International student exchange program with Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan

After nearly one year of preparation and exchange through meetings on the online platform Zoom, from March 4, 2024 to March 12, 2024, the Faculty of Economics and Rural Development, Vietnam National Universtity of Agriculture (VNUA) and the School of International Politics, Economics and Communication of Japan's Aoyama Gakuin University jointly organized an international student exchange program.

Students in the international exchange program take a photo with Prof. Koichi Fujita, Dean of the School of International Politics, Economics and Communication, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan and lecturers of the Faculty of Economics and Rural Development, VNUA, who are Japanese alumni.

To successfully organize the program, the Executive Board of the Faculty of Economics and Rural Development, VNUA, and Prof. Koichi Fujita, head of the Japanese delegation, made a detailed plan for more than a week of exchange students in Vietnam. Each university had 12 students participating in the program. The Faculty of Economics and Rural Development, VNUA, selected 12 students from two programs of Agricultural Economics and Financial Economics, two programs that were taught in English. The students in these two high-quality programs of the faculty with the ability to use English relatively fluently, were agile and especially had a very valuable spirit of learning. The deans and lecturers in charge of the delegation discussed with the group of Vietnamese students about the delegation plan. VNUA’s students proactively divided into small groups to be ready to support Japanese students, proactively checking dorm rooms for them, and design the banners and certificates themselves.

Thanks to the very good cooperation and connection of the two universities, the student group's sightseeing and practical activities took place extremely smoothly. Students were able to visit the office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Office of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Hanoi to learn more about the JICA supporting projects in Vietnam for the agricultural sector in particular and other economic sectors in general as well as trade promotion programs for cooperation between Vietnam and Japan. The students also attended 4 lectures given by VNUA’s lecturers, and went on field trips to localities and business organizations.

Participating in the program, Japanese students gained better understanding of Vietnam's economy, Vietnam's agriculture and rural areas, and agricultural production and consumption activities, as well as issues of urbanization, industrialization and international integration. They also understood the real life of farmers, those who produced and traded agricultural products, the activities of some businesses and the activities of Japanese international development organizations in Vietnam, and the role of local governments, etc. Students from the two universities also had the opportunity to apply socio-economic research methods and tools such as teamwork, surveys, interviews, analysis and evaluation, report writing, and presentation, thereby helping them to perfect many skills. Besides, the program also created opportunities for the students to make new friends from Vietnam and Japan, as well as gave them the opportunity to share and understand more about each other's culture.

Some photos of the International Student Exchange Program of VNUA and Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan

The international student exchange program was a very good opportunity for lecturers and students of the two countries to gain practical access and cultural exchange between the two countries. Before saying goodbye to each other, Vietnamese and Japanese students exchanged letters to preserve good memories.

Photos were taken and letters were hastily written to help students remember each other.