'Gen Z version' diplomacy: Bringing Vietnamese identity to the big sea

The seminar was held in response to General Secretary To Lam 's call for the pivotal role of the youth force in leading the country firmly into a new era. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Attending the seminar at Building A1, Academy of Journalism and Communication were: Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Oanh, Head of the Department of International Relations, Academy of Journalism and Communication; Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The World and Vietnam Newspaper Hoang Diem Hanh; and Dr. Vu Tuan Anh, Head of the Department of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy.

Dr. Nguyen Dong Anh, Member of the Party Executive Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with representatives of units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, journalists, lecturers, and a large number of students from the Diplomatic Academy, Academy of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities... attended the event.

The main speakers of the Dialogue were Ambassador Nguyen Thac Dinh, former Ambassador of Vietnam to the Philippines and Brazil; Mr. Le Minh, specialist of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delegate to the 2024 World Youth Festival in Russia; Than Tran Bao Ngoc, Vietnamese youth delegate to the Global UGRAD Exchange Scholarship in the US, the ECOSOC Youth Forum at the United Nations headquarters, the ASEAN-Japan Student Conference in Japan...; and Nguyen Quynh Anh, Central-level 5-Good Student, January Star Award 2024, Vietnamese youth representative at the ASEAN Youth Dialogue within the framework of the 2025 ASEAN Summit...

The seminar was held in response to the call of General Secretary To Lam on the pivotal role of the youth force in bringing the country firmly into a new era, as well as the request of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on affirming the mark of young cadres in foreign affairs, while aiming to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnamese Diplomatic Service (August 28, 1945 - August 28, 2025).

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The World and Vietnam Newspaper Hoang Diem Hanh emphasized the significance of the Dialogue in the effort to bring diplomacy closer to Gen Z. (Photo: Jackie Chan)

In her opening speech at the seminar, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Gioi va Viet Nam Newspaper Hoang Diem Hanh emphasized that compared to Gen Y and previous generations, Gen Z has many differences. No other generation asks as many questions and receives as many expectations as Gen Z today.

Therefore, the Dialogue revolving around the theme of Diplomacy is an opportunity to "question" the responsibility of Gen Z in the role of a bridge between Vietnam and the world. The expectation of the Dialogue will be conveyed through the presentations of speakers carefully selected by the Organizing Committee, which is the belief in Gen Z in becoming a "bridge between generations and spreading the image of Vietnam".

Taking place in the historic month of August, the Dialogue is also one of the activities to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Vietnamese Diplomatic Service. The event also has special significance as it marks the "strategic handshake" between the Faculty of International Relations, Academy of Journalism and Communication and The Gioi and Viet Nam Newspaper . The two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding 4 years ago and today's activity is a testament to the spirit of "once signed, we act", bringing results to both sides.

Defining “Gen Z Diplomat”

Ambassador Nguyen Thac Dinh emphasized that today's Gen Z generation has the potential to become future diplomats, with the important asset of being able to quickly access digital technology. (Photo: Jackie Chan)

Speaking at the seminar, former Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines and Brazil Nguyen Thac Dinh emphasized that Vietnam is currently aiming to build a comprehensive and modern diplomacy, in which the diplomatic staff must master digital technology to serve their work, in line with the context of the government's digital transformation. Closely following and effectively exploiting digital technology achievements will contribute to improving the effectiveness of diplomatic activities and enhancing the promotion of the national image.

In that context, today’s Gen Z generation has the potential to become future diplomats, with the important asset of being able to quickly access science, technology and digital technology. Universities are promoting digital applications in teaching, helping Gen Z have a convenient means to spread and promote the image of Vietnam to the world, helping other countries better understand the country, culture and people of Vietnam.

The Ambassador, who is also a guest lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy, affirmed that "in addition to technological capacity, Gen Z needs to cultivate political courage, a firm ideological stance, always put national and ethnic interests first, and at the same time have a global mindset in promoting the image of Vietnam while still preserving national identity".

Emphasizing that cultural diplomacy is one of the pillars of Vietnamese diplomacy, Ambassador Nguyen Thac Dinh said that young people need to promote and develop cultural diplomacy imbued with national identity, seeking similarities between Vietnamese culture and other countries, in order to gain sympathy and demonstrate friendliness and hospitality.

