A group of students from Ho Chi Minh City International College participated in a summer camp in Taiwan recently - Photo: NVCC
This summer, more than 20 students from Ho Chi Minh City International College participated in the Chinese language and culture summer camp (Summer Camp 2025) at Daye University (Taiwan).
During the two weeks (from July 1 to 14), students will explore the school, experience local culture and interact with international students from many countries. Many students will also present academic topics and participate in group work and technical debate activities.
Eye opening
Hoang Phuoc Tat Khang (computer network programming major) gave an impressive presentation in three languages: Vietnamese - English - Chinese, introducing a project to build a real-time facial recognition system using OpenCV and InsightFace. This is a solution to automate the attendance process, access control, and can be flexibly applied in security, healthcare, education , and marketing.
Sharing about his experience this time, Khang said that he explored the culture, connected with international friends and experienced a foreign learning environment, thereby broadening his perspective. "After two weeks, what impressed me most was the discipline, punctuality, environmental awareness and responsibility of the people here. I learned a lot from the way they live and work," Khang said.
In the same group, student Pham Quoc Kiet (automotive technology major) also presented a model of a car air conditioning system that does not use an ECU.
"When presenting my topic, I realized that I needed to learn more about expression, persuasion, and teamwork. The debates with international students made me much more confident," Kiet shared.
At the International School (Vietnam National University , Hanoi ), three students Nguyen Anh Khoa, Nguyen Do Diem Quynh and Nguyen Tuan Kiet took advantage of the summer to invest in their applications and won a scholarship for an exchange program in Korea worth up to 1 million won from the Hyundai Jump School program. They will depart in October 2025.
For Nguyen Anh Khoa, a senior student majoring in finance and accounting, the journey to the program was a profound turning point.
"I hesitated when looking at the profiles of those who came before me. They had many achievements and outstanding projects. I only had teaching sessions at a highland school, diary pages recording moments when students shared about their studies, and very small dreams. I wondered if that was meaningful enough to tell," Khoa confided.
Instead of trying to create a perfect version, Khoa chooses to write truthfully, with experience, with empathy and with a fully lived journey.
"Each line is a slice of volunteer life: the first awkward lessons, the evening meetings to share and improve the content. I think what makes the profile reach readers is not the title, but the sincerity and kindness with what you are doing," Khoa said.
Multiple programs
MSc. Nguyen Thi Hoang Oanh, head of the International Relations Department of Lac Hong University, said that in recent years, there have been more and more summer study abroad programs from East Asian and Southeast Asian countries for Vietnamese students.
For example, in China, summer study abroad programs are mostly short-term, usually lasting 1-2 weeks. The requirements for participation are not too strict, as long as the learner has a basic level of English or Chinese, they can register.
Ms. Oanh assessed that in the context of China actively promoting educational cooperation with countries in the Mekong sub-region, many scholarships and full financial support have been opened for Vietnamese students.
"The cost of a two-week trip usually ranges from VND8-10 million, including all travel, accommodation, sightseeing, study and cultural experiences," Ms. Oanh shared. In some cases, students can even be sponsored 100%, without having to pay any fees, from tuition, accommodation to sightseeing costs.
Depending on their major, students will participate in appropriate specialized classes and activities. For example, students majoring in electrical and electronic engineering or logistics can learn more about technology and supply chain systems. For students majoring in Chinese, the program will design specialized content for teaching, translation and interpretation.
In addition, most courses are combined with Chinese cultural experiences such as enjoying local cuisine, art exchanges, and visiting famous landmarks, helping students understand more about the people and country of China.
Step out of your comfort zone
Ms. Cao Ngoc Tuong Van, head of student affairs at Ho Chi Minh City International College, commented that summer programs abroad help students step out of their comfort zone, be exposed to a multicultural educational environment, work in groups with international friends and practice adaptability in the context of globalization.
"Many students after returning are more confident, have a clearer career orientation, and proactively seek scholarship, internship or academic exchange opportunities at higher levels," said Ms. Van.
However, Ms. Van also noted that for the journey to be truly meaningful, students need to be well prepared mentally and technically. Just "going" is not enough. You need to clearly define the goals of the trip, what you want to learn, experience, and develop in yourself. "Study foreign languages early, practice communication skills, and maintain an open-minded attitude, respecting cultural differences," Ms. Van shared.
"Soft bridge" about culture
Looking forward to the upcoming trip to Korea, Nguyen Anh Khoa and his friends aim to learn about community education models, youth development and become a "soft bridge" in culture.
"We want to bring the image of Vietnamese ao dai, telling about our country with the most familiar and genuine things. We also plan to film a vlog of our journey, simple but inspiring footage, to share with the student community when we return," Khoa said.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sinh-vien-ru-nhau-du-hoc-he-ren-ky-nang-kinh-nghiem-20250804104536162.htm
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