A delegation from t he Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) led by Secretary Le Quoc Phong held a working session with representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese Students’ Association in Belgium (SIVIBI) on October 4.

The meeting was part of the delegation’s ongoing visit to Europe, including Germany, Hungary, the UK, Belgium and France, to learn about the work of Vietnam Students’ Associations in the respective countries.

During the working session, representatives from the HCMCYU gave directions on community activities and exchange programmes for overseas Vietnamese students.

Phong, who is also the Chairman of the Vietnam Students’ Association (VSA), praised the SIVIBI for its recent efforts, affirming that Vietnamese students act as an important bridge between the Vietnamese community abroad and at home.

He expressed his hope that the SIVIBI would continue to contribute to development in the host country and Vietnam.

On behalf of Vietnamese students, SIVIBI Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Dung said that since its establishment in 2011, the SIVIBI had organised sports, cultural and charitable events, attracting a large number of Vietnamese students. SIVIBI members taught the Vietnamese language to overseas Vietnamese children and carried out charitable activities to raise fund for needy people in Vietnam.

Many students at the working session said it was essential to enhance links among Vietnamese students inside and outside the country, adding that the VSA needed to provide more information for self-funded Vietnamese students in Belgium to stay in contact with Vietnamese youth organisations and associations.

Around 300 Vietnamese students study in the Belgian cities of Brussels, Leuven, Liege, Antwerp, Namur and Ghent. Most of them are enrolled in training courses under the bilateral scholarship programme supported by the Belgian Government.

On the occasion, the VSA Central Committee awarded certificates of merit to four outstanding groups and 12 individuals of the SIVIBI in recognition of their contributions to the association.-VNA