Not only buying copyrights, and translating many famous foreign works to serve the diverse demand of domestic readers, recently, a number of publishers in Ho Chi Minh City have sought to bring Vietnamese books to the world.

More than 10 years ago, the Tre (Youth) Publishing House started translating literature and history-culture books by famous domestic authors into English with the goal of gradually approaching the Asian market and reaching out to the world.

Apart from focusing on translating best-selling books by famous authors and actively introducing them to foreign units, the publishing house has actively displayed their products at international book fairs.

Nearly 30 translated book titles have helped this unit's display space in international book fairs more attractive to visitors and publishing partners.

According to Nguyen Thanh Nam, Editor-in-Chief of the Youth Publishing House, translated book titles have been reprinted continuously.

Recently, at the Asian Festival of Children's Content held in Singapore, the English-version book on Vietnamese history in pictures introduced by the publishing house made many international partners and readers curious and interested.

The book was translated by English-Vietnamese couple Patrick Barry and Mai Barry. The translation is in a narrative style, trying to both accurately transmit information and match the way native British think and speak.

In October this year, the Young Publishing House will continue to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. It aims to complete the copyright sale of this historical picture book series and introduce more book titles to foreign partners.

Chi Culture Joint Stock Company (Chibooks) has also made great efforts to bring Vietnamese books closer to international readers through organising Vietnamese book stalls at international book fairs such as Frankfurt Book Fair, Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair in Malaysia, Beijing International Book Fair and Guangxi Book Fair in China.

Translator Nguyen Le Chi, Director of Chibooks, was the first person that has exhibited Vietnamese books in China.

At the event, Chibooks introduced many book titles on Vietnamese literature and culture, and children's books. Many works have been fully or partly translated into Chinese, providing publishing units with a more comprehensive view of Vietnamese books.

At many such fairs, Chibooks has signed a number of agreements on publishing cooperation with international publishing units, towards co-publishing Vietnamese books. This unit has also participated in many specialized publishing activities such as delivering presentations to contribute to possible cooperation trends for publishing in the region.

With its efforts to introduce Vietnamese books to the world, Chibooks's products have been sold on an e-commerce platform of the China Book Import and Export Co, widely reaching Chinese and foreign readers.

Director of Chiboooks Tran Le Chi said Vietnamese publishing houses’ regular exhibition at international book fairs will help international publishers and readers understand more about Vietnamese books, contributing to promoting Vietnamese culture to international friends.

Expert gives suggestions on Vietnam-Austria economic cooperation strategy

On the occasion of President Vo Van Thuong's official visit to Austria, Dr. Patrick Horvath, secretary general of Vienna-based think tank Foundation for Scientific Economic Policy (WIWIPOL) and a volunteer in Austrian cultural exchange and integration organisation “Asia in Vienna,” has written an article suggesting a three-fold economic policy strategy between Vietnam and Austria.

In his article, Horvath underlined that it is truly noteworthy and honorable that the Vietnamese President chose Austria as the first European destination of his term. This visit has an impressive prior history, he held, noting that the previous state visit of Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg to Vietnam in April 2022 was widely acknowledged by Austrian society and sparked intense media coverage.

"Looking back from 2023 it is safe to say that this opportunity was taken to the fullest and the still ongoing activities certainly intensified Austrian-Vietnamese relations," he said. The anniversary concert in Vienna’s prestigious concert hall “Konzerthaus”, the “Vietnam Cultural Days” in Palffy Palace in the heart of Vienna, and a donation of COVID-19 vaccination to the Vietnamese people by the Austrian government in recognition of the anniversary, are impressive examples of Vietnam’s new importance in Austria. It seems like a new dynamic in the Austrian-Vietnamese relationship has appeared.

"Now it is time to think ahead, develop a clear vision and take advantage of the momentum," he stressed.

The expert said a three-fold approach focusing on promoting industry investments, providing workforce, and establishing a “Green Partnership", will turn out to be most beneficial for both Austria and Vietnam because the mutual interests of the two countries meet exactly here.

In terms of promoting industry investments, there are many examples of fascinating stories of successful Austrian companies that are active or investing in Vietnam. Delfort, a packaging company originating from the Upper Austrian town of Traun, runs a production facility near Ho Chi Minh City with exemplary social benefits for workers like free bus or health insurance, thereby exporting the Austrian social model to Vietnam and increasing its workers’ motivation. Austrian industry is always looking for investment and business opportunities, and at the same time foreign direct investment contributes much to the Vietnamese budget and economy. The potential of Austrian industry investments in Vietnam may not yet reach its full potential, he stated.

According to private consulting agency “Source of Asia”, the Netherlands, an EU country with about 18 million citizens, pursues 421 investment projects in Vietnam with a total investment volume of 13,89 billion USD. Austria is about half-sized in population compared to the Netherlands, so it can expect more than 200 projects with an investment volume of 7 billion USD. There is much to win for both sides, so a public relations plan to promote Austrian industry investments in Vietnam might be a suitable option, he emphasised.

Over the provision of workforce, he noted that Austria is desperately seeking qualified workforce. One overarching reason for this situation is Austria's aging society.

He wrote that the president of Austrian Industry Association, Georg Knill, fears that in the long run 500.000 jobs will be vacant in Austria, which is a very high number for a small country with about 9 million citizens.

Dr. Horvath proposed that Austria should care more about the education of Vietnamese students and Vietnam with its growing population can offer many young, talented people. If they receive education in Austria and return to Vietnam with their knowledge and help to build up Vietnam, this is the best form of development aid Austria can give. If the employees stay in Austria, they can send money home to their families in Vietnam and at the same time help to decrease the lack of workforce in Austria.

Earlier, in another article written in 2021, the expert suggested the creation of a “green partnership” between Austria and Vietnam. He held that Austria can support Vietnam with technology it urgently needs and Austrian enterprises rightfully identify a great business opportunity here.

