On November 30, 2025, in Quang Trung Commune, National Economics University (NEU), in coordination with Quang Trung and Nha Nam Communes in Bac Ninh Province and Kha Son Commune in Thai Nguyen Province, successfully held a ceremony commemorating 60 years since the University’s evacuation to these localities (1965–2025). NEU is one of very few educational institutions in Vietnam that still organize annual activities to express gratitude to the localities that hosted them during evacuation. The year 2025 marks exactly 60 years since NEU relocated to its evacuation sites during the resistance war against U.S. imperialism.

A view of the commemorative ceremony

Attending the ceremony was Ngo Van Du, former Politburo member, former Chairman of the Central Inspection Commission and former NEU lecturer, who personally experienced the University’s evacuation to the locality.

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

Representing the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, a sister 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; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President; Dr. Nguyen Huu Dong, Chairman 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 Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council, delivers remarks

Speaking at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chair of the University Council, recalled the University’s wartime journey, marked by hardship but also deep bonds of affection. He emphasized that 60 years earlier, as the country entered the fierce years of war, the University of Economics and Planning, now NEU, had to leave the capital and evacuate to rural communities with strong revolutionary traditions. Phuc Son, Lam Cot, An Duong, Duong Thanh and Tan Duc, among other localities—now Quang Trung, Nha Nam and Kha Son Communes—welcomed NEU’s teachers and students with open arms. Thatched houses, makeshift classrooms, the care of local residents and a spirit of sharing both hardship and joy became a source of support that enabled the University’s teachers and students to persevere in their teaching and research missions and contribute to the nation’s resistance war.

“Looking back on that journey, NEU’s teachers and students recognize ever more deeply that the strong University we see today remained steadfast amid the flames of war, sustained by the bonds between the military and the people, solidarity among compatriots, and the affection linking its teachers and students with local communities—bonds that have remained strong for 60 years,” shared Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho.

On behalf of the University’s faculty and staff, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Duc Tho also expressed profound gratitude to the Party committees, authorities and residents of Quang Trung and Nha Nam Communes in Bac Ninh and Kha Son Commune in Thai Nguyen, which sheltered and supported the University throughout its evacuation. He emphasized that “the care of local residents has become part of NEU’s history, a cherished memory and a source of pride for generations of teachers and students.”

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

Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of the leaders of the host communes, Nguyen Xuan Tuyen, Chairman of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee, expressed his joy at welcoming current and former central and local leaders, along with generations of NEU teachers and staff, back to the area that hosted the University during its evacuation.

Nguyen Xuan Tuyen emphasized that Phuc Son, Lam Cot, An Duong, Tan Duc and Duong Thanh, once affectionately known as the “evacuation communes” and now Quang Trung, Nha Nam and Kha Son, have always treasured the years of close bonds between the University and local communities. This year’s event holds special significance, marking 60 years of shared memories, gratitude and enduring ties.

Recalling that historical period, the Chairman of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee noted that the relationship between the University and local communities extends beyond memories: over the years, the two sides have undertaken numerous practical cooperative activities. Notable examples include professional development programs in economic management, finance and digital transformation for commune officials; advisory activities on socioeconomic development, particularly agricultural restructuring, farm enterprise development and the circular economy; visits to sites associated with revolutionary history and incense-offering ceremonies at historical sites; and student visits to present thousands of gifts to families eligible for preferential social policies, poor households and schoolchildren overcoming hardship. Many groups of NEU students and learners have also chosen these localities for field surveys and data collection for scientific research. He said that although modest in scale, these activities are meaningful and help deepen the traditional relationship built over 60 years.

The Chairman of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee expressed his wish to maintain and further develop the close relationship between the University and the localities through activities such as advice on socioeconomic development strategies; training and professional development for officials; implementation of new economic models and technological applications in agriculture; cooperation in scientific research and field surveys; and continued social activities and initiatives to honor and support those who have served the nation. He also expressed confidence that close coordination between the two sides would create new value, contribute to local socioeconomic development and help make Bac Ninh Province increasingly prosperous and beautiful, toward its goal of becoming a centrally governed city in the near future.

“I wish NEU continued strong growth as it further affirms its position as one of the country’s leading institutions for economics education. I also wish for the relationship between the University and Quang Trung, Nha Nam and Kha Son Communes to remain enduring, true to the spirit of ‘Unwavering Bonds – Developing Together – Looking Toward the Future Together,’” emphasized the Chairman of the Quang Trung Commune People’s Committee.

Mai Son, member of the Provincial Party Committee’s Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, presents congratulatory flowers

NEU leaders receive a congratulatory flower basket from representatives of the commune leadership

NEU leaders receive a congratulatory flower basket from the Bac Ninh Provincial Alumni and Learners Network

At the commemorative ceremony, NEU presented numerous meaningful gifts to the localities to express its profound gratitude. The University donated VND 50 million in cash to each commune’s Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee for the “For the Poor” Fund and support for recovery from natural disasters; awarded scholarships to schoolchildren who have overcome difficult circumstances to make progress in their studies; and provided support gifts worth VND 2 million per household to families facing particularly difficult circumstances.

NEU leaders present meaningful gifts to the localities

Leaders of the College of Business, NEU, award scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the communes who have strong academic records and are taking entrance examinations for NEU

These gifts of gratitude not only reflect the affection of NEU’s faculty and staff for the localities with which they forged ties during wartime, but also affirm their wish to continue nurturing and preserving the bonds that have endured for six decades.

University leaders present flowers in gratitude to the leaders of the localities that hosted the University during its evacuation

The evacuation years have become an indelible memory in NEU’s history—a period marked by hardship but also by deep bonds between teachers and students, solidarity between the military and the people, and the protective care of local residents. For generations of the University’s faculty, staff and students, Quang Trung, Nha Nam and Kha Son remain sacred places, preserving profound memories of a time of hardship warmed by human kindness.

University leaders receive expressions of affection from the localities that hosted the University during its evacuation

As part of the anniversary program, the exchange session “Memories of the Evacuation Years” brought moving moments as historical witnesses, alumni and local residents recalled stories from more than half a century ago. Their heartfelt accounts, interspersed with artistic performances and activities expressing gratitude, vividly recreated the enduring bonds between the University and local people during the years of resistance. This reflective atmosphere, filled with nostalgia, once again affirmed the value of a tradition of affection and solidarity—a foundation that has helped shape NEU’s identity and strength today.

Historical witnesses to NEU’s evacuation years share their recollections during the exchange session “Memories of the Evacuation Years”

The program not only marked a milestone for reflecting on the meaningful journey thus far, but also opened a new chapter of broader and deeper cooperation, with more practical contributions to the sustainable development of the localities that have maintained close ties with NEU for six decades.

Delegates attending the anniversary celebration pose for a commemorative photograph

Some images from the anniversary celebration:

Article and photos: Department of Communications

Media coverage of the anniversary celebration:

Nhan Dan: From Evacuation Memories to Development Cooperation: National Economics University Expands Ties with Localities

Dai Bieu Nhan Dan: National Economics University Marks the 60th Anniversary of Its Evacuation

National Economics University Signs Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation with Three Communes in Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen

Giao Duc & Thoi Dai: Celebration Marks the 60th Anniversary of National Economics University’s Evacuation

Dan Viet: Moving Stories from the Place That Hosted National Economics University During Its Evacuation 60 Years Ago

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