U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL DELEGATION IN HO CHI MINH CITY VISITED AND ENGAGED WITH IU-VNU HCMC

On March 11, 2025, IU welcomed the U.S. Consulate General Delegation in Ho Chi Minh City for a visit and to engage with IU leadership and students. During the visit, the U.S. Consulate General Delegation held a meeting to exchange ideas with IU leadership and representatives from various Departments and Schools. In particular, the organizers also arranged a talk for IU students on the topic of “30 years of Vietnam – US Bilateral Relations,” delivered by Ms. Susan Burns, the U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, as a speaker.

2025 marks a significant milestone in a memorable journey – 30th Anniversary of Vietnam – US Bilateral Relations. The U.S. Consulate General Delegation’s visit to Ho Chi Minh City kicked off the beginning of a series of events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Vietnam – U.S. Bilateral Relations, thereby promoting the friendly and cooperative relationship between the two countries in education and training.

Dr. Ho Nhut Quang – Party Committee’s Secretary, Chairman of the IU Council, along with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Duy Phuong – Head of the Office of External and Rublic Relations – welcomed Consul General Susan Burns on the morning of March 11, 2025.

The U.S. Consulate General delegation then held a welcome session with IU representatives. During his welcome speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Duc Anh Vu, Vice Rector of IU – affirmed: “Education is a vital foundation in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, contributing to promoting mutual understanding and creating momentum for further development. We are committed to providing world-class education, as demonstrated by our close partnerships with prestigious universities in the US.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Duc Anh Vu – Vice Rector of IU – delivered a welcome speech to the U.S. Consulate General Delegation visiting the School.

The U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Susan Burns, also affirmed IU’s relationship with U.S. educational institutions: “We greatly value the relationship we have with IU that has spanned many years. It is truly a pleasure to witness the extensive collaboration between VNU-IU and organizations in the U.S. This is definitely something we are very keen to continue developing.”

She also emphasized: “At the end of this month, we will have a delegation from U.S. universities coming to Vietnam to explore opportunities to expand cooperation. The Consulate General is always ready to assist you in building relationships and seeking further opportunities for cooperation that benefit you and your organization.

Ms. Susan Burns, Consul General, delivered a speech at a meeting with the IU leadership.

Dr. Ho Nhut Quang, Party Committee’s Secretary, Chairman of the IU Council – on behalf of IU, presented a souvenir to Ms. Susan Burns.

On behalf of the U.S. Consulate General Delegation, Ms. Susan Burns also presented a souvenir to IU, and Dr. Ho Nhut Quang, Party Committee’s Secretary, Chairman of the IU Council – received the gift on behalf of IU.

In particular, a talk on the topic of “30 Years of Vietnam – U.S. Bilateral Relations” featuring speaker Consul General Susan Burns as the speaker was also held in the IU auditorium with an audience of over 150 students. The talk aimed to help students better understand the strong cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the U.S., especially the bilateral achievements the two countries have made over 30 years of cooperation in the fields of economy, science, technology, and education.

The auditorium was packed with IU students and staff who were interested in listening and engaging with Ms. Susan Burns.

To open the speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Duc Anh Vu encouraged IU students to take advantage of the opportunity to engage directly with a high-profile leader to ask insightful questions.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Duc Anh Vu delivered the opening speech at the talk with students.

Speaking to IU students, Ms. Susan Burns stated that more than 30,000 Vietnamese students are currently studying in the U.S, making Vietnam the leading country in Southeast Asia and the 6th in the world in terms of the number of students studying in the U.S. Notably, this number has steadily increased over the past 18 years. This affirms the close relationship between the two countries in the field of education. In addition, in the tourism sector, the number of U.S. tourists visiting Vietnam has consistently remained in the top 5 of international visitors to Vietnam.

Furthermore, through the story of her two children pursuing two completely different careers, Consul General Susan Burns conveyed advice to students: “Growth and success often come when we step out of our comfort zone, pursue our passions and dreams, and create meaningful connections.”

Consul General Susan Burns shared extremely sincere advice to IU students.

Following the insightful sharing part, students had the opportunity to directly ask questions about the 30 year of Vietnam-US Bilateral Relations.

Students actively participated in asking questions to the program’s speaker.

Ms. Susan Burns answered the students’ questions.

At the end of the talk, the U.S. Consulate General Delegation in Ho Chi Minh City took commemorative photos with the IU leadership, guests, leaders of departments/schools, and IU students.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Nhut Quang presented appreciating flowers to Consul General Susan Burns.