At the same time, we need to constantly learn and absorb the quintessence of world culture so that when talking with international friends, we can discuss topics of common interest, spread our culture and accept the values of other countries. This is the basic bridge between the countries and people of the two countries, people-to-people diplomacy is a great driving force to help countries come closer together.

Consular Department expert Le Minh affirmed that Gen Z is a special generation, equipped with the skills to accompany the country in the new era of national development. (Photo: Thanh Long)

According to Le Minh, an expert from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the previous generation of diplomats were always enthusiastic and passionate about their work, not afraid of difficulties, despite the complicated and fluctuating world situation and the increasing workload. They knew how to find opportunities in challenges, taking advantage of every moment to prove their abilities and achieve proud achievements.

Compared to their predecessors, today's "Gen Z diplomats" possess many advantages. First of all, they have living conditions in peacetime, creating a solid foundation for self-improvement and cultivating a variety of skills, especially foreign languages.

Gen Z was born in the digital age, equipped with relatively comprehensive digital skills, able to adapt quickly to new contexts, and knowing how to receive and analyze information carefully and objectively. However, they also face their own challenges, such as limited ability to concentrate deeply due to the habit of consuming information quickly on social networks.

According to Mr. Le Minh, to become comprehensive diplomats, Gen Z needs to focus on three key factors. The first is foreign language - a bridge to express opinions and listen to stories from international friends. The second is understanding the cultures of countries, with openness to accept differences and subtlety to avoid creating distance. The third is confidence, built from intrinsic values, daring to express opinions and working with the international community to solve global problems, with careful preparation so that their voices have weight.

“ Finally , we must inherit and promote the legacy of the previous generation, preserve national pride and the awareness of putting national interests first. Gen Z is a special generation, fully equipped with the skills to accompany the country in the new era of national development,” Mr. Le Minh affirmed.

Dare to think, dare to speak, dare to dialogue

Nguyen Quynh Anh believes that “going out into the world” requires a solid foundation, which is identity. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Nguyen Quynh Anh, representative of Vietnamese youth at the ASEAN Youth Dialogue 2025 and the World Youth Festival 2024 in Russia, said that the world is changing rapidly, opening up many opportunities and a huge amount of information.

In that context, Gen Z needs to practice the ability to process, analyze information and respond flexibly, to both expand global thinking and preserve Vietnamese identity when entering the international dialogue space. Global citizenship thinking is demonstrated by respecting and understanding differences in culture, politics, religion and viewpoints. Working in a multinational team requires listening, open-mindedness, not imposing personal frames of reference and accepting with a humble and open spirit.

Nguyen Quynh Anh recounted her memories of participating in the ASEAN Youth Dialogue 2025. "When discussing issues of education, health and technology, our group had members from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore - each with different backgrounds and starting points, so their views were also different. However, everyone did not judge right/wrong, but always tried to ask questions to understand, sympathize and broaden each other's perspectives, helping the issue to be viewed in a more multi-dimensional way. Listening and accepting diverse perspectives is the core factor; global thinking is not only about thinking, but also about daring to think, daring to speak and daring to dialogue about differences with international friends."

For Nguyen Quynh Anh, “going out into the world” requires a solid foundation, which is identity. She expressed her pride in being born in Vietnam, a country that is not large in area but rich in identity and bravery. Identity is not only in the ao dai and bronze drums, but also in the mother tongue, customs, and traditional festivals – values that create a unique and unmistakable character. It is this foundation that gives the young generation the confidence to reach out and spread the story of Vietnam to the world.

Best friend Tran Bao Ngoc appreciates the lesson "know yourself, know your enemy". (Photo: Thanh Long)

On the journey to reach out to the ocean, Than Tran Bao Ngoc, a Vietnamese youth delegate participating in many international exchange activities in ASEAN, the US, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, has accumulated many valuable experiences, which have become important provisions for the journey ahead, especially the lesson of "knowing yourself and knowing others".