Leading singer of revolutionary music to celebrate his 30-year career

Renowned singer Đăng Dương, known for his heartfelt patriotic songs, will be revisiting his 30-year musical journey in a special live show scheduled for September.

The concert, titled "Tổ Quốc Gọi Tên Mình" (The Country Calls Our Name), takes its name from the memorable performance Đăng Dương once delivered for Vietnamese soldiers stationed on the Trường Sa Archipelago.

“My journey to Trường Sa to perform for soldiers was really special and memorable. Thinking about Trường Sa, I always understand that our soldiers have experienced many hardships, and even devoted their lives to guard our sea and islands. Being an artist, everything I can do is to offer my songs to praise our homeland, our country, and to pay tribute to previous generations,” he said.

The lineup of guest artists does not include Trọng Tấn and Việt Hoàn, who, alongside Đăng Dương, had formed a formidable trio known for their revolutionary music performances. Over the past two decades, the trio has enthralled audiences with popular hits, garnering a substantial fanbase.

However, for this concert, instead of veteran singers, the stage will be graced by young guest artists, including chamber singer Đào Tố Loan, the all-men-member music band OPlus, and internationally-awarded conductor Đồng Quang Vinh.

Regarding the inclusion of young artists, Dương explained that the upcoming liveshow aims to present "a new, fresh, and modern portrayal of Đăng Dương."

“For me, performing together with young artists is a way to inspire the love for revolution music to new generations. This is also the way for revolutionary tunes to be preserved and spread widely.

“I hope that the revolutionary music will receive appreciation from the mass audience because it is associated with our nation's glorious history, presenting a fierce yet triumphant period as well as the abundant patriotism of Vietnamese people," he said.

Dương has carefully selected a list of 30 all-time-favourite revolutionary songs to perform.

The song list selected by Dương has challenged music producer Dương Cầm, who is the concert’s Music Director.

“With such a long list, I will combine parts of different songs to be a mashup. Although mashups are popular among modern music genres, it is very rare in revolution music. So I hope this fusion can offer the audience a fresh enjoyment,” said Cầm.

Liveshow Tổ Quốc Gọi Tên Mình by Đăng Dương will take place at the Friendship Palace in Hà Nội on August 26. 

Lam Dong officials suspended following forest destruction

The chairmen of two communes in the central highlands province of Lam Dong's Bao Lam District have been suspended as local authorities continue to investigate the killing of hundreds of pine trees in a local forest.

The Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee on Friday asked the authorities in Bao Lam District to temporarily suspend the chairmen of Loc Phu and Loc Ngai communes while investigating their responsibilities in the poisoning of over 250 pine trees in a local forest.

In their document sent to Bao Lam District and other localities, the committee stressed that from now on, the leaders of communes and wards would be suspended if forest destruction occurs in their areas.

The committee has also asked for intensified inspection of forest management in the whole province and strict punishment of any violations.

During a patrol in early July, local forest rangers discovered that a total of 252 pine trees were dying from herbicide poisoning in an area of 8,300 square metres. The trees had drilled holes of between 10-15 cm and herbicides poured into them.

The forest area is managed by Dam Bri Protective Forest Management Board and a local firm. Some 103 trees are recovering after receiving care and treatment. 

Lam Dong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has asked for an investigation into the case. The department noted that the situation might have been caused by lax management by local authorities and the collusion of local officials.

There have been similar recent cases in the province where Illegal loggers have cut down, burnt, or used chemicals to poison the trees to use the forest land for farming.

Earlier in 2019, over 300 pine trees in Bao Lam District and over 3,000 others in Lam Ha District were also killed.

Smart city training programmes seek to enhance capacity for future development

While more than 40 cities and provinces across the country have smart city operation centres, many experts believe that urban development progress still falls short of expectations and call for better training programmes for future management.

According to Dr Lưu Đức Minh, deputy director of the Academy of Managers for Construction & Cities (AMC), the goal of smart city development is not how many criteria are met, but to increase the quality of life for the people.

“The core nature of sustainable cities, according to the Politburo’s Resolution 06, is development aligning with green growth and climate change response.

“Therefore, for cities to be ‘smart’, management at all levels need to have the right perspective and the existing urban issues need to be addressed,” said Minh.

Politburo Resolution No 06-NQ/TW on planning, construction, management and sustainable development of urban areas in Việt Nam to 2030, with a vision to 2045, was issued on January 24, 2022.

Citing examples, Minh said that urbanisation required solutions for a city’s current shortcomings, such as housing, planning, water drainage, traffic or waste treatment.

Measures needed to be taken alongside proper and comprehensive investment and construction, which would help improve the quality of the urban areas as well as people’s life quality, he said.

The AMC, which is under the Ministry of Construction (MoC), has been coordinating with other departments to form a professional centre that will promote research and training on smart cities and advanced construction technology.

This is part of a Việt Nam-South Korea cooperation project, which the MoC expects to realise the Party direction and policies in developing sustainable smart cities by 2030.

The four key aspects AMC are focusing its training programmes on are the overview of smart city and its development management, Party direction and the State laws on building and developing smart cities, smart city standards and indexes, and the components of smart city development.

These training programmes are targeted at public officers, who will then provide consultancy to their respective locality on its smart city development project.

Dr Lưu Đức Hải, director of the Institute for Urban Studies and Infrastructure Development, who also led the MoC’s Urban Development Agency, said that it was inevitable to build smart cities.

Therefore, training programmes in this sector needed to focus on sustainable development and smart cities.

Meanwhile, Dr Nguyễn Hồng Tiến, former head of the Urban Infrastructure Agency, added that these programmes needed improvement to be more concentrated and re-categorised into groups such as smart city database, planning and operations.

