On October 6, 2024, representatives of the Liaison Committee of the National Economics University (NEU) Cohort 39 Alumni Association held an inauguration and handover ceremony for facilities at Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School in Thuong Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province. This is the sixth construction project in the Cohort 39 Alumni Association’s series of charitable activities, with the goal of “Connecting and sharing.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, joins representatives of the Cohort 39 Alumni Association Liaison Committee and other parties in cutting the inaugural ribbon.

Representing the leadership of Bo Trach District at the ceremony were Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the District People’s Council; Bui Quoc Thanh, Member of the District Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the District People’s Committee; Vo Hai Quan, Member of the District Party Committee and Head of the District Department of Education and Training; Phan Hai Ha, Member of the District Party Committee and Chief of Office of the District People’s Council and People’s Committee; Tran Nam Trung, Head of the District Department of Ethnic Affairs; and Do Manh Tai, Member of the District Party Committee and Secretary of the Commune Party Committee. Also attending were representatives of the Party committee, local government, Fatherland Front, and mass organizations of Thuong Trach Commune.

Representing Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School was Nguyen Ngoc Phuong, Principal of Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School.

Representing NEU were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU; and MSc. Nguyen Hoang Ha, Head of the Department of Political Affairs and Student Management and standing representative of the NEU Alumni Network. Representing the Cohort 39 Alumni Association Liaison Committee were Phan Thi Dieu Huong, Deputy Head of the Cohort 39 Alumni Association Liaison Committee; Pham Duc Thuan, Deputy Head of the Cohort 39 Alumni Association Liaison Committee; Le Tuan Ngoc, Deputy Head of the Cohort 39 Alumni Association Liaison Committee; and Truong Minh Hieu, Project Director, along with members of the NEU Cohort 39 Alumni Association.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, speaks at the ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu, Vice President of NEU, said he was honored and proud to join more than 40 members representing 3,000 NEU Cohort 39 alumni in Ban Village, Thuong Trach, to attend the inauguration of Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School in Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu affirmed that this was the result of the collective efforts of NEU Cohort 39 alumni, Cohort 39 members in Quang Binh, the Project Management Board, and the Supervision Board. Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Hieu also thanked the leadership of Bo Trach District, the District Department of Education, the leadership of Thuong Trach Commune, and the management board of Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School for their support, which enabled the school facilities to be put into use in accordance with national standards after six months of construction.

The Vice President also noted that Ban Village in Thuong Trach Commune is a strategically important border location in Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, home to 57 households and 53 school-age children. He said that when the delegation visited to assess conditions, it found that the area lacked adequate facilities. The borrowed premises where the children were studying were deteriorating, and renovation or modification was not permitted. Following discussions and with the district’s agreement to support the initiative, the delegation examined policies for mobilizing social resources. Driven by a desire to spread love and care, its members were eager to build a school site so that children in remote and border areas could have the best possible facilities for teaching and learning.

“Today, at this inauguration ceremony, we are deeply moved and would once again like to convey the message of ‘Connecting and sharing’ to the teachers and students of Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School. We hope these new facilities will provide the children with a more favorable learning environment, encouraging them to study hard, develop their character, and become good children and good students, making their own small contribution to educational development in Bo Trach District and the local community in this beautiful homeland of Ban Village,” emphasized Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu.

At the ceremony, NEU also donated VND 20 million to Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School for educational activities in remote areas.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hieu presents a gift from NEU’s faculty and staff to Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School.

The NEU Cohort 39 Alumni Association currently has more than 3,000 members living and working across the country. Since its establishment, the Association has consistently focused on charitable activities, building community strength and serving as a source of pride for generations of Cohort 39 alumni.

To date, the Association has carried out many meaningful projects, from helping localities recover from storm and flood damage and funding medical equipment for Hanoi Medical University and Bac Giang Province for COVID-19 prevention and control, to supporting children classified as F1 contacts who faced particularly difficult circumstances. In addition, the Association has built five school sites in northern mountainous and central provinces (Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Lai Chau, and Thanh Hoa), with a total project value of approximately VND 3.9 billion.

Thuong Trach No. 1 Primary School in Bo Trach District is the sixth construction project to be completed and put into use. With a total area of 150 m², it comprises three rooms: two classrooms for primary school children and one room for teachers’ accommodation. Equipment includes boards, document cabinets, fans, lights, library bookshelves, and more, with total construction costs exceeding VND 1 billion. This project not only helps improve the school’s facilities but also provides a more favorable learning environment for its students. It is a gift of encouragement, helping motivate the children to study hard, develop their character, and become well-behaved students, contributing to educational development in the locality.

It is hoped that the charitable activities of the NEU Cohort 39 Alumni Association will continue to expand their reach in the time ahead, helping bring positive value to the community.

Article and photos: Department of Political Affairs and Student Management, Cohort 39 Alumni Association Liaison Committee, 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.