Cultural and people-to-people exchanges are identified as priority areas of cooperation in the overall Vietnam - Brunei Darussalam Comprehensive Partnership.
Continuing the results of the past time, bilateral cultural exchanges and people-to-people exchanges in 2024 continue to record positive marks, making practical contributions to the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.
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| The Crown Prince of Brunei visits the Embassy's exhibition booth at the ASEAN Textile Exhibition (August 2024). |
Priority in bilateral cooperation
Along with the country's deep and comprehensive integration process, cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchange between Vietnam and partner countries are constantly expanding and deepening, including cooperation activities with Brunei Darussalam, a Southeast Asian country that has close cooperative relations with Vietnam within the framework of ASEAN as well as many regional and multilateral mechanisms.
During the official visit to Brunei by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (February 2023), the two countries approved the Action Plan to implement the Vietnam - Brunei Comprehensive Partnership for the period 2023 - 2027, which identified important and priority areas of cooperation, including cultural and people-to-people exchanges. During the visit, the Prime Minister also directly participated in cultural exchange activities, especially visiting the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD) and interacting with Bruneian students studying Vietnamese at UBD.
Based on the support of the leaders of the two countries and the established cooperation frameworks, cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in 2024 will continue to be promoted. It is impressive that a number of cultural promotion and exchange activities organized by the Embassy and the Vietnamese community in Brunei received the support and participation of Brunei's senior leaders. Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah visited the Embassy's exhibition booth at the ASEAN Textile Exhibition held in August 2024 and listened to an introduction to Vietnam's traditional Ao Dai and Ao Ngu Than.
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| Princess Hajah Masna, sister of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, listens to an introduction to Vietnamese bun cha at the Brunei New Year event (May 2024). |
Activities promoting Vietnamese culinary culture in Brunei are not only welcomed and responded to by the Vietnamese community but also very interested by the Brunei people. Many Brunei partners and friends said they were very impressed with Vietnamese cuisine, especially pho, spring rolls and fried spring rolls because of their delicious taste and good health.
More and more Bruneians are interested in Vietnam, learning to communicate in Vietnamese to travel, enjoy cuisine, shop and learn about Vietnamese culture. Some special Vietnamese dishes have been introduced by the Embassy to Brunei leaders on the occasion of some promotional activities.
Cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges continue to be a highlight within the framework of bilateral high-level delegation exchanges. During the official visit to Brunei by Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh (August 2024), the National Assembly delegation attended the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Promotion Space at Brunei National Airport, a cooperation project between the Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei and Royal Brunei Airlines to promote Vietnamese culture and tourism to Bruneian people and international friends.
Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh and the National Assembly delegation also visited UBD school and interacted with more than 60 Brunei students studying Vietnamese at the school. Many students were very excited to learn and explore Vietnamese language and culture, and wished to visit and travel to Vietnam in the near future.
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| Opening ceremony of Vietnam Promotion Space at Brunei National Airport (August 2024). |
Bridge of cultural exchange and people-to-people exchange
Among cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchange activities, it is impossible not to mention the role of the Vietnamese community in Brunei. Currently, there are nearly 300 Vietnamese people in Brunei with quite diverse components, including international students, lecturers, engineers, workers, businessmen and a small number of Vietnamese-Brunei multicultural families. Although the number is not large, in recent times, the Vietnamese community has played a role as a bridge to promote Vietnamese culture to friends and people of Brunei, and actively cooperated with the Embassy in cultural exchange activities and people-to-people exchange.
In 2024, a number of new Vietnamese cultural and culinary products successfully entered the Brunei market, including handicrafts, rattan and bamboo products, agricultural products, fabrics and textiles, etc. with good quality and reasonable prices.
Sai Ngon coffee products, a joint venture brand between a Brunei enterprise and a partner in Vietnam, were introduced to the Brunei market in 2024, quickly received by Brunei consumers and distributed in Brunei's leading supermarket chains such as Huaho and Supa save.
Vocational classes on handicrafts and Vietnamese cuisine, organized by Vietnamese businesses and individuals in the area, also actively contribute to promoting Vietnamese cultural products to Bruneian people and friends.
Vietnamese language promotion activities play a very important role in cultural exchange and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Brunei. The Vietnamese language teaching program at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), launched in 2022, has attracted the attention and participation of many UBD students, reaching an average of 60-90 students/semester. In the coming time, the Embassy plans to coordinate with community representatives to promote teaching and exchange activities on Vietnamese language and culture for children of multicultural Vietnamese-Brunei families in the area.
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| The Vietnamese Language and Culture Day event organized by the Embassy at the University of Brunei (October 2024) was attended by Brunei students studying Vietnamese. |
Motivation for cooperation from digital technology applications
The strong development of digital technology and information technology is creating momentum for many areas of bilateral cooperation between Vietnam and its partners. In discussions with the Embassy, a number of agencies and partners in Brunei expressed their expectations for the effectiveness of digital technology and applications in promoting cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchange in the coming time.
Ms. Salinah Binti Haji Mohd Salleh, Director General of Tourism Development Department, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Brunei shared plans to promote digital tourism applications and cooperate with a number of influential individuals on social media from countries, including Vietnam, to promote Brunei tourism in 2025.
Digital technology is playing an effective role in promoting the country and people of Vietnam to Bruneian partners and enhancing understanding and information sharing between the people of the two countries. In 2024, through the internship cooperation program between the Vietnamese Embassy in Brunei and the Diplomatic Academy, many students have actively compiled and designed many digital media products, publications and promotional videos about Vietnam for use in Brunei.
A group of students from the Diplomatic Academy have actively implemented the initiative to build a photo website about Brunei in Vietnamese and English to provide information and knowledge about the country, people and unique cultural features of Brunei Darussalam.
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| Brunei information website Bruneicharm.com designed by students of Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. |
According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thin, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy, the initiative demonstrates the initiative and creativity of the Academy’s students in applying digital media to contribute to promoting and exchanging culture between Vietnam and international partners. In the coming time, the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture of the Diplomatic Academy will promote cooperation and connection with domestic and foreign partners to improve the effectiveness of student training, while contributing to bridging exchanges and connecting youth and students with other countries.
Sharing his thoughts on the initiative, Dang Le Xuan Mai, head of the student internship group, expressed his deep impression of the role of cultural exchange, cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in the friendship and sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and partner countries, including Brunei. The initiative to build a photo website about Brunei is a specific activity of the group of students from the Diplomatic Academy, promoting dynamism, creativity and applying digital technology to share information and knowledge about the country and culture of Brunei, thereby contributing to enhancing understanding and friendship and cooperation between the youth and people of the two countries.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dau-an-trao-doi-van-hoa-giua-viet-nam-va-brunei-nam-2024-300258.html
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