Delegates attend the launch ceremony of the 2025 Student Week themed “HCM City Students – Aspiration to Rise” in HCM City on December 21. — VNA/VNS Photo Huyền Trang

HCM CITY — More than 2,500 pupils and students took part in the Student Tradition Festival 2025, organised last Sunday by the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union and the Việt Nam National Union of Students in HCM City, marking the launch of the Student Week themed “HCM City Students – Aspiration to Rise”.

The festival, held in Thuận Giao Ward, sought to inspire young people to carry forward the proud traditions of HCM City’s student movement while nurturing a spirit of responsibility, dedication and creativity among the younger generation.

The event was organised amid a vibrant atmosphere of youth emulation activities, in celebration of the upcoming first Congress of the HCM City Youth Union for the 2025-30 term and the 76th anniversary of the Traditional Day of Vietnamese Students and the Việt Nam National Union of Students (January 9, 1950 – January 9, 2026).

Speaking at the event, Nguyễn Đăng Khoa, President of the Việt Nam National Union of Students in HCM City, said over the past 76 years, Vietnamese students have consistently demonstrated strong ideals, intellectual capacity, and a deep sense of patriotism.

In HCM City, this tradition has been forged through the historic student movements of Sài Gòn–Gia Định, where many young people devoted their youth to the cause of national independence and development.

“Preserving and promoting these traditions should go beyond slogans and be reflected through concrete actions in learning, self-improvement, responsible living and community service,” he said.

Against this backdrop, the festival was designed as a comprehensive platform combining experiential activities, training and holistic care for students’ physical, mental and intellectual well-being.

The programme featured a diverse range of activities, including a Gen Z cultural space, dance performances, vocational skill practice, physical fitness and English proficiency assessments, the “Three-Good Pupils – Five-Good Students” journey, folk cultural exchanges, interactive games and more than 30 exhibition booths.

These spaces showcased innovation, technology, culture and the arts, contributed to by universities, colleges, high schools and vocational education centres across the city.

Students visit a calligraphy booth showcasing traditional culture during activities of the 2025 Student Week in HCM City on December 21. — VNA/VNS Photo Huyền Trang

Alongside the festival, the 2025 Student Week will be rolled out throughout the 2025–2026 academic year, with peak activities scheduled from December 21 to 26.

Key focuses include physical healthcare through nutrition consultation, first-aid training and fitness assessments; mental health support via social skills and emotional management workshops; and lifestyle development through forums on culture, law, misinformation prevention, green living and healthy cultural activities.

Immediately after the launch, more than 30 student associations registered over 40 practical activities in response to the campaign.

On the same occasion, the city also held a ceremony honouring outstanding individuals and collectives awarded the titles “Three-Good Pupils” and “Five-Good Students” for the 2024-25 academic year under the theme “Igniting Sacred Fire – Tempering Steel Will”.

The event reaffirmed the enduring role of students as a dynamic force contributing to HCM City’s sustainable development in a new era. — VNS