50 Years of the Aspirations of the City Named After Uncle Ho: Inheriting Traditions, Nurturing Youthful Ambitions

The seminar “50 Years of Aspiration for the City named after Uncle Ho,” aimed at celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saigon – Gia Dinh City officially and honorably bearing the name of President Ho Chi Minh (July 2, 1976 – July 2, 2026), was organized by Nguyen Tat Thanh University in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union on July 10, 2026.

The program served as an opportunity for generations to look back at the 50-year journey of construction and development of Ho Chi Minh City, while spreading the aspiration to contribute and the sense of responsibility of the youth towards the city’s development in a new era.

Attending the program, on behalf of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, were: Comrade Pham Chanh Truc – Former Permanent Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Former Chairman of the City People’s Council, Former Secretary of the Youth Union, and Head of the Youth Union’s Traditional Club; Comrade Ho Thi Anh Tuyet – City Party Committee Member and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union; and Comrade Nguyen Minh Son – Deputy Secretary and Head of the Inspection Committee of the Youth Union. Also present were Typical Young Citizens of Ho Chi Minh City, Typical Youth of Ho Chi Minh City, and numerous union members and youths in the city.

On behalf of Nguyen Tat Thanh University, there was the presence of MSc. Nguyen Thi Thu Thao – Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Secretary of the University Youth Union, and Acting Head of the Student Affairs Department. The program also saw the participation of members from the Standing Board, the Executive Committee of the University Youth Union and the Student Association, as well as union members and students from all faculties/institutes across the University.

The seminar “50 Years of Aspiration for the City named after Uncle Ho” was held at Nguyen Tat Thanh University – the university honored to bear the name of President Ho Chi Minh, located on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, which is associated with Nha Rong Wharf – a historical site marking the event of President Ho Chi Minh setting off to find a way to save the country.

The Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union presents a Letter of Appreciation to Nguyen Tat Thanh University – the host institution of the seminar

The seminar was organized into four overarching themes: The mission of the youth in historical stages, the City’s youth in the era of rising up, generations of youth connecting, and messages to today’s young generation. Through the stories, memories, and sharing of the guest speakers, the program depicted the city’s development journey linked to the tireless contributions of many generations of young people.

At the seminar, Comrade Pham Chanh Truc – former Permanent Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, former Chairman of the City People’s Council, former Secretary of the Youth Union, and Head of the Youth Union’s Traditional Club – shared profound memories of the 50-year journey of building and developing the city named after Uncle Ho, associated with the persistent contributions of many generations of youth.

From authentic stories about the youth of Saigon – Gia Dinh during the years of struggle for national independence, he affirmed that patriotism, the spirit of dedication, sacrifice, and belief in revolutionary ideals have become the motivation for generations of youth to overcome all difficulties, contributing to the nation’s significant milestones. Comrade Pham Chanh Truc also emphasized the role of the Youth Union organization in gathering, educating, and promoting the strength of youth through each period, while expressing his belief and expectation that today’s young generation will continue to uphold their ideals, constantly study and train, master science and technology, and promote innovation to carry on the glorious traditions of previous generations, contributing to building a Ho Chi Minh City that is increasingly civilized, modern, and compassionate.

Comrade Pham Chanh Truc shares profound memories of the 50-year journey of building and developing the City named after Uncle Ho

From the perspective of the young intellectual generation, Assoc. Prof. Tran Thi Nhu Hoa – Lecturer at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, University of Science (VNU-HCM), and Typical Young Citizen of Ho Chi Minh City in 2022, shared her journey of learning, scientific research, and growing up in the City’s educational environment. According to Assoc. Prof. Tran Thi Nhu Hoa, science, technology, and innovation are opening up many opportunities for young people to promote their potential and contribute to the development of the city, while conveying a message to young people to nurture their passion, dare to set big goals, and constantly learn to create practical values for society.

Assoc. Prof. Tran Thi Nhu Hoa shares her journey of learning and scientific research

In addition, the program also recorded inspiring sharing from typical young citizens, Youth Union officials, young entrepreneurs, journalists, artists, students, and outstanding pupils. Each story provided a different perspective, but all shared the spirit of dedication, creativity, and the aspiration to contribute to building a Ho Chi Minh City that is increasingly civilized, modern, and compassionate.

Sharing from generations of the city’s youth contributes to pride in a dynamic, modern, and compassionate Ho Chi Minh City

During the seminar, the Organizing Committee presented awards for the 2025 Revolutionary Song Propaganda Art Festival and honored individuals receiving the “Young Pen” Award in 2026 to recognize the contributions of collectives and individuals in traditional education, journalism, and the city’s youth movement.

The Organizing Committee presented awards for the 2025 Revolutionary Song Propaganda Art Festival and honored individuals receiving the “Young Pen” Award in 2026

As the university honored to bear the name of President Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Tat Thanh University always considers accompanying the city’s development as its mission and responsibility throughout its journey of construction and development. Not only focusing on training high-quality human resources to meet socio-economic development requirements, the University also constantly promotes scientific research, innovation, technology transfer, and implements many community service activities. Each generation of students trained at Nguyen Tat Thanh University is equipped not only with knowledge and professional skills but also with a spirit of dedication, social responsibility, and the aspiration to serve the country. It is these values that are contributing to creating a knowledgeable, brave, and creative human resource to accompany Ho Chi Minh City on its path of rapid, sustainable development and international integration, worthy of the pride of a university named after Uncle Ho.

Reporter: Hong Quang

Photos: Media