He added that the curriculum should also specify the steps to be achieved in building a smart city, allowing learners to understand what should be done in the city’s course of development.

Sharing the same perspectives, Bạch Minh Tuấn, deputy director of the MoC’s Information Centre, agreed that the subjects taught needed to be arranged in order of priority, with smart city criteria included right in the planning process for optimal results.

Dr Vũ Anh, a lecturer from Hanoi Architectural University, added that training programmes needed to identify human resources and capital among its investment sources.

Lakes, canals in Danang face mass fish deaths

Around six tonnes of fish have been found dead at lakes and canals in the central city of Danang over the past week.   

The fish deaths have caused the severe pollution in Danang.

On Wednesday, it was easy to see the dead fish in a canal running along Chon Thanh Tam 6 in Lien Chieu District. Most of the fish were tilapias.

The fish was collected and sent to Khanh Son Dumping Site to be treated.

People living around the canal have suffered from serious pollution due to the dead fish.

Nguyen Thi Viet Nga from Hoa Khanh Nam Ward said during the summer, the water in the canal often becomes very foul and is covered with scum.

Some days ago, around 500 kilos of dead fish were found in the Phu Loc River, while the figure was 1,500 kilos at Trung Nghia 1 Lake.

The Danang Drainage and Wastewater Treatment Company claimed the fish had died because the Phu Loc River saw a sharp decline in oxygen content in the water amid the hot weather.

Over the past three days, torrential rains caused a sudden change in the water environment in Trung Nghia 1 Lake, resulting in mass fish deaths on July 17.

Fish have been gathered for testing.

Vancouver fundraising event held to support Vietnamese hospital

A fundraising event was held in Vancouver, Canada on July 22 to support Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

The event was a joint effort of the Vietnam-Canada Business Association (VCBA), the Vietnamese Consulate General in Vancouver and the administration of Richmond city. All the proceeds were handed over to Vietnamese Consul General Nguyen Quang Trung to deliver to the hospital.

Addressing the event, Trung thanked the association and its members for their support to Cho Ray Hospital in particular and Vietnamese community at home in general.

Chairman of the VCBA Dan On, who is Director of Dan-D-Park Group that donated an ambulance and a fire engine to Ho Chi Minh City, said that the event is part of the association's activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Canada.

He said that 70% of the association's total 700 members share Vietnamese origin.

This year, the association has organised some activities to promote trade between the two countries and connect their businesses and people, including the sending of a delegation of businesses and representatives of Richmond to Vietnam to seek partnership opportunities in HCM City and Hanoi, he noted.

He said that the association also connects Canadian firms with their Vietnamese peers in the fields of tourism and seafood.

Meanwhile, Chak Au, member of the Richmond Council, hailed the contributions that the association has made to the locality. He noted that Dan On himself presented the Richmond general hospital with 10 million CAD.

Vietnam and Canada have shared an effective partnership. Last year, despite COVID-19 impacts, two-way trade still reached over 10 billion USD, making Vietnam the biggest ASEAN trade partner of Canada.

The two countries have celebrated the fifth anniversary of their comprehensive partnership defined in a wide range of fields such as politics and diplomacy, trade and investment, development cooperation, defence and security, cultural and academic exchanges, science-technology and innovation, and people-to-people exchange.

Vietnamese-Austria designer helps promote traditional ao dai to the world

Vietnamese-Austria well-known fashion designer La Hong Nhut (commonly known as La Hong), who has won many fashion awards in Austria, has expressed the desire to make more efforts to bolster culture and art exchanges between the two countries through promoting ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) to Austrian friends. 

La Hong has a special passion for design and fashion. Among his collections so far, costumes inspired by Vietnamese ao dai make up a large part.

In the programme "Vietnam Day in Austria" held in Vienna late September 2022 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Vietmam-Austria diplomatic ties, participants greatly admired and applauded the performance of the ao dai collection designed by La Hong.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondent in Europe about the reason for him to spend a lot of time and effort to introduce Vietnamese ao dai in fashion shows, La Hong said he loves the traditional Vietnamese costume, which is simple but can provide opportunities for designers to create new designs in accordance with current trends.

La Hong said he has always introduced ao dai in his fashion shows in Austria and Europe.

The designer affirmed that he will continue to explore new ideas from ao dai to promote the image of Vietnamese culture and tradition to the world, expressing the hope that Asian and international friends will own the ones designed by him.

On the occasion of President Vo Van Thuong's official visit to Austria, La Hong said he is honoured to be one of the individuals invited by the Vietnamese Embassy in Austria to attend the President’s meeting with overseas Vietnamese in Austria and Europe.

HCMC luxury car trader Phan Cong Khanh prosecuted and detained

Luxury car trader Phan Cong Khanh living in District 7, HCMC has been prosecuted and detained for "fraudulent appropriation of property" and "abuse of trust to appropriate property".

On July 23, during the extensive investigation of Phan Cong Khanh and his accomplices committing fraudulent appropriation of property, HCMC Police also received the application of L.T.S. (living in An Giang Province) accusing Mohamach Da Pha (born in 1996, living in An Giang Province) and his accomplices of abusing trust to appropriate property.

Accordingly, in January 2023, Pha introduced S. to buy a BMW car for US$76,000 (VND1.8 billion). Three months later, Pha called S. to borrow the car for daily commuting. S. agreed and told Pha to inform him if anyone wished to buy the car. However, Pha pawned the car for $42,000 (VND1 billion).

Not until Khanh and Pha were held in criminal custody on July 9 did S. realize that Pha had pawned his car, so he reported it to the police. Pha confessed pawning S.'s car to pay for expenditure. The police also received an application from P. (An Giang Province), who accused Khanh and his accomplices of appropriating a Brabus car as Khanh borrowed the man’s car to display at the showroom on the opening day (June 8).

