Study Tour Program 2025 of Flinders University Students at the Diplomatic Academy

The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) recently successfully hosted the “Flinders Study Tour Program 2025”, a short-term training program for students from Flinders University (Australia), conducted under the New Colombo Plan funded by the Australian Government.

The program took place from 29^th September 2025 to 2^nd October 2025. This is the second consecutive year DAV has implemented the program, following the positive outcomes of the first program held in 2024, underscores the substantial and meaningful partnership between the two institutions.

On the morning of 29 September, students from Flinders University participated in a welcome ceremony attended by Dr. Nguyen Thi Thin, Vice Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, and Prof. Redmond Gerard Maurits from Flinders University. During the event, On behalf of the Academy, Ms. Thin expressed  her appreciation for the strong ties between the two institutions and emphasized its hopes for further exchange and collaborative initiatives in the future.

Students of the International Relations program at Flinders university expressed keen interest and enthusiasm for the session taught by key lecturers from the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam. Assoc. Prof.  Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered an in-depth lecture on Viet Nam’s foreign policy and key milestones in the country’s diplomatic development. In addition, Assoc. Prof. Ha Anh Tuan, Dean of the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy, provided an overview of Viet Nam’s political, economic and social context, helping students gain a deeper understanding of the nation’s development in the era of international integration.

Beyond the specialized lectures, Flinders University students had the opportunity to engage in interactive exchange sessions with their pees from the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam, organized by the Model United Nations (MUN) Club and the Galileo Club, under the guidance of Dr. Nam Binh and Dr. Do Hoang. The discussions focused on sustainable development and global challenges, offered students from both institutions a chance to sharpen their critical thinking, enhance their presentation skills, and strengthen their ability to collaborate in an international environment.

During the program, students had the unique opportunity to visit key national institutions, including the National Assembly of Viet Nam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United Nations in Viet Nam, and the Ha Noi People’s Committee. These visits offered the students with firsthand look at how government institutions operate and provided deeper insight into Viet Nam’s role and contributions in regional and international affairs.

Cultural experiences were also integrated throughout the program, including visit to the Viet Nam Women’s Museum and Ha Noi’s Old Quarter, guided by the Old Quarter Preservation and Development Board. These experiences offered students valuable insights into Viet Nam’s rich cultural heritage and history.

The program concluded with a closing ceremony, where participating students were presented with certificates of completion. The ceremony celebrated the students’ dedication to learning, their collaborative spirit, and their enthusiastic engagement throughout the program.

Despite being a short-term program, the “Flinders Study Tour Program 2025” left a lasting impression, providing those participated with rich academic and cultural experiences. The program not only reinforced the educational partnership between the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and Flinders University but also promoted exchange, mutual understanding, and friendship between students from Viet Nam and Australia.