His Excellency Mr. Lê Hoài Trung, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, visited Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) on 28th April 2026.
His Excellency was welcomed at the UBD Library by Vice-Chancellor Dr Hazri Haji Kifle, alongside UBD senior management, staff and students. Also present was His Excellency Tran Anh Vu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to Brunei Darussalam.
The visit underscores the warm and longstanding relations between Brunei Darussalam and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation in education, cultural exchange, and people-to-people connectivity.
The programme commenced with a book donation ceremony, where His Excellency presented 57 Vietnamese-language books covering language, linguistics and culture to the UBD Library. The contribution signifies continued support for Vietnamese language education and academic collaboration at UBD.
His Excellency also toured a student exhibition featuring poster presentations on Vietnamese language, culture and cuisine, and engaged with students on their learning experiences. The visit concluded with a Vietnamese language class at Ruang Bicara Minda, UBD Library, where His Excellency engaged with students and learned about their motivations for studying the language.
“Language is a bridge of knowledge and a key that opens the door to the culture, history and people of each nation. The Vietnamese Book Collection will help spread the beauty of the Vietnamese language – a language rich in identity and cultural depth to international friends, and especially to Bruneian students,” said His Excellency.
UBD maintains active collaborations with Vietnamese partner institutions, including Can Tho University, Vietnam National University Hanoi and Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh, through regional platforms such as the ASEAN University Network, Asian International Mobility for Students and University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific. Currently, five Vietnamese nationals are pursuing postgraduate studies at UBD, while 30 students from Viet Nam have participated in the UBD–AUN Summer Camp since 2024.
Viet Nam remains a key destination for UBD’s Discovery Year programme, with over 600 students having undertaken study, internships and community engagement in the country since 2011. This visit marks the third high-level engagement between UBD and Viet Nam, following visits by His Excellency Pham Minh Chinh in 2023 and His Excellency Nguyen Khac Dinh in 2024. It reaffirms UBD’s role as a key platform for advancing bilateral cooperation in education and regional engagement.