According to Bao Ngoc, “knowing people” means that when participating in international forums, we have the opportunity to exchange and discuss the socio-economic situation with friends from all over the world. Different from the knowledge acquired in the classroom, practical experience helps to “break out” many new things, broaden and deepen our worldview.

“Knowing ourselves” means that when stepping out into the international arena as ambassadors, representing Vietnamese youth, each person needs to understand the culture and history of the nation to confidently respond to unexpected questions. The two words “knowing ourselves” help young diplomats love their homeland more and be proud of their country. Reaching out to the ocean is also to return and contribute to building an increasingly prosperous and beautiful Fatherland.

Ngoại giao phiên bản Gen Z: Đưa bản sắc Việt Nam ra biển lớn

About 150 delegates and students attended and actively interacted at the Seminar. (Photo: Thanh Long)

A highlight of the 2.5-hour long seminar was the lively interaction between the speakers and Gen Z students. The topics of the seminar such as "When Gen Z does diplomacy", "Gen Z - global thinking, preserving the Vietnamese soul, flying out to the world", "What is the purpose of studying diplomacy?"... along with unique "technology" games such as finding keywords about Gen Z, voting on Gen Z's number 1 skill... attracted the attention of young people. Besides, the "heartfelt" sharing of delegates from their experiences in different working positions, "dissecting" the path to diplomacy, lessons on avoiding "disillusionment" or training Gen Z's mettle in a volatile environment...

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Oanh, Head of the Department of International Relations, Academy of Journalism and Communication, highly appreciated the significance of the Seminar. (Photo: Thanh Long)

In his closing speech, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Oanh, Head of the Department of International Relations, Academy of Journalism and Communication welcomed the great success of the program, acknowledged the sharing, exchange and answering of useful questions from the speakers that brought valuable information about career orientation and future related to the fields of foreign affairs and communication for students.

At the same time, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Oanh expressed his gratitude for the cooperation with The Gioi and Viet Nam Newspaper to organize this meaningful event, hoping that in the future, they will continue to maintain and promote the "bridge" of cooperation, using knowledge and close relationships to organize many similar programs, creating more opportunities for exchange, discussing diverse topics and broadening the vision for the young generation.

The World and Vietnam Newspaper and the Faculty of International Relations, Academy of Journalism and Communication presented gifts to speakers participating in the Seminar. (Photo: Thanh Long)

The discussion “Gen Z and Diplomacy – Bridging Generations, Spreading the Image of Vietnam” affirmed the increasingly important role of the younger generation, especially Gen Z, in cultural diplomacy and promoting the country’s image. Opinions exchanged from different perspectives showed that Gen Z not only possesses advantages in technology, foreign languages and the ability to quickly adapt to global trends, but also has a creative spirit, dares to think, dares to do and is ready to integrate.

The collaboration between The World and Vietnam Newspaper, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Faculty of International Relations, Academy of Journalism and Communication has created a practical forum, connecting diplomats, experts, lecturers and students, contributing to fostering awareness, skills and aspirations to contribute to the younger generation.

The results of the discussion not only stopped at sharing and inspiring, but also opened up a direction for long-term cooperation between foreign press agencies and training institutions, aiming to fully exploit the potential of Gen Z, building a team of young "ambassadors" contributing to spreading the image of a friendly, dynamic, and creative Vietnam to the world.

Some pictures at the seminar:

Gen Z atmosphere at the 10th floor Hall, Building A1, Academy of Journalism and Communication on the morning of August 14. (Photo: Thanh Long)

The speakers looked back at Gen Z's answers about their commitment to the mission of spreading Vietnam's image to the world. (Photo: Jackie Chan)

Dr. Vu Tuan Anh, Head of the Department of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy, shares the reasons why students choose to study Diplomacy. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Le Huyen Minh, an expert from the Department of Press and Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shares about her journey to diplomacy. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Dr. Nguyen Dong Anh, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explains the necessary skills of Gen Z. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Students of the Academy of Journalism and Communication ask questions to the speaker. (Photo: Thanh Long)

Gen Zers hope to have more interesting discussions like today to interact with previous generations to understand more about their careers and life. (Photo: Thanh Long)