Vietnamese students are industrious and united. They have inquiring minds and instilled with a great sense of national pride. These remarks were made by teachers and students at Russian universities.

Vietnamese students in Russia in general, and at the Moscow Road-Transport Institute in particular, are honoured to be Vietnamese and more so to be a young Vietnamese generation, diligently studying and training to make a positive contribution to national construction and development.

Tran Kim Thao, counselor and head of the department for students studying abroad under the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, said that currently around 5,000 Vietnamese students are studying in Russian universities. Their academic achievements are highly valued by Russian teachers.

Nguyen Thuy Trang is a first year student at Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography. She is the only Vietnamese student at the university. Despite the challenges she face, especially in terms of language, she always does the utmost to achieve the highest marks in her class. Trang said that the subject she studies will be very vital for national development in Vietnam. After graduating she will return to her homeland to serve the country.

Trang is glad to tell her classmates that she comes from a beautiful and peaceful country. She also talks about the changes that the country is undergoing and about her relatives back home to help her classmates gain a better understanding of the Vietnamese land and its people.

Two other Vietnamese students, Nguyen Dinh Tu and Vu Tuan Anh, said that Vietnamese students often study hard and are highly appreciated by teachers and lecturers. They take pride in their homeland and strive to study hard for the sake of national development.

Nguyen Dinh Tu said that when he arrived in Russia, his teacher took him to the university’s traditional showroom and he was very impressed by the Vietnamese students’ achievements, which were presented in detail. He told himself that he must study hard to live up to the fine reputation of Vietnamese students.

Vu Tuan Anh said that when he arrived in Russia he was just 18 years old so he had to make every effort to integrate into the society. He is interested in joining social activities and willing to help young Vietnamese students adapt to living conditions in a foreign land. He said he wants to show international friends that Vietnamese people are united and willing to assist each other.

Russian students as well as those from across the globe love Vietnamese students and want to make friends with them. They said that Vietnamese students are industrious, studious and have a keen sense of solidarity as well as a strong attachment to their homeland.

Alexandre, a third-year student at the Moscow Road-Transport Institute, who counts many Vietnamese students among his friends, said that the most important thing is to preserve the traditional culture of one’s homeland despite living in another country. He loves Vietnamese students because they are friendly, kind-hearted and hard working.

Proud of being Vietnamese, while studying and living far from home, or under any circumstances, Vietnamese students are always creative and organise a number of activities to introduce Vietnamese culture to their international friends. A fourth-year Russian student, Olexia Veropaeva expressed her pride of wearing the traditional Vietnamese long dress (Ao Dai) during Vietnamese Culture Day at Moscow universities. She said the dress made her fell like she was in Vietnam and look forward to more opportunities to don the Ao Dai in the New Year. She plans to travel to Vietnam after graduation.

VietNamNet/VOV