Bui Ha Anh speaks to a VNA reporter in New York. Photo: VNA  

Ahead of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam’s working trip to attend the high-level general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA-81) and conduct bilateral activities in the US, Vietnamese students studying and conducting research in the country have expressed their expectations that the trip will give fresh impetus to the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

They said they hope the trip would help advance cooperation in trade, science and technology, digital transformation, education, cultural exchanges, defence and security, and people-to-people exchanges.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents in New York, many said they expect the top leader’s working trip to help promote the image of a dynamic, open and peace-loving Vietnam that is increasingly proactive in contributing to the international community's common issues.

Bui Ha Anh, a student at Columbia University, described the trip as particularly significant, saying that high-level diplomatic activities could help strengthen strategic trust, expand trade and investment cooperation and create new connections between Vietnam and the US.

According to Ha Anh, the impact of such engagement would extend beyond bilateral relations to the Vietnamese community in the US, particularly younger generations. She expressed her hope that the trip would generate not only cooperation at the macro level but also practical opportunities for Vietnamese people in the US in areas such as education, research, employment, cultural exchanges and connections between young people from the two countries.

From her personal experience, Ha Anh said living and studying in New York have given her a clearer understanding of the importance of “bridges” connecting Vietnam and the US.

She noted that such bridges went beyond government-level cooperation to include links between universities, scientists, businesses and young talent, as well as connections between the Vietnamese community and American and international friends.

Her expectations, she said, also reflected the growing demand among Vietnamese students abroad for opportunities in academic cooperation, research, internships, entrepreneurship, innovation and cultural exchanges.

As Vietnam-US relations continue to develop, such cooperation could provide young people with greater access to knowledge, technology, modern management practices and international networks, she added.

Sharing the desire for new connections, Tran Duy Anh, another Columbia University student, expressed particular interest in concrete outcomes in the fields of economics, trade, tariffs and high technology.

He said the top leader’s working trip will be an important opportunity to further consolidate and strengthen the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly amid ongoing changes in the global economic and trade environment.

  Tran Duy Anh speaks to a VNA reporter in New York. Photo: VNA  

According to Duy Anh, the current international trade environment presents a number of challenges, including rising trade barriers, increasingly stringent standards and unpredictable changes in the economic policies of major countries. Against this backdrop, high-level contacts could help the two sides enhance mutual understanding, engage in frank exchanges and strengthen strategic trust on issues of shared concern, while seeking solutions to facilitate trade and investment ties, he said.

From the perspective of a young person studying in the US, Duy Anh said he is particularly interested in the potential for expanded cooperation in areas considered drivers of future growth, including high technology, semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, supply chains, digital transformation and high-quality human resources development. These areas were not only economically significant but also strategically important to Vietnam’s development, he added.

Beyond bilateral ties, Vietnamese students in New York also viewed To Lam’s participation in the High-Level General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly as an important opportunity for Vietnam to share its voice and perspectives and promote the country’s image among the international community.

Ha Anh said it is particularly meaningful for international friends to gain a better understanding of Vietnam and its people today. During her studies in the US, she has had opportunities to meet people from many different countries. Through conversations with them, she said, she has found that perceptions of Vietnam among some international students remained relatively limited, often associated with the country’s wartime history or incomplete information about a nation undergoing rapid development. She therefore expressed her hope that To Lam’s working trip would help convey a clearer picture of a friendly, open and proactive Vietnam that is deeply integrated into the international community and committed to making constructive and practical contributions.

Meanwhile, Duy Anh said the top leader's participation in the UN general debate will be an opportunity for Vietnam to further clarify its foreign policy and positions on international issues, while reaffirming its role as a responsible and proactive member of the international community committed to joint efforts for peace, security and development.

More than half a century after the end of the war, Vietnam is not only focused on national development but is also participating more deeply and substantively in international affairs, including humanitarian assistance and UN peacekeeping operations, he noted.

Amid conflicts, instability, strategic competition and transnational challenges around the world, Duy Anh, who is studying political science at Columbia University, said the trip would convey Vietnam’s message of support for multilateralism, respect for international law and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
He noted that Vietnam’s recent external activities, ranging from participation in UN peacekeeping operations and promotion of sustainable development cooperation to its contributions to multilateral forums, have demonstrated the country’s efforts to expand its international role and responsibilities. Such engagement is also important to enhancing Vietnam’s international standing while generating greater pride and motivation among younger generations, he added.

The views shared by Ha Anh and Duy Anh highlight that Vietnam-US relations, as well as Vietnam’s increasingly proactive, positive and responsible engagement in multilateral forums, including the UN, are not distant concepts for younger generations.

High-level diplomatic activities can create concrete opportunities in education, research, scientific cooperation, employment, cultural exchanges and community connections.

Ahead of top leader’s working trip, Ha Anh and Duy Anh expressed their hope that meetings and cooperation during the trip would help create more new bridges — bridges of dialogue, trust, cooperation and mutual understanding; bridges connecting trade, technology, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges; and bridges enabling Vietnam to continue reaching out to the world with confidence, openness and a strong sense of responsibility./.