Northern provinces to receive Japan aid for primary school project 

The Government of Japan has agreed to a grant of US$191, 900 for the construction of primary schools in the northern provinces of Nam Dinh and Quang Ninh.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yasuaki Tanizaki, handed US$ 95,183 and US$ 96,717 to Mr. Nguyen Van Dong, Chairman of People’s Committee of Yen Tho Commune in Nam Dinh province and Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Chairman of People’s Committee of Xuan Son Commune in Quang Ninh respectively on December 28, 2010 at the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam.

The Yen Tho Primary School in Nam Dinh Province was built in 1975 but was damaged by floods and is in need of repair. Furthermore, classrooms are too small to accommodate enough students, as a result the school has to borrow space in a nearby secondary school and often students study in two shifts.

Xuan Son Primary School in Quang Ninh province was built in 1964 and is now in a dilapidated condition. It has only three classrooms hence can only facilitate children from grade 1-2. The school has to continually borrow space from the nearby secondary school for their 3-5 grade children and pupils have to learn in two shifts.

The People’s Committee, in an effort to improve the condition of both the schools plans to build a new 2 storey 8 classroom building. The Government of Japan grant that supports this project will help towards the purchase of building materials.

At a ceremony, Ambassador Tanizaki hoped that through this project, funded by the Government of Japan, learning conditions in Xuan Son Commune would improve considerably and that through this project friendship and mutual understanding between Japan and Vietnam would further deepen.

Overseas students join new year festival 

A Festival of Overseas Students to celebrate New Year 2011 opened in Hanoi on Dec. 29 with the participation of about 500 students.

The event, the ninth of its kind, was jointly organised by the Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, the Vietnam Television, the Sinh Vien Viet Nam (Vietnamese Students) newspaper and the Quoc Anh International Education Consultancy (QA) company.

At the event, overseas students joined an incense-offering ceremony and an exchange programme to share experiences in study and career.

On the occasion, Nguyen Dac Vinh, chairman of the Vietnam Students’ Association and QA company presented certificates of merit and gifts to 30 outstanding students.

In the afternoon the same day, a delegation of 52 overseas students was received by Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan in Hanoi.

The students, coming from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Japan, China and Singapore among others, were also presented with gifts and letters wishing for a new year.

Hanoi prepares to welcome New Year 

International and Vietnamese disc jockeys will burn up the capital in a special New Year’s Eve countdown at the Hanoi Opera House on the evening of December 31.

Jonathan Glaser from Sweden, Tempo from USA and Tuan Kruise from Vietnam are the three talented DJ’s expected to make fans go crazy with their music on New Year’s Eve. They will play from 9 pm until well after midnight to welcome the New Year.

Pop star My Linh and musician Nguyen Duc Cuong will also take part in this event.

The show titled “Heineken Countdown Party” is being organized for the first time in Vietnam and is bound to bring excitement to the city in the first moments of the New Year.

The countdown party in Times Square in New York City is already a very popular global event and Hanoi hopes to create similar magic.

Group sculpture show in town

An exhibition by 16 sculptors opened on Monday at the HCMC Association of Fine Arts.

The show features 24 works made of synthetic materials, wood, copper and stainless steel  representing some of the latest developments in modern Vietnamese sculpture.

“When people think about fine arts, they just think about painting. And me, too,” said Thanh, a visitor, adding “This is the first time I have visited a sculpture show and I feel really excited by the artists’ skills with different materials and imagination.”

The exhibition runs till January 2 at the association, 218A Pasteur Street, HCMC’s District 3.

 PV