth Associations will contribute to better understanding and deepening the need to share experiences and promote resources of the youth and students in each country.

You are living in the Czech Republic and also act as the Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Student Association here. Is it right?

Right! I came to the Czech Republic at a young age, I attended secondary school, graduated from university, and got married here. Perhaps, as a fate, I joined the youth and student activities very early and has been holding the position of Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Student Association in the Czech Republic for many years.

I look forward to sharing with young people here my life experiences, creating connections between second and third generations of young people and international students to support each other. Especially, it is to help people find empathetic partners who can confide themselves to reduce the incongruence of life, far away from home.

With such a long time of undertaking the association, then the activities in the youth and student movement must have brought about meaningful indications to you?

Living and working in the Czech Republic, I have been now and then burdened with nostalgia, especially when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out.

It has been almost two years since I have not been able to see my hometown, I am always anxious to return to my mother's side soon, to enjoy the dishes cooked by mum and to sit on the back of her bicycle to inhale the familiar flavors attached to my childhood.

It is the nostalgia for my family and homeland that has motivated me to participate in many activities to connect the pupils, students and Vietnamese who are working here.

In the past, we have organized many activities such as the Vietnam Youth Camp in Europe, career orientation activities to promote the Vietnamese culture to the local natives.

Vietnamese expatriates in the Czech Republic gave essential supplies to medical staff and doctors at Motol Prague hospital during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: provided by the interviewee)

In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, we and many young people participated in meaningful activities to raise funds to send back to Vietnam.

What remained most in my mind is when doing programs for young people we have the smiles, the tears and the lingering feeling that bond the people together so that they do not want to leave after the event is over.

I know, there are many young people who have gradually gotten rid of loneliness and difficulties in foreign countries and come back to support us. Thereby, I could clearly see more the cohesion of the Vietnamese community abroad and know that, wherever I am, the two syllabeled word ​​of “homeland” is always engraved in the heart of every Vietnamese person.

What do you think about the importance of building a beautiful image of young Vietnamese abroad?

In my opinion, young Vietnamese living abroad first have the task of integrating, studying, researching and working well to affirm their good position with the local people.

In the modern 4.0 era, young Vietnamese in Europe must always be proactive in accessing the world technology and knowledge. In addition, it is necessary to uphold the preservation of national identity when living and studying in the host country.

Particularly, each individual intellectual, Vietnamese, and young Vietnamese in Europe must be well aware of his or her role as an "Ambassador" contributing to the relationship and development cooperation between Viet Nam and Europe, and the world as a whole. It is perceived as one of the important bridges to help Viet Nam develop into a powerful country.

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