Starting the 2026 – 2027 Academic Year: Discover Your Potential and Grow into a Leader
Every new beginning comes with questions, possibilities, and the excitement of what lies ahead. For the 2026 cohort at Hoa Sen University (HSU), the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 – 2027 academic year marks the moment they take their first steps into a new chapter, one shaped by learning, experiences, discoveries, and the journey of finding their own path.
On September 5, 2026, joining the nationwide atmosphere of welcoming the new academic year, HSU brought together faculty members, business representatives, students, new students, and parents to celebrate this meaningful beginning and look ahead to the journey that awaits.
Passing HSU’s Traditional Flag, Carrying the Legacy Forward
Carrying forward the legacy of HSU, the Traditional Flag Handover Ceremony brought a meaningful sense of continuity to the Opening Ceremony. The HSU flag, together with eight flags representing the University’s eight faculties, was passed on to the new generation of students in the 2026 cohort, symbolizing the continuation of the values, traditions, and spirit cultivated across HSU generations.
The ritual also carried a meaningful message: Every HSU generation begins with a different story, but all share the same spirit of unity, perseverance, and a thirst for learning.
Following the flag handover ceremony, Ms. Pham Bao Chau, a freshman majoring in Public Relations and representative of the 2026 cohort, led her fellow new students in the oath-taking ceremony.
For Bao Chau, it was more than a ceremonial moment; it was a first promise to herself as she began her university journey, embracing the responsibility of making meaningful choices along the way. In her Opening Ceremony speech, she shared a question that lies at the heart of every new beginning: “Who will I become?”
Even before becoming a freshman at HSU, Bao Chau had already learned that the world of media is not always as polished as it appears. When a project she was involved in encountered a media crisis, she began to see PR from a different perspective: beyond compelling content and beautiful images, effective communication requires composure, listening, responsibility, and teamwork to handle challenges and move forward.
Those experiences also helped Bao Chau better understand the path she had chosen. Instead of seeking a perfect answer to the question of who she would become, she entered university with an open mind, ready to keep learning, embrace new experiences, step beyond her comfort zone, and take responsibility for every choice along the way.
During the Opening Ceremony, Bao Chau shared a message with her fellow students: “I believe HSU will be a place where we learn through experience, turn failures into valuable lessons, and gradually grow into the people we choose to become. Four years from now, even if the answer to ‘Who will I become?’ turns out to be different from what we imagine today, I hope each of us can still be proud that we dared to dream, dared to try, and dared to become better versions of ourselves”.
Behind those words is a journey shaped by achievements, experiences, and the courage to explore what she could become. In the 2025 – 2026 academic year, she won First Prize in the Provincial Excellent Student Competition in Literature in Dong Nai Province. She was also an excellent student throughout her three years at Binh Long High School, while actively taking part in youth activities and community projects such as AIESEC’s Youth for Impact in Vietnam. These experiences gave her valuable opportunities to explore her abilities and interests, gain a clearer sense of her strengths, and gradually discover the career path she wanted to pursue before entering university.
From Campus Learning to Real-World Experience
At HSU, learning does not stop at the classroom door; the journey of growth continues through diverse learning spaces and real-world experiences, where students can explore their interests, test their abilities, and discover new possibilities. Beyond campus, students have opportunities to connect with businesses, organizations, and professional communities across diverse fields, bringing them closer to the realities of the workplace and the paths they may choose to pursue.
At the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 – 2027 academic year, Mr. Pham Ke Nghiep, Deputy Director, Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) – So Giao Dich 2 Branch, shared his perspective on the important role businesses could play in supporting education and the development of the younger generation.
According to him, as the labor market continued to evolve, young people needed to develop more than professional knowledge. He further noted that they also needed adaptability, creative thinking, a collaborative mindset, and professional ethics to confidently navigate an increasingly dynamic world of work.
From this perspective, the scholarships and overseas experience scholarships awarded by businesses and associations at the Opening Ceremony carried a meaning that went beyond recognition: they acknowledged students’ efforts while opening doors to new opportunities for learners to gain firsthand experiences, broaden their perspectives, and continue learning in new environments.
Celebrating Student Efforts from the Start
The Opening Ceremony also celebrated the Entrance Valedictorians and Salutatorians of the 2026 – 2027 academic year, recognizing students who had already distinguished themselves through academic excellence and dedication even before taking their first steps on their journey at HSU.
In addition, 23 students from the Faculty of Logistics and International Trade received the FIATA Diploma, issued by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations. Recognized across more than 150 countries by logistics organizations, carriers, and freight forwarders, the certification gives students an early connection to international professional standards and a broader view of the opportunities they can pursue in the logistics industry.
The achievements recognized at the Opening Ceremony mark not an endpoint, but a starting point for students to set new goals, embrace new challenges, and gradually build the capabilities they need for their future careers.
The Start of a New Learning Journey
The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 – 2027 academic year unfolded alongside opening ceremonies held nationwide, with HSU joining the broadcast hub in Lao Cai Province and educational institutions across the country in welcoming the new academic year.
At HSU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Huy Nhut, HSU President, beat the ceremonial drum to mark the official start of the new academic year. The drumbeat was more than a signal to begin; it opened a new chapter where knowledge meets experience, new possibilities unfold, and every student is encouraged to explore their abilities and shape their own journey.
The 2026 – 2027 academic year also comes with new demands for education, as science, technology, and AI continue to transform the way people learn and work. Therefore, in his letter to the education sector on the occasion of the new academic year, General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized that as technology became increasingly advanced, education must place even greater emphasis on nurturing independent thinking, academic integrity, responsibility, civic consciousness, and humanistic values.
These are the values that will accompany HSU students as they begin answering one of the most personal questions of their university journey: “Who will I become?” For the new 2026 cohort, the answer will not come all at once. It will take shape through new friendships, diverse environments, unexpected challenges, and the courage to try things they have never done before. Every experience will give them another opportunity to understand themselves and discover what they are capable of.
Four years from now, their answer may look very different from what they imagine today. That is what makes the journey meaningful, as every choice, experience, and effort leaves its mark, gradually shaping a more mature, confident, and self-aware version of themselves, ready to move forward in their own way.
Translated: Tai Do
