English Writing Contest

Grand Prize winner

University July 11, 1995 marked a significant milestone in the relationship between Vietnam and the United States when former President William J. Clinton officially announced “normalization of relations”. Though hesitant at these early stages, the normalized relations have progressed incrementally and accelerated markedly over the past fifteen years, reflected by multi-faceted cooperation in a wide range of areas from trade to health, educational, military and cultural exchanges. Each sphere has undeniably attached itself certain significance but it is education, from my viewpoint, that plays the most pivotal role in deepening the bilateral relations as well as shaping the future of our two nations. In a time of globalization, both Vietnam and the US are faced with challenges as well as opportunities. On the one hand, globalization enables citizens of our two nations to widen their horizons, to access socio-technological advances, to engage in multicultural and intercultural views and to share ideas and collaborative actions towards solutions to common problems. On the other hand, globalization could also lead to negative consequences such as increasing poverty within societies, a growing gap between privileged and excluded people, low standards of living, conflicts, terrorism, growing individualism and climate change, to which neither of the countries are exempt. Under such circumstance, Vietnam and the US are confronted with pressing questions: How can we prepare our citizens to cope with such challenges? What are our positions in an ever increasingly globalized and knowledge-based world? What are our responsibilities in a world of poverty, violence, discrimination and environmental damage? The answer lies in education. It enables learners in both nations to understand the whole, diverse, complex reality and to act accordingly. It helps develop values, attitudes, knowledge and skills that enable the people of two nations to face common...