A ceremony was held in Hanoi on January 7 to mark the 65 th anniversary of the Vietnam ’s Students’ Day (January 9), and to present “Sinh vien 5 tot” (Five-Virtue Student) and “Sao Thang Gieng” (January Star) awards to outstanding students nationwide.

Over the past 65 years, under the leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, student movements and the Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) have grown and developed substantially during revolutionary periods, stated Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat.

Hailing the achievements made by generations of students, he urged the VSA to continue promoting tradition and enhancing unity among students.

He also urged Party and Government agencies, as well as the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the entire society, to work with the VSA to develop a generation of knowledgeable and virtuous students.

According to Le Quoc Phong, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and President of the VSA Central Committee, the association currently has over 1.3 million members.

In keeping with their values of solidarity and mutual support, Vietnamese students have developed a positive reputation within society through numerous social movements, including blood drives and summer volunteer campaigns, he noted.

During its development, the VSA has actively served as a bridge between the Party and State and students, an important force in all schools, he said.

At the ceremony, the VSA present the Five-Virtue Students award to 41 outstanding students who showed good morality, high academic achievement, good health, exemplary voluntary service, and impressive community engagement.

As many as 100 students with excellent academic achievements were also presented with the January Star award, initiated in 2000.-VNA