However, on June 13, Khanh and his accomplices sold P.'s car to L. (living in HCMC) for more than $1 million (VND24.5 billion). In addition, some people accused Khanh of owing up to $5,300 (VND125 million) to buy flowers, rent cars and build the showroom.

During the investigation, the HCMC Police Department launched a criminal investigation into the case, prosecuted and detained Khanh and Pha for committing "fraudulent appropriation of property", and "abuse of trust to appropriate property". The police suggested whoever fell victims of Khanh and Pha report to the Criminal Police Department (PC02), HCMC Police (459 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cau Kho Ward, District 1). At the same time, the police required all the subjects engaged in the case of Khanh and Pha to soon confess to be granted clemency.

Two hospitalized for using e-cigarettes containing nicotine

Medical workers warned that nicotine and toxic substances are intentionally mixed into e-cigarettes.

Doctor Nguyen Trung Nguyen, director of the Bach Mai Hospital’s Poison Control Center in Hanoi, said that two patients, a 19-year-old girl and a 22-year-old male were hospitalized in critical condition due to using e-cigarettes.

The 19-year-old female patient has smoked e-cigarettes for 6 months. About 4 days before admission, the patient experienced Hallucinations as she was often hearing voices in her head.

When being taken to the center, the patient had a shiver, sweating, arrhythmia, and mental confusion. Through examination of two e-cigarette products brought by the patient, one sample contained two synthetic drugs while the rest contained three. The Poison Control Center said that of these toxic substances, two were first recorded.

The 22-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with cyanosis, convulsions, slurred speech, paranoia, insomnia, and hallucinations. Worse, his multiple organs were damaged and he was at risk of cardiac arrest. The patient's family said that this young man had recently used an electronic cigarette called Ampire Chill worth more than VND600,000. He smoked 3-4 tubes a day.

Ministry requires apology to residents for slow administrative procedures

In its directive, the Ministry of Health required relevant sides to apologize to individuals and organizations when they are slow in handling administrative procedures causing people to travel many times.

Moreover, the Ministry urged to improve the business environment associated with digital transformation in the sector.

Under the directive, heads of departments of health and hospitals were asked to focus on shifting from traditional administrative procedures and public services to an electronic platform to ensure efficiency.

In addition, online public services must be carried out while the one-stop mechanism for handling administrative procedures ought to be implemented to satisfy patients and businesses. Related agencies should apologize to individuals and organizations when they are slow in handling administrative procedures causing people to travel many times.

Plenty of opportunities for secondary students aside from public high schools: educators

Every year, around 19,000 students in HCM City will not be able to secure places in public high schools following the entrance exams. While plenty of doors remain open to further pursue their studies, choosing which one is a major concern for many parents and students. 

The most recent high school entrance exams in HCM City saw nearly 96,000 candidates, against the total enrolment quota of almost 77,000 for public high schools. 

With the school choices not limited to the area they live in, the competition is more challenging in higher-rated schools and those in the city centres, with a large number of candidates. 

Meanwhile, several schools in the outer areas of the city don’t have enough enrolments to fulfil the quota set. 

Schools with the highest entrance scores did not see substantial changes compared to last year. They are Nguyễn Thượng Hiền High School (Tân Bình District) with an entrance score of 25.5; Gia Định High School (Bình Thạnh District) at 24.5; Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai High School (District 3) at 24.25; Nguyễn Hữu Huân High School (Thủ Đức City) at 23.75; and Bùi Thị Xuân High School (District 1) at 23.5. 

The lowest entrance score is 10.5, at four high schools in Cần Giờ, Bình Chánh and Củ Chi districts. 

The city also counts over 17,000 secondary school graduates who opted out of the exams. 

Many of them chose private, vocational schools, continuing education centres, or studying abroad. 

In the 2023 - 2024 academic year, it is estimated that the city’s private schools, continuing education centres and vocational schools have the capacity for over 50,000 new students. 

In addition to private schools and continuing education centres, HCM City has taken multiple measures to improve the quality and attract more enrolments for vocational schools. 

Hồ Tấn Minh, office chief of HCM City Department of Education and Training said the plan is that at least 30 per cent of secondary school graduates will proceed to vocational training. 

Following this strategy, the department has been providing career orientation sessions for secondary school students, with the aim to help them find the most suitable option following graduation. 

The high school entrance exams can serve as an evaluation tool to help them assess their ability and decide on their own path. 

According to Nguyễn Chí Thành, deputy head of the vocational training department (under HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs), the city counts more than 370 vocational education institutions providing training for over 120 occupations. 

In District 1, HCM City Vocational College has largely finished its enrolment process, with nearly 600 out of its 4,800 enrolment quotas intended for secondary school graduates. 

Upon graduation, they can choose to participate in the national high school graduation exams, or proceed to a higher level of training at the school. 

Dr Trần Kim Tuyền, the college’s rector said that in recent years, students tend to choose to learn mechanics, computer-aided design (CAD), electricity, refrigeration and air conditioning engineering, or industrial electronics.

More than 90 per cent of the college’s fresh graduates are employed. This figure is 100 per cent for automotive technology and precision mechanics. 

Dr Tuyền said: “At our two campuses, we have invested in nearly 60 classrooms, 35 practice rooms/workshops, 12 specialised classrooms, nine computer rooms, along with two libraries with over 1,000 titles, as well as 24 dorm rooms for nearly 4,000 students. 

The college also has preferential policies on tuition fees for students at the intermediate level, and for those studying metal cutting at the college level, he added. 

This year, Nguyễn Tất Thành Intermediate School in Gò Vấp District also saw hundreds of admissions, most in nursing, pharmacy, fashion and garment technology, automotive technology, industrial and civil electrical engineering, banking and finance, among others. 

