Viện Nghiên cứu Nam Á, Tây Á và Châu Phi

“A year begins from the spring. A life starts from the younghood. Youth is the spring of the country. Youth is the important part of every nation, and the future of every country” quoted by H.E Dr. Le Chi Hieu, President of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences in the opening remark of the Hybid Seminar “The Role of South African and Vietnamese Youth in Promoting International Integration and National Development” which is co-organized by the Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies (IAMES) of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Vietnam on June 13^th 2023 in the Conference Hall, VASS Building, No 1 Lieu Giai, Hanoi.

For the significant objectives, the Hybrid Senimar is deeply attracted and concerned by a lot of leaders, managers, think-tanks, researchers and young people of South Africa and Vietnam. In which, there are some excellencies like H.E Dr. Phan Chi Hieu, President of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; H.E Mr. Buti Manamela, Deputy Miniter of Higher Education, Science and Innovation; H.E Ms. Vuyiswa Tulelo, Ambassador of South Africa to Vietnam; H.E Mr. Nguyen Tuong Lam, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Permanent Vice Chairperson of the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam; Ms. Karabo Mohale, Deputy Executive Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA); Mr Mabuza Ngubane -Chief Director: Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) Coordination; Mr Samuel Zungu - Deputy Director General: Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET); Mr Geodfrey Tshioma - Deputy Director: International Relations; Ms Magret Molefe, Head of Office: Executive Deputy Chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency from the Department of Higher Education and Training; Mr Cecil Masoka - Director: Overseas Bilateral Cooperation (Americas and Asia) from the Department of Science and Innovation; Dr. Le Kim Sa, Deputy Director of IAMES; Dr. Kieu Thanh Nga, Deputy Director of IAMES; Mr. Marius Conradie, Political Cousellor of the Southe African Embassy; Dr. Phan Thang, Deputy Director of International Francophone Institute; Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, General Secretary of VASS Youth Union; Mr. Nguyen Duc Hoang, General Secretary of Association of Young Scientists and Engineers (VAYSE); Dr. Le Quy Kha, Vice President of Vietnam-Africa Economic Cooperation Alliance (VAECA); Dr. Dinh Cong Hoang, Head of Department of Cooperation Development Studies, IAMES; Dr. Nguyễn Tuan Anh, Principal Researcher of Youth Studies Institute (YSI); Mr. Luntu Sokutu, Director: Legislature and Cabinet Support, Office of the Premier, Province of the Eastern Cape;  Member of the Provincial Task Team of the ANC Youth League in the Eastern Cape. In addition, there are all IAMES staff, many youth of VASS, students of National Economy University, Vietnam National University of Agriculture … to take part into the Seminar.

According to the Article of Vietnamese Youth Law 2020, it defines the youth who are in the ages from 16 to 30 whereas the National Youth Law of South Africa defines the youth who are in the ages from 14 to 35. Currently, there are 20.7 million young people in Vietnam, accounting for 20.9% of the total Vietnamese population (General Statistics, 2022). The young labor force is one of the main parts of the national labor force with nearly 10.8 million people (accounting for 21.4% of the national labor force). The youth of South Africa are about 20.6 million people, accounting for 1/3 of the South African population (Statista.com, 2022) as same as Vietnamese ones. The youth are seen as the significant part of nation, and the main pillar of country. If the youth are strong, the nation will be strong; in the strength of the nation there is the strength of youth. Through  the history of the struggle for the national liberation of South Africa and Vietnam, it shows that the youth are always the pilot force and have pastriotic, heroic spirit , therefore, they have made the important contributions to the cause of national and human liberation. In the context of globalization and digitablization, with their strong and young physical boby, and  creative and dynamic thinking, the youth are the potential force and play the active roles in the international integration and national development.

 Both South African and Vietnamese governments, organizations and different stake-holders have issues a lot of policies, action programmes to encourage and support the youth in order to recognize their roles and contributions. Additionally, it helps to create a playground for the youth to bring into play their youthfulness, creactivity to contribute practically and efficiently to the nation. For instance, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences has nearly 500 young people, accounting for nearly one third of VASS's staff and employees. Defining young intellectuals as the scientific foundation of the nation, VASS leaders always pay attention to and create favorable conditions to improve their professional qualifications and capacities of international integration such as: sending them abroad training and studying, assigning scientific research projects...

Sharing with the ideas of Vietnamese participants, Ambassador Tulelo, Deputy Minister Buti, Ms. Karabo Mohale and Mr. Luntu Sokutu affirm that the youth are the future of nation, and should respect their voices. The urgent problem of South Africa now is the high young unemployment of 51.5% (ILO, 2022) resulting in many negative counsequences of its socio-economic development. That’s why, the Hybrid Seminar is the good opportunity for South Africa and Vietnam to share the experiences to bring into play the roles of youth in the international integration and national development. According to the Ambassador Tulelo, Vietnam is the current story of Africa in general and South Africa in particular, not China, in which VASS and IAMES will be the long-lasting partners of South Africa.

In spite of the far geographical distance, South Africa and Vietnam have many similarities. We have the outstanding leaders like Uncle’s Ho and President Nelson Mandela, and both countries have the Youth Day (In Vietnam, it’s March 26^th and in South Africa, it’s June 16^th). The youth of both countries are eager for studying, dedicated to and passionate about what they do. Some suggestions to make the bilateral cooperation more practical and efficient are as follows:

- The youth should be more positive and active, dare to think and dare to do, “the stronger I am, the stronger you are”;

- It should promote the scientific cooperation, cultural and sport exchange like marathon, bicycle around in Vietnam or South Africa;

- It should share the start-up and business experiences through the social-media channels like Tik Tok;

- It should deeply concern about the youth and make them as the ambassadors of people to people, as the bridge to boost up the comprehensive cooperation relations between South Africa and Vietnam. 

The Hybrid Seminar is also the significant acvitiy to mark the Youth Day of South Africa on June 16^th in celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the diplomatic relation between South Africa and Vietnam (1993-2023).

Posted by Phạm Kim Hue

Photos by Tuan Anh