The Southeast Asian Cultural Festival and the ASEAN Cultural Ambassador Competition are distinctive activities of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University and the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association. These activities contribute to enhancing mutual understanding and fostering people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and other member countries, nurturing the spirit of solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese people and the ASEAN community, as well as other nations around the world.  

On August 11, 2023, at the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association and the Ho Chi Minh City Open University jointly organized a ceremony commemorating the 28th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN, the 56th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the announcement of the ASEAN Cultural Ambassador Competition in 2023. This event is a practical initiative in commemoration of the 56th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN (August 8, 1967 - August 8, 2023) and the 28th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN (July 28, 1995 - July 28, 2023). 

Dr. Le Nguyen Quoc Khang, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University sharing at the event

The event welcomed representatives of various agencies, organizations, diplomatic missions, and Consulates General of Southeast Asian countries in Ho Chi Minh City. In Particular, there was the participation of Associate Professor Dr. Phan Thi Hong Xuan, Chairwoman of the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City, and Dr. Le Nguyen Quoc Khang, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University.  

The ASEAN Cultural Ambassador Competition will take place from August 20 to September 24, 2023, jointly organized by the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association and the Ho Chi Minh City Open University. The competition is open to all students within the city of Ho Chi Minh.  

The ASEAN Cultural Ambassador 2023 competition seeks students to act as ambassadors in promoting the cultures of ASEAN member countries through cultural activities, arts, and fashion performances. Contestants will be evaluated based on their performance in showcasing traditional clothing, talents, and interpersonal skills. The competition is open to both male and female students aged 18 to 27, currently studying at universities, colleges, vocational schools, and academies within the city.  

This competition aims to discover students with a comprehensive understanding of ASEAN, along with the ability to promote the cultures of ASEAN member countries to a wide range of students in the city. Contestants will participate in sections that involve showcasing traditional clothing, talents, and interpersonal skills.  

During the event, Dr. Le Nguyen Quoc Khang, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University, shared, "Education is identified as a top priority of the ASEAN community and is one of the three goals outlined in the ASEAN Charter. Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam is the rotating Chair of the ASEAN Educational Cooperation for the 2022-2023 . In this term, the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam has developed themes and five priorities that are relevant to the context of educational sectors in responding to the impacts of COVID-19, including: taking care of and protecting the health of learners; enhancing environmental, climate change education; ensuring equitable and quality education access for learners, especially vulnerable groups; promoting comprehensive transformation and ensuring cybersecurity for learners; renewing and innovating higher education to meet the demands of economic and social development."  

The Southeast Asian Cultural Festival is an annual event of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University, developed based on the Southeast Asian Cultural Festival held annually. In 2023, the festival was organized by the Student Union of the Ho Chi Minh City Open University and the Faculty of Sociology - Social Work - Southeast Asia, in coordination with the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City. The festival serves as a platform to promote the cultures of Southeast Asian countries and create an environment for students to understand, interact, and experience the cultural values of the countries in the region. Furthermore, exchange activities with students from Indonesia, Laos, and Cambodia within the festival enhance international exchanges and cultural interactions among students.  

In 2023, the Southeast Asian Cultural Festival will be held from September 10 to September 24. The festival will feature cultural costume performances from Southeast Asian countries (September 10, 2023), a Southeast Asian Cultural Day with food stalls, traditional games, áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) performances, and ASEAN cultural exchanges (September 23, 2023), and the final round of the ASEAN Cultural Ambassador Competition in 2023.