Life of Vietnamese students at ITMO University in Russia

The Russian Federation is one of the top education destinations for Vietnamese students who plan to study abroad. It is due to the strong and collaborative relationship between these two countries as well as the diversity of educational programs offered by Russian universities that makes it such a popular location to study.

A Day to Remember at ITMO University. Photo courtesy of event organizers.

ITMO University has a rich history, with the slogan "IT's MOre than a university". Tens of thousands of students from Russia and other parts of the world have studied at ITMO.

Currently, about 164 Vietnamese students are studying at ITMO University in three main areas: information technology, mechanics and optics. Despite living far from home, Vietnamese students, as well as other international students at ITMO, miss their homeland and celebrate their national holidays. The Vietnamese students' community has grown gradually over the years, uniting all Vietnamese students, offering mutual assistance in daily life. ITMO’s Vietnamese student collective organizes annual activities, such as a celebration of the Lunar New Year and other national holidays, as well as sports tournaments like Chinese chess and esports, which partly alleviate students' homesickness and stay connected. Moreover, Vietnamese students actively participate in meetings with other international students, with the aim of sharing about their cultures and creating a sense of solidarity between countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on most countries of the world, and Russia is not an exception. The normal life of students at ITMO University was interrupted and collective events had to be suspended for some time. However, now that restrictions have eased, collective events can be resumed like before. Celebrating Vietnamese Women’s Day on October 20, ITMO’s Vietnamese students, with the unanimous approval of all male students, decided to organize a special show dedicated to the girls, which in turn helped everyone to adjust to the "new normal" life.

A few days ago, the event was successfully held with the name "A Day To Remember". All 26 Vietnamese female students at ITMO and a few guests from other universities were invited. The program was thoroughly prepared with special performances. The opening was a modern dance performance by male freshmen, which really vitalized the stage at the very beginning of the show. This was followed by various musical performances from the guitar club. Last but not least, comedy and magic shows brought so much joy to the audience. The program included other activities that require the participation of the audience, such as traditional Vietnamese games, quizzes, etc. At the end of the show, the girls were asked to express their feelings after the memorable night, each of them was given a special gift.

"Vietnamese Women’s Day is one of the most important holidays in our country. Although we are far from home, we still want to celebrate our national holidays, so that we all feel united and be less nostalgic. It’s been a while since normal life was suspended by the pandemic and the number of Vietnamese students at ITMO has increased. That’s why it was difficult for us to find a place to host the event. But this time, thanks to the assistance of the Head of the International Students Learning and Support Center and other departments, we were able to hold this event in a successful manner. Hopefully, this will remain in every Vietnamese student’s heart as an unforgettable memory." - Nguyen Thai Son — representative of Vietnamese students at ITMO.

The intention of the program is not only to celebrate a national holiday, but also to reassure that Vietnamese students, as well as students in general, can overcome the pandemic. We look forward to more exciting and new opportunities in the future.