Leaders and lecturers of the Faculty of Oriental Studies attend a cultural exchange program with Prof. Masaaki Shimizu at An Nhon Tra.
On the evening of August 20, 2026, leaders and lecturers of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City attended a cultural exchange and Vietnamese tea tasting program at An Nhon Tra, Ho Chi Minh City, with the special presence of Prof. Masaaki Shimizu, Chairman of the Professional Council of the Center for Vietnamese Studies.
Prof. Masaaki Shimizu is a scholar who has spent many years researching, teaching, and engaging with Viet Nam, particularly in the fields of Vietnamese Studies and the Vietnamese language. In 2026, the Professor was honored with the Vietnamese Language Ambassador Award, recognizing his positive contributions to the research, teaching, and promotion of the Vietnamese language and culture to the world.
In the intimate setting of An Nhon Tra, the delegates discussed Vietnamese language and culture with Prof. Masaaki Shimizu, engaged in Viet Nam – Japan academic exchange, and experienced the art of Vietnamese tea tasting. The Professor's insights, from the perspective of a Japanese scholar with deep affection and dedication to Viet Nam, provided many interesting suggestions on the role of language, literature, and culture in strengthening mutual understanding between the two nations.
Notably, leaders and lecturers of the Faculty of Oriental Studies discussed with Prof. Masaaki Shimizu, Dr. Pham Van Luan, and the Research Group on Southern Cultural Figures of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture about a trilateral cooperation project to translate Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s "Luc Van Tien" into Japanese. The project aims to introduce a typical work of Southern literature and culture to Japanese readers, while promoting cooperation in research, translation, and academic exchange between Viet Nam and Japan. The parties also had initial discussions on professional coordination methods, ways to convey the specific linguistic and cultural values of the work, and the potential for promoting the translation once completed.
The meeting also opened up suggestions for strengthening cooperation in the fields of Vietnamese Studies, Japanese Studies, literary and cultural research, and translation, thereby contributing to bringing Vietnamese cultural values, especially the Southern cultural heritage, closer to international friends.
The attendance of the leaders and lecturers of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the program was an opportunity to strengthen connections with domestic and foreign scholars and researchers, while expanding opportunities for academic cooperation, research, and cultural exchange between Viet Nam and Japan. The program concluded in an intimate atmosphere, leaving many beautiful impressions of love for the Vietnamese language, Vietnamese culture, and the bridges of friendship built through academics, translation, and cultural exchange.