Aiming to keep their training programme grounded in the real business world, the school’s dean Hoàng Quốc Long said that this is a good opportunity for students to have access to new technology, as well as industry experts and recruiters. 

The school also hosts vocational competitions for students to gain practical experience, who can be a talent pool for businesses in the future. 

Meanwhile, HCM City Industry and Trade College has established partnerships with local businesses and other schools abroad, increasing its students’ opportunities for internships, employment as well as higher education. 

Vice chairman of HCM City Vocational Education Association Trần Anh Tuấn observed that in the past, if students fail to get into public high schools, they will often choose to study abroad or at private schools, and only five per cent of them opt for vocational schools. 

However, in recent years, with a clear direction and investment in vocational training and continuing education, as well as learning and job opportunities from businesses, parents’ perspective towards vocational schools has been changing. 

Tuấn said: “Nowadays, vocational training is an opportunity due to its many scholarships, low tuition fees, and short-term and practical training programmes that help learners secure job.

“Vocational training help reduce the pressure on students and share the financial burden with the family.

“More importantly, studying at vocational schools allow them both a general education degree and a vocational degree, paving the way to college and university level education. 

“They can also work in the country or abroad with a high level of salary.”

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Lan, mother to a student at the College of Technology II (Thủ Đức City), said that vocational schools nowadays not only care about admissions but also graduates, with a focus on improving training quality and job reference. 

She noted that however, for students to be successful in general and vocational education, schools need to put more efforts into career orientation and consultation, so that young people can have the right choice and good progress in the occupation they have chosen, thereby becoming high-quality human resources for the society.  

Đặng Minh Sự, a representative of HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, noted that career orientation must ensure that students choose the occupation that they like, or suit the local employment needs and the national development trends. This will increase their chance of landing a job after graduation. 

The right consultancy also helps reduce pressure on public schools and on parents and students, while also encouraging young people to pursue the career of their choice or their study at affiliated schools. 

Sharing the same perspectives, Lê Công Hòa, director of Nguyễn Tất Thành Intermediate School’s Department of Admission, Communication and Event Organising, added parental guidance also plays a major role in a student’s success with the understanding of their own child. 

Hòa said: “Vocational training is not the end of the road. Students can succeed if they and their family know how to take advantage of it, especially when the labour market is in dire need of skilled workforce.” 

Thundery rains expected to linger in Southern region in next three or four days

A heat wave has returned to the Northern and Central regions on a large scale after recently rainy days under the impact of storms.

According to the National Center for Hydrology Meteorology Forecasting, the heat wave will prolong in the next days with average temperatures between 35 degrees Celsius and 36 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the Central Highlands and Southern regions have recorded powerful operations of the southwest monsoon triggering moderate and heavy rains. Therefore, people are recommended to keep watch for cyclones, flooding in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas.

It is expected that thundery rains will continue to last in the next three or four days.

German newspapers praise Vietnam's development potential, investment opportunities

The German newspaper Focus has published an article about the development of Asia, in which it highly evaluated Vietnam's potential.

The article cited Horst Geicke, an investor and Chairman of the Deutsches Haus (German House) in Ho Chi Minh City, as saying that Vietnam is considered a new investment destination for a wide range of foreign investors in general and German enterprises in particular.

In Asia, in addition to Singapore, only Vietnam has signed a free trade agreement with the European Union (EVFTA). German businesses targeting the Southeast Asian markets includes the automobile spare parts suppliers Brose and ZF, equipment manufacturer Kärcher, building materials provider Knauff, and consumer goods company Henkel.

The article said Vietnam posted nearly 27.72 billion USD in total foreign direct investment and 22.4 billion USD in disbursed amount last year. These figures significantly contributed to Vietnam's impressive GDP growth of over 8% in 2022 and an average of 5.9% over the past 13 years.

It also mentioned the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the country last November and emphasised that German leaders highly value the relationship with Vietnam and wish to further enhance this connection.

Earlier, German magazine PT-Magazin also published an article on investing in Vietnam, stating that in an effort to diversify supply chains, medium-sized enterprises still see the nation as an interesting choice.

According to the article, Vietnam is one of the developing countries with a policy of free market access, thus attracting many foreign investors. Many have chosen well-known locations, such as Ho Chi Minh City and its neighbouring provinces in the south, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong in the north, and Da Nang in the central region. Currently, less-developed destinations like Quy Nhon are also gaining attention.

VNA establishes chapter of Vietnam-Laos friendship association

A congress to establish a chapter of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association at the State-run Vietnam News Agency (VNA) was held in Hanoi on July 23.

Deputy General Director of VNA Nguyen Tuan Hung was elected as the head of the chapter.

Addressing the event, Counselor and Deputy Ambassador of the Lao Embassy in Vietnam Chanthaphone Khammanichanh highlighted the long-standing and close relationship of Vietnam and Laos, which was founded by President Ho Chi Minh and President Kaysone Phomvihane and nurtured by generations through countless hardship and sacrifice.

He said during the renewal period, the two countries have continued to help and cooperate for mutual development, noting that in the field of communication, the VNA has sent experts and journalists to help the Lao News Agency (KPL) in its operation.

The diplomat stressed that the establishment of the VNA chapter of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association is a milestone reflecting the special interest of Vietnamese people, especially the VNA, in continuing to maintain and promote the sound relationship between the two countries.

General Director of KPL, Khampheuy Philapha affirmed that over the past six decades, the VNA has wholeheartedly helped the KPL with its knowhow, technique and expertise, especially during the Lao agency’s infancy.

VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang said that over the past time, the interim executive committee of the chapter has carried out several meaningful activities, such as visiting historical sites connected with the two countries’ relations, participating in activities launched by the Central Committee of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association and visiting veteran members of the association, contributing to the traditional bond and loyal relationship between VNA and KPL.

