On the 28th of December 2024, at Lambeth Reserve Park, Sydney, Vietnam-Australia Scholars and Experts Association (VASEA) and the Vietnam-Australia Cultural Exchange Organisation (VACEO) co-organised a year-end meeting for members in the state of New South Wales.
The meeting opened with the “Welcome to the Country” ceremony by Mr. Justin O’Connell, representing the Australian indigenous people, a performance of the traditional Vietnamese Tơ Rưng and the Aboriginal Didgeridoo.
Vietnamese people in Australia always respect the Aboriginal culture, being the first inhabitants of the country. The indigenous Aboriginal people preserve Australia’s oldest cultural heritages and traditions in the world. Australia is also a symbol of a multicultural society. Always respecting the indigenous culture that has existed for more than 60,000 years, the Vietnamese community as well as the remaining Australians have added their own national cultural contributions.
With the theme ‘Cultural Exchange and Integration’, the meeting was an opportunity for more than 100 VASEA members in NSW and their families to chat intimately with VACEO members and enjoy works from traditional musical instruments such as Dan Bau, Sao Truc, Nhi. In particular, VACEO artists arranged a piece combining the Tơ Rưng and Didgeridoo, to demonstrate the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Australia. VASEA is an association for Vietnamese-heritage scientists and professionals in Australia. VASEA’s goal is to promote the exchange of knowledge, expertise and experience and contribute to the prosperity of both Australia and Vietnam. In 2024, VASEA has had many activities and achievements towards these goals, as presented in the New Year greetings letter to members posted on the association’s website. Before the meeting in NSW, VASEA also held year-end meetings in other states, on 3rd November in Victoria, 23rd November in Queensland, and 1st December in Western Australia.
During the meeting, VASEA presented the “NSW Distinguished Member” medal to Dr. Nguyen Tuan Nghia in recognition of his contributions. As an expert in artificial intelligence (AI), Dr. Nghia started and founded the company ANSCENTER. Dr. Nghia has developed and successfully commercialized the AI Box product in Australia. Dr. Nghia is transferring technology and bringing his AI products to businesses in Vietnam.
VASEA also presented a certificate of merit and a cash prize to Nguyen Nhat Minh from Newington High School, who achieved the highest score (ATAR 99.95) in the entire NSW state in the NSW Higher School Certificate Examination. Minh’s achievement also demonstrates the growth of the Vietnamese community in Australia. Not only integrating but also taking the lead and contributing to where you live.
VACEO is a bridge between Vietnamese culture and the Vietnamese community in Australia. VACEO’s mission is to preserve, develop and share traditional Vietnamese music and culture, promoting cultural exchange with multicultural communities in Australia, especially the Indigenous culture of the first inhabitants of Australia.
During the meeting, VACEO presented the Member of the Year award to Jenny Nguyen and Hong Anh Pham, who have shown outstanding dedication to VACEO’s mission, actively participating in the organization’s cultural exchange events. Their enthusiasm and efforts are instrumental in promoting a greater understanding and appreciation of Vietnamese culture in the Australian community. The Volunteer of the Year award was given to Mr. Craig Bunyan. Craig’s tireless support has contributed to the successes of VASEA. Mr. Jordan Sefton was officially recognized with the title of VACEO Cultural Ambassador. As a cultural ambassador, Jordan has been passionate about sharing Australian Indigenous music and culture, promoting understanding and exchange between Vietnamese and Australian cultures.
On this occasion, the newspaper Bao Tin Tuc has reported the event.
Người Việt tại Australia chung tay hiện thực hóa khát vọng phát triển đất nước | baotintuc.vn
https://vnews.gov.vn/video/chung-tay-hien-thuc-hoa-khat-vong-phat-trien-dat-nuoc-147511.htm
