Vietnamese students in Australia: Motherland is always in hearts

A common house of Vietnamese students

The SVAU was established to support all Vietnamese Students currently living and studying in Australia. At present, the association has expanded its chapters to most universities and states in Australia, many of them having operated for several decades, including those in the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide or in the capital Canberra.

The association's network has played a very important role in bringing generations of Vietnamese students together to share their experiences and tips for living in Australia, including how to rent a house, and how to master job interviews.

In addition, the SVAU has long hosted events to increase its influence in the Vietnamese community in the host country while nurturing dreams, promoting creativity, and motivating Vietnamese students to achieve success while living abroad.

In recent years, the SVAU has expanded its networking activities with prestigious organisations such as the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global), the National Innovation Center, in order to bring potential startups of Vietnamese students and PhD candidates to life in both Australia and Vietnam.

In 2019, the Vietnamese Students’ Association of New South Wales (VSA NSW) in coordination with the relevant agencies launched the first startup competition for Vietnamese students and alumni in Australia with the aim of promoting startup and innovation initiatives among the Vietnamese student community in their host nation.

In April this year, Startup Vietnam Frontier - Australia (SVF-AU) and the Vietnam Australia Innovation Network Inc (NIC-AU) announced the 2021 Hack4Growth Australia, with the aim of boosting the ecosystem for innovative start-ups. Through the contest, 11 excellent start-ups were selected to enter the Global Hack4Growth Competition.

Connecting the Overseas Vietnamese community, supporting the homeland

Thanks to its effective activities, the brand as a common house for Vietnamese students of SVAU and its chapters has been increasingly strengthened.

Accordingly, the Melbourne Overseas Vietnamese Student Association – the SVAU’s chapter in Melbourne, has established its fame with the annual MOVSA Gala, which has been held annually for more than ten years.

Similarly, the Vietnam Culture Festival (VietFest) hosted by the Vietnamese Student Associations in the cities of Canberra and Adelaide has received Much appreciation from authorities of the host cities while playing an important role in promoting the image of Vietnamese land and people to international friends. Another notable event is the sports tournament for Vietnamese community organised by the Vietnamese Student Association in Western Australia.

All of these activities and programmes aim to connect the Vietnamese community in Australia, promoting solidarity among people who are living far from the motherland.

SVAU members have also taken practical actions to support the motherland. In 2020, SVAU raised more than VND120 million from the Overseas Vietnamese in the host country to support flood victims in Vietnam.

On the occasion of 2021 Lunar New Year, the Melbourne Overseas Vietnamese Student Association in coordination with businesses of Nghe An Province presented gifts to children in disadvantaged mountainous areas in Thanh Chuong District, Nghe An Province.

Particularly, in the face of complicated developments of the COVID-19 epidemic, SVAU has coordinated with the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia to provide financial support for the Vietnamese students and people across the states of Australia.

According to SVAU President Nguyen Phuc Binh, the association has also mobilised AUD 3,000 from the Overseas Vietnamese community in Australia to donate to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Fund.