Leaders of the two news agencies are scheduled to hold talks on July 25 to discuss cooperation directions between the two State-run agencies in the new period.

Winners of Tran Van Khe Scholarship Award 2023 revealed

The first Tran Van Khe Scholarship Award Ceremony was held at HCMC Opera House on July 27.

The 2023 Tran Van Khe Award went to Meritorious Artist, teacher and musician Nguyen Van Doi who was former head of the Department of Folk Music of the HCMC Conservatory of Music; researcher, Assoc. Prof., Dr. Dang Hoanh Loan; researcher, and musician Bui Trong Hien; Meritorious Artist Nguyen Thi Hai Phuong, head of the Department of Folk Music of the HCMC Conservatory of Music; Meritorious Artist, Dr. Co Huy Hung, head of the Department of Folk Music of the Vietnam National Academy of Music; MA.Phan Nhut Dung, a folk musician.

The 2023 Tran Van Khe Scholarships were presented to nine students of the HCMC Conservatory of Music, the Vietnam National Academy of Music and the Hue Academy of Music.

The non-profit scholarship that is named after Professor Tran Van Khe was launched in 2021 with the support of Van Lang University to encourage the preservation of Vietnamese traditional music, keep folk music alive in the community, and foster a love for traditional music among young people.

Young people volunteer to teach children in Chăm Village

This summer, many youth union members from Bình Dương volunteered to teach children in Chăm Village, Minh Hòa Commune in Dầu Tiếng District.

“The teachers in blue shirts” is what local people call the young volunteers - a reference to the blue uniform of the youth union.

Every day, Chăm Village, also known as the migrant village, becomes bustling with children learning to spell the Vietnamese language. The teachers are young people working in different units under the Bình Dương Province Youth Union.

People in the village earn their living mainly by fishing in Dầu Tiếng Lake, most of the children have to help their parents. As a result, their learning meets a lot of difficulties.

Nguyễn Minh Tâm, secretary of Thủ Dầu Một City Youth Union told the Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that due to cultural characteristics, local primary students are being taught two languages, Chăm and Vietnamese.

For Vietnamese, children are taught based on the general programme of the Ministry of Education and Training.

“During the summer, the Chăm language is taught by Chăm union members, while in Vietnamese, other volunteers take turns to teach. In addition, we call for sponsors to repair schools in the village before the children enter the new school year," said Tâm.

Nguyễn Đình Huấn, secretary of the Dầu Tiếng District Youth Union, said that volunteers stayed together with local people for a certain period of time to gain their trust.

"We explain to them that learning is the way to help their children have a brighter future," said Huấn.

Kho Sanh, deputy head of the Minh Hòa Mosque Management Board, said that the Chăm people lived mainly in Hòa Lộc Village since 1984.

Initially, the village had only 12 households.

In 1992, some other Chăm families from Châu Đốc District, An Giang Province came here. They used boats as their houses and lived on the Dầu Tiếng Lake.

During the past six years, the Dầu Tiếng District authorities suggested they come ashore.

They agreed and built houses on land arranged by the authorities.

Currently, the Chăm Village has about 120 households with more than 600 people.

“The life of the Chăm people has gradually stabilised. All the households have access to electricity and clean water. The road to the village centre was upgraded and expanded. Children of school age can go to school. About 50 per cent of the households have a good standard of living while the rest are average, there are no impoverished households," said Sanh.

The Chăm Village now has spacious infrastructure, green rubber gardens, and bright street lights throughout the village at night.

The village becomes more and more beautiful when the “flower roads” are made by volunteers.

Sa Liêm, a volunteer participating in the village’s crime prevention team, said that people in difficult circumstances and children in the village always received attention and support from local authorities and the youth union.

"The youth union members who come here always leave a beautiful image in the hearts of Chăm villagers," said Liêm.

Secretary of Bình Dương Province Youth Union Trần Thị Diễm Trinh, told the Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that during the summer this year, the provincial youth union established many teams to support the people.

Typically many youth union members were assigned to teach children with difficult circumstances, especially in remote and border areas, she said. 

HCM City ranks high in digital transformation index

HCM City ranked second out of 63 provinces and cities in the country in terms of the 2022 digital transformation index (DTI), the Information and Communications Ministry has announced.

According to a report of the Ministry of Information and Communications, the digital economy contributed about 18.7 per cent of the city's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) last year.

This is the third consecutive year that the city is highly evaluated based on its effective digital transformation programmes.

The city earned high rankings in digital transformation, including first position in digital institutions and digital infrastructure, second position in digital government, and fourth position in digital economy.

So far, the city has successfully launched a centralised IT infrastructure for State agencies on the cloud computing platform at the city’s database centre. Security has been ensured for valuable information and network facilities of the State agencies and Party units.

The quality of both telecoms networks and the Internet via broadband fiber optic cables in the city has improved so that these networks cover all households of all wards and communes citywide.

The city’s Local Government Service Platform (HCM LGSP) is linked to the counterparts in other nations for smoother connections.

The city is one of the first localities in the country to successfully integrate a system of electronic authentication and identification for citizens with the National Population Database managed by the Public Security Ministry, the National Public Service e-portal, the Database on Administrative Procedures managed by the Government Office, and other essential national databases (social insurance and justice).

Until now, more than 1,000 State departments and organisations, businesses, hospitals, and schools in the city have formed connections to this important system to accelerate the digital transformation process in state management activities and provision of public services to citizens in need.

By 2030, the city aims to become smart with e-government, e-enterprises and an electronic society.

The digital economy is expected to account for 40 per cent of the city’s GRDP by 2030.

This year, the city identifies building digital data as a core element in its digital transformation and smart-city development. The city has begun a data building strategy, according to its Department of Information and Communications.

Central Đà Nẵng City topped the country’s DTI 2022 Report. This is the third consecutive year the city has led the way in digital transformation.

