Students eat banh cuon and bun thang with the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Singapore

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife visited Hanoi National University on August 29th to interact with and have lunch with students.

For lunch today, the canteen at Hanoi National University (Cau Giay district) is preparing traditional dishes such as banh cuon cha (steamed rice rolls with pork sausage), bun thang (noodle soup), Hanoi spring rolls, com (young sticky rice), and chuoi ngu (royal bananas).

According to Ngo Van Tung, the canteen manager at Hanoi National University, it took three days to prepare this special lunch, from menu planning and food procurement to ensuring food safety and hygiene.

During the meal, the students introduced Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife to the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine and cultural values ​​through various dishes.

Sitting near Mrs. Ha Tinh, wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Nguyen Thi My Duyen, a final-year English Language student at the University of Foreign Languages, felt anxious and nervous, afraid she wouldn't know what to say.

"But then, she initiated conversations that made me feel comfortable and at ease," Duyen said. The student was impressed when Ms. Ha Tinh said that Singapore warmly welcomes Vietnamese students to study in the country.

"That's a huge motivation for me to try harder," Duyen shared.

Vu Thuy Ngan, a student majoring in International Business at the International School, said that having lunch with the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Singapore was a "memorable experience".

Ngân said that she initially thought the atmosphere at the meal would be a bit somber, but it turned out to be very exciting. "The staff were very friendly. Everything exceeded my expectations," Ngân said.

The female student also had the opportunity to chat with the Minister of Manpower of Singapore. Although it was just a friendly greeting, Ngan felt fortunate to have this chance.

Bun thang (a type of noodle soup) was served at the canteen of Hanoi National University on the afternoon of August 29th. Photo: VNU.

Dining tables in the canteen of Hanoi National University, lunchtime on August 29th. Photo: Giang Huy

Bun thang (a type of noodle soup) was served at the canteen of Hanoi National University on the afternoon of August 29th. Photo: VNU.

Dining tables in the canteen of Hanoi National University, lunchtime on August 29th. Photo: Giang Huy

Earlier, during a 30-minute exchange with the Prime Ministers of both countries, students from Hanoi National University expressed their interest in Singapore's policies on education, science, technology, and innovation; and the digital economy and green economy partnership between the two nations.

Students also asked Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about his impressions of Vietnam, policies to promote cooperation between universities of the two countries, especially in certain areas of research, innovation, and artificial intelligence; and the expectations of leaders for the younger generation...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong frankly shared their views and answered students' questions.

Tran Do Bao Khanh, from the International School, was one of the students who asked questions to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and said his answers exceeded expectations.

"I simply asked about your impressions of visiting Vietnam, but you shared information that helped me understand more about the history of cooperation between the two countries, as well as areas of mutual interest such as the digital economy, the green economy, and innovation," Khanh said.

Mrs. Ho Ching, wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, chats with students during a meal. Photo: Giang Huy.

Interacting and having lunch with students from Hanoi National University was part of the activities during the official visit of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching, from August 27-29, at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

This is Lee Hsien Loong's fifth visit to Vietnam as Prime Minister, and is part of a series of events organized by both sides to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership. Prior to this, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited Singapore in February.

Hanoi National University comprises 9 universities, 4 affiliated schools and faculties, 6 research institutes, and numerous affiliated training, scientific research, and service units. By 2023, this educational institution had essentially completed its model of a multidisciplinary, multi-field university in accordance with the Government's orientation, maintaining its position in the top 1,000 best universities in the world according to the QS and THE rankings.

Hanoi National University has welcomed many leaders and heads of state, including: US President Bill Clinton, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, French President Francois Hollande, Japanese Emperor Akihito, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide...