A 20-member delegation from the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) is leaving for Vietnam May 4 for a 12-day tour and community service to a number of places in the Southeast Asian country, Qatar's newspaper The Peninsula reported Monday.
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| The Ambassador of Vietnam with staff and students of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar at the embassy |
“The students who come from 13 different nationalities will be exploring the rich history, people and places in Vietnam for the first time,” said Vietnamese Consul Mau Tien Duong, yesterday during the visit of the CMU-Q students to the Vietnamese Embassy.
The 17 students together with teachers had an opportunity to meet Vietnamese Ambassador Phung The Long who gave them key information on Vietnam prior to their departure. The Ambassador informed the students of the diversity of Vietnamese culture, social and economic development and diplomatic relations with other countries including Qatar.
“Vietnam enjoys cordial bilateral relations with Qatar and has always endeavoured to establish good partnerships with the rest of the world including the Arab region with missions already in place in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar,” the Ambassador said.
He said the establishment of a Qatari Mission in Hanoi in December and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit last year provided a further boost to the existing relations between the two countries.
“Last year trade volume between Qatar and Vietnam reached $135m, four times better compared with that of 2007,” he said underlining the unprecedented growth in the partnership between the two countries in terms of trade.
“The trip takes us to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Sa Pa, and Lao Cai,” said Darbi Roberts, Student Development Coordinator, adding the primary purpose of the trip is for community service and to learn about the people of Vietnam and share culture with them.
“In Sa Pa, students will help build a craft centre for the local women of the village,” said David Stanfield, Director of Student Activities and First Year Programmes.
Stanfield said it is vital for the students to learn about other cultures and they hope with their visit the Vietnamese people will have a better understanding of people coming from the Gulf region.
CMU-Q has been keen on immersing students to other cultures and developing their global membership and sense of service to the community through exposure trips. Last year, 15 of its students travelled to a remote Thai village to help build a community kitchen and dining area for the residents there.
