On the morning of September 5, 2025, at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) held the 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony. The event was broadcast live on television and connected online across 34 provinces and cities nationwide.

The event held special significance, not only opening a new academic year for millions of school and university students nationwide but also marking the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of National Education, the predecessor of today’s Ministry of Education and Training. At National Economics University (NEU), University leaders, representatives of the leadership of its units, and large numbers of students watched the live broadcast, joining all educational institutions nationwide in saluting the flag and singing the national anthem at the most special academic year opening ceremony to date.

Party and State leaders and delegates attend the 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony and the celebration of the education sector’s 80th anniversary at the National Exhibition Center venue in Hanoi (Photo: Government News)

Attending the ceremony were To Lam, General Secretary of the Party Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam; Politburo members Luong Cuong, State President, and Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister; other Politburo members, Secretaries of the Party Central Committee, members of the Party Central Committee, and representatives of the leadership of central commissions, ministries, sectors, agencies, and mass organizations; local leaders attending at connected venues; ambassadors and representatives of countries and international organizations in Vietnam; Nguyen Kim Son, member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Education and Training; former leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training and its units over the years; directors and rectors of educational and training institutions nationwide; and 1.6 million teachers and education administrators and more than 26 million school and university students nationwide, participating in person and online.

Representing NEU were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, President of NEU; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Lam, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee; representatives of the leadership of its units; and 200 outstanding students.

General Secretary To Lam delivers a policy address at the celebration of the education sector’s 80th anniversary and the 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony (Photo: Government News)

In his policy address at the anniversary celebration and the 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony on behalf of Party and State leaders, General Secretary To Lam extended a warm welcome and best wishes to teachers, education administrators, and all school and university students nationwide. He wished the education sector continued breakthroughs in development, worthy of the heroic Vietnamese nation’s tradition of learning and aspiration to advance.

The General Secretary emphasized that throughout the past 80 years, whether amid the flames of war or in peaceful reconstruction, Vietnam’s revolutionary education had always been at the forefront: developing human resources, nurturing talent, and making a decisive contribution to the success of national liberation, reunification, and development. Particularly since the launch of Doi Moi reforms, education and training have continually expanded their networks, improved quality, and gradually advanced international integration. Alongside achievements that are a source of great pride, he noted the need to acknowledge seriously that educational quality remains uneven and regional disparities remain substantial.

General Secretary To Lam beats the drum to open the 2025-2026 academic year (Photo: Government News)

At the opening of the 2025-2026 academic year, the General Secretary advised students: Set clear goals; develop discipline in self-directed learning; nurture a passion for discovery; strengthen your capabilities and master digital technology and artificial intelligence intelligently, safely, and humanely; show care, share with others, and live responsibly toward yourselves, your families, and your communities. Every step forward you take represents the country’s future. Young schoolchildren should faithfully follow Uncle Ho’s five teachings; secondary school students should cultivate character and civic awareness, build knowledge, and nurture aspirations; university students should foster great ambitions, dare to think and act, and lead the way in science and technology, innovation, digital transformation, the green economy, and international integration. Study and develop yourselves to become workers who contribute to your families and society.

“Our Party has always identified education and training as the foremost national policy priority and a key driving force determining the nation’s future. More than ever, we must regard investment in education as investment in the future and in the country’s sustainable development and strength. I call on the entire Party, people, and armed forces; all levels, sectors, and localities; and every family and citizen to join hands in nurturing future generations, for our children’s future, the prosperity of the Fatherland, and the happiness of the people,” General Secretary To Lam affirmed.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, President of NEU, joins representatives of units and 200 outstanding students at the ceremony at the National Convention Center

At NEU, large numbers of students representing different cohorts gathered early in the morning at Hall A of the Cultural Center to attend this special event. Other University leaders attending included Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, and Prof. Dr. Tran Tho Dat, Chair of the Scientific and Training Council. They were joined by leadership representatives from schools, departments, faculties, institutes, and centers, as well as teachers and University faculty and staff.

A view of the 2025-2026 Academic Year Opening Ceremony and the celebration of the education sector’s 80th anniversary at NEU

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, delivers remarks

Speaking at the opening ceremony at NEU, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, emphasized that this year’s event held special significance as it marked the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Ministry of National Education, now the Ministry of Education and Training. He also emphasized that, through nearly 70 years of development, NEU had become a leading institution for education in economics, management, and business administration, nurturing generations of intellectuals, leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts who have made important contributions to the country’s development.

As the digital economy, artificial intelligence, green technology, and global governance become new drivers of development, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu expressed his expectation that NEU would continue to play a pioneering role, renew its academic programs in line with international standards, build strong research groups, expand international cooperation, and affirm its position as a regional center of knowledge and innovation.

Addressing students, the Vice President expressed his hope that every NEUer would nurture a love of learning and an aspiration to innovate, commit to key fields of the future, and confidently master global knowledge. “Every idea and every effort you make today is a building block for the future of NEU and our country,” Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu affirmed.

NEU joins the live broadcast alongside educational institutions nationwide

For the first time in history, the opening ceremony was connected online to all educational institutions, from preschool and general education to higher education and vocational education, both public and non-public. This created a simultaneous, unified, and deeply meaningful start to the academic year, demonstrating the solidarity of the entire education sector as it enters a new phase of transformation.

Alongside the shared ceremony, educational institutions continued to hold their own opening activities suited to each institution’s circumstances and characteristics, while remaining connected within a unified overall program. The event not only brought a joyful atmosphere to the opening day but also affirmed education’s important role in national development, marking the sector’s 80-year journey of development and growth.

Text and photos: Government News, Department of Political Affairs and Student Management, and Department of Communications

This is an automated translation. If you notice any errors, please contact the Department of Communications, National Economics University at phongtruyenthong@neu.edu.vn.