On November 30, 2025, a ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between National Economics University (NEU) and Quang Trung and Nha Nam Communes (Bac Ninh Province) and Kha Son Commune (Thai Nguyen Province) took place in Quang Trung Commune, Bac Ninh Province. This was an event of special significance in the series of events marking 60 years since NEU’s relocation to its evacuation sites.

An overview of the ceremony to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between NEU and three communes: Quang Trung and Nha Nam (Bac Ninh Province) and Kha Son (Thai Nguyen Province)

Representing the leadership of Bac Ninh Province at the signing ceremony were Mai Son, Member of the Provincial Party Committee’s Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chair of the Bac Ninh Provincial People’s Committee; Le Minh Hoang, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Chief of the Provincial Party Committee Office; Than Trung Kien, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the Bac Ninh Provincial People’s Council; and Bui The Chung, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Ninh Provincial Party Agencies.

Representing the leadership of the communes in Bac Ninh Province that hosted the University during its evacuation were, from Quang Trung Commune: Hoang Van Hai, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the People’s Council; and Nguyen Xuan Tuyen, Chair of the People’s Committee. Representing Nha Nam Commune were Nguyen Duc Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the People’s Council; and Do Thi Hai Yen, Chair of the People’s Committee. Representing Kha Son Commune, Thai Nguyen Province, were Nguyen Van Ban, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the People’s Council; and Nguyen Dac Vinh, Chair of the People’s Committee. Also attending were leaders and residents of the communes that hosted the University during its evacuation, numerous invited delegates, and historical witnesses to NEU’s years of evacuation.

Representing the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, a twinned institution that has consistently stood alongside NEU, was Prof. Dr. Nguyen Khac Quoc Bao, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council.

Representing NEU were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of NEU; Dr. Nguyen Huu Dong, Chair of the NEU Trade Union; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Do, former Secretary of the Party Committee and former Vice President; Prof. Dr. Tran Tho Dat, Chair of the Science and Training Council, former Secretary of the Party Committee and former President; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Chair of the Advisory Council and former Chair of the University Council. Also attending were current and former University leaders, leaders of the University’s sociopolitical organizations, and NEU faculty, staff, and students.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, President of NEU, delivers remarks

Speaking at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, President of NEU, emphasized the event’s significance within the tradition of close ties between the University and the local communities: “Today’s signing ceremony is not merely an activity of professional cooperation, but also a continuation of a historic milestone rooted in years of hardship under bombardment, yet filled with human kindness. Building on that foundation, our generation must all the more cherish the past so that together we can begin a new chapter of deeper and stronger ties.”

The NEU President also affirmed that the ties between NEU and the communes that hosted the University during its evacuation hold special significance in the country’s new development context, particularly following the merger of Bac Ninh Province and the former Bac Giang Province, which has created broader opportunities for development and regional connectivity. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong, cooperation between localities and leading universities will become an important driver of innovation, human resource development, and improved local governance.

Recalling the University’s history more than 60 years ago, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong shared with emotion: “For NEU, Quang Trung, Nha Nam, and Kha Son are not merely place names, but part of the University’s memory and an inseparable part of its very being. It was the heartfelt protection and care of the residents at the evacuation sites that helped our teachers and students overcome challenges and fulfill their mission of training personnel for the country.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Huy Nhuong emphasized that, in this new phase of integration, NEU and the three communes of Quang Trung, Nha Nam, and Kha Son would continue writing that historical story in a new, more comprehensive form suited to the development needs of the times. He also expressed his hope that this cooperation would create a model for university–locality engagement, enabling both sides to jointly establish an exemplary partnership that spreads academic and cultural values and promotes sustainable development.

Nguyen Xuan Tuyen, Chair of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee, delivers remarks

Also at the ceremony, Nguyen Xuan Tuyen, Chair of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee, speaking on behalf of the localities that once hosted the University during its evacuation, expressed appreciation for the affection and commitment that NEU’s faculty and leadership have shown to the local communities. Nguyen Xuan Tuyen emphasized that relations between the University and the communes had been maintained not only during the evacuation but throughout the postwar period to the present, carrying forward their tradition while expanding cooperation across many fields. The journey to the 50-year milestone and now the 60-year milestone has helped further strengthen the bond between the two sides.

The Chair of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee expressed his hope that this relationship would continue to be strengthened and become a model for cooperation in peacetime, supporting local construction and development. He also affirmed that this ceremony to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation would be an important milestone, opening a new stage of development for both the University and the localities.

Leaders of NEU and leaders of Quang Trung and Nha Nam Communes, Bac Ninh Province, and Kha Son Commune, Thai Nguyen Province, sign the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation

NEU leaders present gifts and pose for commemorative photographs

The Memorandum of Understanding will thus open a new chapter of comprehensive cooperation: from personnel training and professional development, joint scientific research, and development strategy formulation to the promotion of community-based tourism, high-tech agriculture, and youth support programs—ranging from student movements, volunteering, and entrepreneurship to the transfer of digital economy models.

The parties will also work together on career guidance, employment connections, scholarships, and internships for students. At the same time, they will work toward developing an advanced new-style rural development model, fostering the green economy, advancing community digital transformation, and strengthening regional connectivity in line with the orientations of the newly constituted Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen Provinces, laying the foundation for sustainable local development.

Delegates attend the ceremony to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between NEU and three communes: Quang Trung and Nha Nam (Bac Ninh Province) and Kha Son (Thai Nguyen Province)

Dr. Bui Duc Dung, Head of the Department of General Affairs, serves as master of ceremonies

Representatives of NEU’s leadership and youth hold an incense-offering ceremony at the Memorial to Heroes and Martyrs in Quang Trung Commune

Earlier, representatives of NEU’s leadership and youth held an incense-offering ceremony at the Memorial to Heroes and Martyrs in Quang Trung Commune.

The ceremony to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between NEU and Quang Trung, Nha Nam, and Kha Son Communes concluded in a solemn atmosphere, opening a new phase of strong and practical cooperation. It will contribute to local development while affirming NEU’s social responsibility in the current period of integration and renewal.

Article and photos: 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.