The city led in all three pillars of digital government, digital economy and digital society, and the component indexes of digital awareness, digital institutions, digital human resources.

Behind Đà Nẵng and HCM City, the following rankings belong to Quảng Ninh Province, Thừa Thiên-Huế and Cần Thơ City. 

Cao Bằng to prevent child, consanguineous marriage in ethnic groups

Child marriage and consanguineous (blood-related) marriage have existed for a long time in ethnic groups in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bằng.

The problem leaves many serious consequences for their physical and mental development.

It is also a great barrier to learning and education for girls.

Cao Bằng Province has proposed solutions towards ending child marriage in ethnic groups in remote areas by 2025.

Làng Lỷ Village in Nội Thôn Commune, Hà Quảng District has 37 households of Mông and Nùng ethnic groups living together.

Due to the mountainous terrain, difficult roads, lack of access to clean water for daily life, and infrequent phone signal, people's lives are still very hard.

From 2015 up to now, the village had four cases of Mông child marriages.

Trương Văn Thắng, head of the village, said that most child marriage cases were students who left school early, worked in the fields, and had limited knowledge of marriage and parenting skills.

Thống Nhất Commune in Hạ Lang District is a border commune with more than 700 households of Nùng and Tày ethnic groups.

Over 50 per cent of them are poor and near-poor households.

In the past year only, Thống Nhất Commune had four child marriages.

Chairman of Thống Nhất Commune People's Committee Chu Văn Đình said that to put an end to child marriage, the committee coordinated with different organisations to establish three clubs for legal education in many villages including Nà Kéo, Pác Lung, Kênh Nhiều, Nà Hoạch, Đoàn Kết, Bản Lạn and Nà Lụng.

Clubs maintain regular activities once a month with 164 members.

Preventing and sanctioning child marriage cases has been implemented timely and seriously, contributing to a reduction in child marriage in the commune compared to previous years.

Hà Quảng is a highland and border district, mainly inhabited by ethnic groups.

The poverty rate there is still quite high.

Local residents have limited awareness, intellectual and legal knowledge. Many outdated customs still exist in people's lives.

From 2015 to 2023, the district had 353 child couples married, of which, 154 Mông were ethnic couples and 90 were Dao ethnic couples.

The whole district has 13 blood-related married couples.

Head of the Hà Quảng District Ethnic Groups Affairs Division Nông Văn Nhất said that the district has implemented two pilot models to reduce child marriage and consanguineous marriage in ethnic groups for the period of 2015-25.

The models were implemented in Thanh Long and Nội Thôn communes.

Based on the results of these models, the district has promoted education to change the awareness and responsibilities of local people.

The district organises training and health workshops in villages, communes and towns to improve their knowledge and skills.

In the past three years, Cao Bằng Province had 666 cases of child couples in wedlock.

Most of them are from the Mông, Dao, Lô Lô and Nùng ethnic groups.

The province saw six consanguineous marriages.

This year, Cao Bằng Province implemented seven measures in districts and communes at high risk of child and consanguineous marriage.

Fund for the work is from the State budget, which is over VNĐ10 billion (US$422,800).

The province aims to reduce the average number of child marriages by two to three per cent each year.

Bế Văn Hùng, head of the Cao Bằng Ethnic Groups Affairs Committee, said the province would promote education on legal provisions related to legal marriage and child marriage.

The committee would also clarify the consequences and harms caused by this issue.

The province would also implement projects in the national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic groups and mountainous areas in the period 2021-25.

The projects were expected to improve living standards and infrastructure in ethnic group areas, and boost the local economy, while raising awareness for ethnic people, and strictly enforcing laws related to child marriage and consanguineous marriage prevention and control.

HCMC receives over 460 MICE visitors from India

The HCMC Tourism Department in coordination with the Asia Destination Management Joint Stock Company received a delegation of more than 460 MICE visitors from India who arrived in the city in the late evening of July 22.

During the five-day trip to the southern metropolis, the visitors will visit HCMC War Remnants Museum, Saigon Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market, Sai Gon Square shopping mall, Cu Chi Tunnel; and enjoy Vietnamese and Indian food.

The delegation’s visit contributed to the city’s tourism recovery as well as promoting images of Vietnam in general and HCMC, particularly as one of the attractive destinations in Southeast Asia to the Indian market.

HCMC is focusing on investing and exploiting MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism, targeting high-spending visitors. The city’s tourism sector will be interested in improving the quality of services and renewing products to attract visitors and develop HCMC into one of the most lively cities in Southeast Asia and Asia.

Parthanil Ghosh, President of HDFC ERGO General Insurance's retail business, said that enterprises want to organize trips to Vietnam for their employees and clients, a beautiful country with many development opportunities. In this visit, the delegation will take trips to provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and hope to join tours to Hanoi and central coastal localities the next time.

Over VND40 billion in disaster-induced losses in Ca Mau and Soc Trang

Natural disasters  in the two provinces in the Mekong Delta caused economic losses of VND40 billion (US$ 1,690,606).

The Office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue in Ca Mau Province yesterday afternoon said that from the beginning of 2023 until now, the development of landslides in the province has been complicated, causing damage to many people's properties and destroying many transport infrastructure.

Specifically, 214 riverside locations have been eroded with a length of more than 4,900m and more than 1,700m of embankment was broken. Worse, 132 houses and three hatcheries collapsed and were damaged. The total loss was estimated nearly VND 20 billion.

On the same day, the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue in Soc Trang Province said that from July 16 to 18, the Typhoon No. 1 (Talim) damaged 76 houses, one educational facility, one warehouse and one production facility in the province. In addition, thunderstorms also damaged many hectares of crops of people. The natural disaster has caused more than VND 20.7 billion in property damage.

