Students from the Faculty of Tourism at Hoa Binh University Win International Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation

Jasmine

07/10/2024

Students from the Faculty of Tourism at Hoa Binh University have been awarded an international prize for cultural heritage preservation. The competition, “Cultural Heritage Conservation and Sustainable Solutions – 2nd Edition,” was part of the “2nd Asian Youth Forum on Cultural Heritage” organized by UNESCO, attracting 621 teams from 17 countries and territories. After three online qualifying rounds, 19 outstanding teams advanced to the finals in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia from October 1 to 5, 2024.

From Vietnam, the competition teams were represented by two student groups from the Faculty of Tourism at Hoa Binh University: The Quan Ho (Folk song) Team and Ao Dai Team. These two were among the 19 teams that made it to the finals, competing against teams from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Macao, Indonesia, and India. Vietnam contributed two teams, the Quan Ho and Ao Dai teams, from Hoa Binh University.

Two Vietnamese teams from the Faculty of Tourism at Hoa Binh University: The Quan Ho (Folk song) Team and Ao Dai Team.

The competition rounds and the preparation of the Vietnamese teams

The competition consisted of three qualifying rounds:

Round 1: Teams submitted a comprehensive research paper outlining the issue and proposing solutions in a 500-word English abstract.
Round 2: Teams submitted a 10,000-word research paper following international publication standards, including sections on problem statement, research methodology, discussion, policy implications, and solutions.
Round 3: Students designed a 12-15 minute video on their research content, featuring field interviews and proposing sustainable solutions.

At the finals, teams had 3 minutes to introduce their video and 10 minutes to present in English, followed by a 7-minute question-and-answer session with the judging panel.

Achievements of the Faculty of Tourism at Hoa Binh University

This year, there was a change in the competition rules as there were no specific rankings for first, second, or third place, but prizes were awarded across 7 different categories. Two Vietnamese teams excelled and received two significant awards:

The Quan Ho team won the Best Community Engagement award.
The Ao Dai team won the Best Education and Knowledge Transmission team award.

The Quan Ho team won the Best Community Engagement award.

The Ao Dai team won the Best Education and Knowledge Transmission team award.

As said by Professor George Ngui Kwan, a member of the organizing committee “I am very impressed by the performances of the Vietnamese students. Both teams demonstrated exceptionally well with clear highlights.”

Pride of Hoa Binh University

According to Dr. Tran Diem Hang, the Head of the Faculty of Tourism at Hoa Binh University and also the leader of the Vietnamese delegation, this is the second time the university has made it to the finals of this competition. She shared, “We are extremely proud to have topped 2 out of the 7 categories in this year’s competition. The students not only excelled in their research but also left a strong impression with their creative presentations.”

Student Pham Duc Minh from the Quan Ho team expressed, “I am very proud to represent Vietnam in this international competition. Presenting in English at such a large event was a fantastic opportunity for me to showcase my passion for this language.”

Student Nguyen Thi Huyen, a member of the Ao Dai team, emotionally shared, “Wearing the white Ao Dai and performing on the international stage has brought me immense pride. Many people came to take photos and praised the beauty of the Vietnamese Ao Dai.”

This competition is not just an intellectual challenge but also an opportunity for students at Hoa Binh University to interact, learn from international peers, and create unforgettable experiences.

* Other activities of the 2 teams at the Contest