I am Nguyen Minh Thuy from Viet Nam. My Chinese name is 阮敏闻. This is my third year as a postgraduate of Hohai Universtity. My major is Public Management. The first two years at Hohai University were an exhilarating journey. I participated in various academic activities organized by the university. I was involved in questionnaires survey on Water Education Status in Lancang-Mekong River Basin Countries. Then I attended The 2018 China-ASEAN Youth Talents Exchange Program on Water Resources & Perceiving Water Conservancy in China. I also went on a field trip to water resources design and management agencies like Nanjing Automation Institute of Water Conservancy and Hydrology in Nanjing, China Water Resources Beifang Investigation, Design and Research Co. Ltd. (BIDR) in Tianjin, State Power Investment Co. Ltd. (SPIC), Construction and Administration Bureau of South to North Water Diversion Middle Route Project and Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center (LMC Water Center) in Beijing. It’s my great honor to make a speech during the program on the first day in Tianjin. The trip was very helpful for me to meet up with amazing people in the field and gain valuable knowledge about water resources management and how Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation works.

Participated in The China-ASEAN Youth Talents Exchange Program on Water Resources & "Experience Water Conservancy in China" and delivered a speech in Tianjin, China in November 2018

Visited the Construction and Administration Bureau of South to North Water Diversion Middle Route Project in Beijing during The China-ASEAN Youth Talents Exchange Program on Water Resources & "Experience Water Conservancy in China" in November 2018

Delivered a speech and joined the discussion at The 2019 LMC Work Activity for Water: Youth Forum on Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation at Hohai University, Nanjing, China in March 2019

Of course, I also need to fulfill my responsibilities as a student like others. Honestly, school syllabus for master students provides important lessons and yet is difficult to achieve anything if a student doesn’t make efforts. In my second year, I completed all the required courses for my major and continued learning Chinese by myself besides working on my thesis. Also, thanks to the interesting course, resettlement management, in my study program, I started to realize that the existence of problems arising from development projects happening in many developing countries, including Viet Nam, as endeavors to grow the economy and increase the living standards of the citizens. As a master student in the Public Management program, my concern is to acquire knowledge and insights necessary to make substantial contributions to the field of public administration, specialized in resettlement management. Therefore, in the future I can make good impacts in terms of planning for effective resettlement in the Mekong River Basin so that project affected people can restore their lost livelihoods and have a good life after resettlement. My main focus in this stage is on creating a well-structured syllabus for the dissertation related to safeguard standards for development-induced displacement and resettlement.

Attended resettlement management course taught by professor She Guoqing at Hohai University, Nanjing, China in 2019

During my study at Hohai Universtity, I gained not just helpful knowledge but also the positive and serious attitude towards learning and working from teachers, my supervisor and other students at Hohai Universtity. I learned to always welcome new experiences and recognize many different kinds of learning opportunities; approach challenges, tasks and goals in a positive, constructive manner. Besides lectures at class according to school schedule, I attended training programs and conferences to learn from international experts and exchange ideas with other students. For example, last August I attended The 3rd NRCR-ASCI International Training Workshop on Improved Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement & Rehabilitation organized by professor Shi Guoqing at Hohai University.

Attended The 3rd NRCR-ASCI International Training Workshop on Improved Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement & Rehabilitation at Hohai University, Nanjing, China in August 2019

Students here at Hohai Universities are friendly, hard-working, enthusiastic and very smart. Studying at Hohai University offers me opportunities to make friends with and learning from students from many countries. I was particularly impressed by the Chinese friends because I often saw them stay at library to study till late night. When I was at the library and saw that everyone was focusing on and trying a lot with his or her study, I felt motivated to study harder!

Attended The 2nd International Conference on RSD & Global Dialogue on DIDR & INDR2019 Annual Meeting at Hohai University, Nanjing, China in September 2019

Made contribution to a video;produced by the LMC Water Center and Hohai University in 2020

I love everything I experienced in China. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic currently happening all over the world has put us all in a tough situation. My third year of study had to be continued “from home”, from long distance in my country and there were difficulties. Fortunately, the professors and staff supported us well to accomplish student tasks through school online system. I worked on my thesis about land acquisition and It was my hope that I could make it in time for the graduation in July 2021. Of course, online graduation is in my expectations. Although I hope to come back China soon, I understand that everyone’s primary concern at this moment is to stay safe.

I believe there will be a lot of opportunities to connect my country with China in the future, so my goal is to be knowledgeable in my field and speak fluent Chinese. As a result, I study Chinese language every day though it is really hard to learn.

In my opinion, engaging in meaningful student activities offers young people opportunities to meet with experts, acquire knowledge, share information and make many people aware of specific issues that our countries are facing today. I hope to change my mindsets and contribute to sustainable development and cooperation among China, ASEAN countries and the whole world. I always hope to have supports, resources and knowledge, as well as the authorizations by teachers, experts, other related authorities and organizations to achieve expectations. I also hope there will be more and more academic and social activities organized for students so that we can learn from experts in China or other countries cooperated with China. Enrolling in the Public Administration major of the LMC Program at Hohai University provides me with knowledge and insights necessary to make substantial contributions to the field of public management with good impacts in the future in terms of planning for effective resettlement in the Mekong River Basin so that project-affected people can restore their lost livelihoods and lead a good life after resettlement.

I would not be able to have such a great study journey in China without the support from the LMC Water Center as well as the guidance of Hohai University. Thank you.