Mr. Dang Hoang An holds EVN’s Chairman of Member Council

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed a decision No. 868/QD-TTg on appointing Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An to hold the position of Chairman of the Member Council of Vietnam Electricity (EVN).
 
The newly-appointed Chairman of the Member Council of EVN Dang Hoang An was born on October 16, 1965 in Hiep Hoa District, Bac Giang Province.

He graduated from University with a major in Electric Power in the Czech Republic and graduated a Master's Degree in Power System Manager and a master's degree in Business Administration at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand.

Mr. An used to hold many positions as a leader and manager in the Power sector, comprising Deputy Director of the National Load Dispatch Center from 1993 to 2004, Head of Head of EVN’s Power Grid Technique Department from 2004 – 2006; Deputy Director General and Director General of EVN.

Previously, Mr. Dang Hoang An was Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade from June 2018 up to now.

PM inspects major transport, industrial infrastructure projects in Quang Tri

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 22 inspected major transport and industrial projects in Quang Tri as part of his working trip to the central province.

The PM examined the construction of 65.7km Van Ninh-Cam Lo Expressway, a session of the Eastern North-South Expressway, which starts from Van Ninh commune, Quang Ninh district of Quang Binh province and ends at Cam Hieu commune, Cam Lo district of Quang Tri.

He asked contractors to make use of the favourable weather conditions, mobilising personnel and equipment to speed up the progress of the project with high quality.

The Government leader requested Quang Tri to ensure ground clearance and resettlement efficiency, handing over land for the contractors in a timely manner.

All parties should work hard together to complete the project one quarter earlier than schedule, thus "opening a new development space for the locality and the region," he stated.

Visiting Cam Lo-La Son Expressway, another section of the Eastern North-South Expressway, he ordered the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies to study expanding the surface width to 23m with four lanes.

The expressway has a total length of 98.35km, and an investment of 6.65 trillion VND (281.09 million USD) mobilised through issuing Government bonds.

It has been opened to traffic in late 2022 with two lanes and a road surface width of 12m.

During the tour, the Government leader also surveyed the progress of National Highway 15D, which connects La Hay International Border Gate with My Thuy port area and Cam Lo-Lao Bao Expressway to form a road in parallel with the East-West Economic Corridor, contributing to increasing trade activities via La Lay International Border Gate, the second biggest of its kind on Quang Tri, connecting the country with Laos and Thailand and forming a developing triangle among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

He agreed in principle with the project implementation plan, in which Quang Tri will invest in one of the three parts of the project, the Government will take charge of another part and the rest will be invested in the public-private partnership form.

Examining the construction of My Thuy port in Hai Lang district, which was approved in 2019, PM Chinh asked Quang Tri to focus on dealing with obstacles facing its implementation and speed up its progress.

Covering 685 hectares with 10 ports that can handle vessels of up to 100,000 tonnes, the project has a total investment of over 14.2 trillion VND, including 2.14 trillion VND from the State. The project is divided into three phases, with the first one expected to be competed in 2025.

My Thuy port mainly serves the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone, industrial zones in Quang Tri and transited goods from Laos and Northeast Thailand on the East-West Economic Corridor route.

Currently, the project still faces problems in site clearance.

During the trip, PM Chinh also inspected the 500-hectare Quang Tri Industrial Park in Dien Sanh township and Hai Truong and Hai Lam communes of Hai Lang district, which has a total investment of over 2 trillion VND. The first phase of the project has been implemented by a joint venture of VSIP, Amata and Sumitomo with an investment of over 500 billion VND since 2021.

It is expected to help promote socio-economic growth of Quang Tri, creating an economic zone along the East-West Economic Corridor connecting Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar.

In a quick working session with Quang Tri leaders at the project site, PM Chinh asked Quang Tri to concentrate on completing the planning and construction of projects to build and upgrade the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and local cemeteries, while promptly finalising investment procedures for transport projects.

At the same time, Quang Tri should speed up the disbursement of public investment capital, focusing on the three national target programmes and the socio-economic recovery and development programme, promoting the three growth drivers of investment, export and consumption, and continue implementing the industrial park construction in collaboration with VSIP.

On the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947-2023), PM Chinh offered incense and flowers to martyrs at the Truong Son National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, and visited some policy beneficiaries who rendered services to the nation in Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces.

He requested ministries, sectors, agencies and localities as well as the community to pay attention to caring for the graves of the martyrs at the cemeteries, while continuing to search for and repatriate remains of fallen soldiers.

Vietnamese culture introduced at summer festival in Germany

Huong Viet, an online magazine of Vietnamese people in Germany, and the local Vietnamese community introduced the homeland’s culture to German and international visitors at the summer festival Sommerfest in the state of Bayern on July 22.

The annual festival, organised in Augsburg city, featured nearly 40 booths from various countries.

The booth of Vietnam showcased the country’s typical cultural products and dishes.

Besides, a central stage was set up for cultural performances by the countries selected by Augsburg city, and Vietnam was the only Asian nation to be invited to perform this year.

Performances of traditional songs and dances helped popularise the country’s culture to international visitors.

Mayor of Augsburg city Martina Wild said she was impressed with the food and images of Vietnam displayed at the festival. She expressed her delight at Vietnam’s participation in and contribution to the multicultural event.

Pham Khanh Nam, Editor-in-chief of the Huong Viet magazine, said the red T-shirts with five-pointed yellow stars, the colours of the Vietnamese flag, and the map of the country worn by Vietnamese people there also helped demonstrate the country’s love for peace and affirm its sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly).

Launched in 2009, Huong Viet is a Vietnamese-language magazine updating information about the Vietnamese community, the homeland, and Germany. It also acts as a bridge linking the community with the homeland while holding many events to popularise Vietnamese images and affirm the country’s maritime sovereignty.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes