Young Patients Become “Junior Chefs” at HSU’s Mooncake-Making Workshop

For 13 years, Mr. Mai Quyet Thang, MA, Director of the Public Relations Program at Hoa Sen University, has remained alongside children undergoing treatment for kidney failure, bringing them care, encouragement, and moments of joy through his annual Mid-Autumn activities. This year, on September 18, 2026, HSU Public Relations students joined him in creating a special hands-on experience. The young participants stepped into the role of “junior chefs”, taking part in every step of making their own mooncakes and sharing the joy of creating, learning, and celebrating together.

“Little Chefs” Hands-On Mooncake Making

Continuing his long-standing commitment to bringing care and joy to children undergoing treatment for kidney disease, Mr. Mai Quyet Thang, MA, Director of the Public Relations Program and Communication & Technology Management Programs at Hoa Sen University (HSU), organized a special mooncake-making workshop on September 18, 2026. Together with HSU Public Relations students, he created a hands-on experience where young patients became “junior chefs”, making their own mooncakes while sharing moments of joy, creativity, and connection.

“While we used just to enjoy mooncakes made by talented HSU students, this year we’re rolling up our sleeves to make our own!”, Mr. Mai Quyet Thang commented.

With a recipe specially guided by the doctors, the children got hands-on with every step of making their mooncakes. They carefully weighed the dough, added the filling, placed each piece into the mold, and pressed it into shape. Throughout the mooncake-making workshop, HSU students and staff from the Faculty of Marketing and Communication stayed close by, lending a helping hand and cheering the children on as they created their own mooncakes.

While making mooncakes may be a familiar Mid-Autumn tradition for many, it means something different for young patients who spend much of their time in treatment. A chance to step away from their daily hospital routine, make mooncakes with other children, and create something of their own becomes a simple yet memorable moment of joy.

Shaping the mooncakes was Quynh Chau’s favorite part of the activity. With care and excitement, she added the filling, selected an animal-shaped mold, and pressed the pastry into shape. She made five mooncakes during the workshop and happily showed her creations to the other participants, clearly proud of what she had accomplished.

Additionally, Phuong Vy shared that she was happy to make mooncakes with her own hands and hoped that Mr. Mai Quyet Thang and HSU students would continue bringing similar activities to the children every year. Her mother, Ms. Le Thi Hoang Mai, shared that her daughter always looked forward to the outings and sightseeing activities organized by Mr. Mai Quyet Thang, eagerly anticipating these moments each year. Following demanding treatment, recreational activities such as outdoor activities and mooncake making can provide children with moments to relax, connect, and find joy outside their usual treatment routine.

Behind the workshop is a simple wish: to create a space where children undergoing treatment for kidney disease can put aside their daily routines, share in the festive joy, and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with the same excitement as their peers.

Bridging the Classroom and Real-World PR Practice

This year’s “Mooncake Making with Children with Kidney Failure” workshop was organized by a group of Public Relations students from the 2023 cohort. For the fourth-year students, the workshop marked another step in taking PR learning beyond the classroom.

Behind the workshop was a month of planning, problem-solving, and hands-on preparation by the student team. They took on everything from fundraising and reaching out for donations to sourcing ingredients and baking supplies, while also designing posters, creating the mooncake menu, and developing promotional materials for the program.

Mr. To Vinh Khang, an HSU student and Head of the Organizing Committee, shared that the project showed the team how much work went into organizing a real-world PR activity. From handling logistics to learning how to knead dough and make mooncakes, every task brought something new. Moreover, those experiences helped the students better understand the profession and the many details involved in turning a PR concept into reality. Through these hands-on challenges, the students discovered that PR was not simply about planning an event. It was about bringing an idea to life with purpose and creating an experience that mattered to the people involved.

Vinh Khang shared that while a project might begin with professional PR skills, its true value came from the positive impact it created for the community. He hoped future generations of Public Relations students would carry on the program with sincerity and genuine care for the children.

New Experiences Every Mid-Autumn Festival

This year marks 13 years of Mr. Mai Quyet Thang’s commitment to organizing mooncake-making activities for children undergoing treatment for kidney disease. For him, the program goes beyond practical learning for students. It creates meaningful moments of joy for the children while helping foster greater awareness and understanding of kidney disease in the community.

“This activity began as something I chose to do on my own, but it has brought value to many others as well. For students, it is a chance to gain hands-on experience and contribute to the community. For children undergoing treatment for kidney disease, it is an opportunity to make mooncakes, share joyful moments, and enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival. Furthermore, for the wider community, it helps raise awareness and understanding of kidney disease”, Mr. Mai Quyet Thang claimed.

This year, the decision to let the children make their own mooncakes came from a desire to give the program a fresh and meaningful experience. For Mr. Mai Quyet Thang, every child deserved not only to receive a mooncake, but also to experience the happiness of making one themselves, from shaping the dough to proudly holding up their finished creation.

In addition to the mooncake-making activity, the program presented gifts and financial donations from benefactors to support children undergoing treatment for kidney disease and their families throughout their treatment journey. This year’s mooncakes were special because they were made by the children themselves. Each creation reflected an afternoon of hands-on fun, self-discovery, and the joy of creating something with their own hands.

For HSU Public Relations students, the program is also a real-world learning experience. It enables them to turn classroom knowledge into action, applying their skills and initiative while creating meaningful value for the community.

For 13 years, Mr. Mai Quyet Thang and generations of Public Relations students have continued a meaningful Mid-Autumn tradition: making mooncakes for children undergoing treatment for kidney disease. What began as a simple activity has become an opportunity to bring festive joy to the children while giving students a chance to experience PR beyond the classroom. Each year, the program evolves to offer new experiences that respond to the children’s needs and help bring greater public attention to kidney disease. For him, the program reflects an important part of student development: connecting experiential learning with social responsibility and allowing students to learn, contribute, and create meaningful impact through practice.

Translated: Tai Do