The ninth National External Information Service Awards launch in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photos Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — The ninth National External Information Service Awards was launched today in Hà Nội, welcoming both Vietnamese and foreign applicants.

The awards honour outstanding authors, works, and publications in the field of external information service and help popularise the country’s development achievements in various areas.

It is open to works in Vietnamese and foreign languages in many categories, including those published in print and online newspapers, books, video clips and television broadcasting works. The deadline for entry submission is July 31, 2023.

The award is launched in the context that the year 2023 is highly important to the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, said Lê Hải Bình, alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, and Permanent Deputy Chairman of the Steering Committee for External Information Service.

It should fully reflect the positive and effective contributions of the external information service to the building and consolidation of the people and international friends’ trust in Việt Nam and to the mobilisation of every external resource to be combined with the internal strength to serve the realisation of national development targets in 2023, he said at the press conference held on the same day.

“Given the comprehensive achievements in all fields of the country after 37 years of Đổi mới (Reform) and the efforts of the whole political system in the recovery and development of the country, I hope and believe this year's awards will continue to receive a large number of high-quality works with rich and vivid content, covering many fields from both local and foreign authors,” said General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Vũ Việt Trang.

“As a standing body of the award this year, the Vietnam News Agency is committed to effectively implementing the direction of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information and Education, learning valuable experiences from previous seasons to continue renovating the organisation of this year's event.”

General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Vũ Việt Trang delivers remarks at the press conference on Wednesday.

Through eight successful editions, the National External Information Service Awards has affirmed its prestige and quality while creating a space of creativity for Vietnamese and foreigners who engage in the external information service.

The prize has also attracted the strong participation of authors and groups of overseas Vietnamese and foreigners, many of whom won high prizes for their works and publications.

The ninth National External Information Service Awards are expected to highlight communications and the external information service in particular, bringing images of the country, people, culture and dynamic development of Việt Nam to international friends.

The Awards are organised by the Steering Committee for External Information Service, the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education, the Vietnam News Agency, and relevant agencies

In 2022, amid complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organising board of the eighth awards received 1,172 entries in 14 languages, including about 200 entries in foreign languages and 70 entries by foreigners or overseas Vietnamese.

The eighth Awards Council presented prizes to 112 outstanding entries and reserved the special honour for the “Community of Vietnamese fans in the 31st SEA Games”, who substantially contributed to the success of the largest sporting event of Southeast Asia held in Việt Nam and introduced to the world a beautiful, safe, friendly and hospitable Việt Nam with a rich history and culture.

On the occasion of the ninth National External Information Service Awards launch, the Vietnam News Agency introduced a photo collection themed “Heart-melting humanity in quake epicentre Turkey”.

A photo collection themed “Heart-melting humanity in quake epicentre Turkey” on the sidelines of the event.

The photos were taken by reporters in Hà Tây Province in February 2023 shortly after the disaster. The reporters captured images hoping to convey a message of belief that people in this country will surmount losses and pain to reconstruct and recover. 

The ninth National External Information Service Awards are open to works in Vietnamese and foreign languages in the categories:

1. Print newspapers in Vietnamese.

2. Electronic newspapers, websites in Vietnamese.

3. Print newspapers in foreign languages.

4. Electronic newspapers, websites in foreign languages.

5. Radio broadcasting.

6. Television broadcasting.

7. Photos (comprising Press photo and Landscape photo).

8. Books.

9. Video clips.

10. Initiatives, products with external information values.

The entries must be posted on mass media outlets or published, distributed, announced, or used in Việt Nam or other countries from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. — VNS