Cynthia Thanda

For students from Africa studying thousands of kilometres from home, national celebrations abroad can offer a familiar reminder of identity, heritage and belonging. At Nalanda University, Vietnam’s 81st Independence Day provided one such occasion, bringing students of different nationalities together for an evening of remembrance, culture and friendship.

Vietnamese students at Nalanda University marked the country’s Independence Day at the university’s Central Dining Hall at 7:00 p.m., joined by faculty members, university staff and students from different countries.

For this Motswana student, attending the celebration offered a glimpse into how students living away from their home countries continue to preserve and share their national identity. It also reflected a familiar experience for African students studying abroad: finding ways to keep culture and national heritage alive while building connections with people from other parts of the world.

The programme opened with the Vietnamese national anthem, followed by a “Chanting for Peace” ritual led by Vietnamese Buddhist monks and nuns.

Vietnam’s Independence Day commemorates September 2, 1945, when President Ho Chi Minh read the country’s Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, marking the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

Speaking during the ceremony, MC Script Quoc Khanh, a Vietnamese student who officiated the event, said the ritual was dedicated to remembering those who sacrificed for Vietnam’s freedom and independence, praying for world peace and honouring victims of the recent flash floods in Nepal.

The Vice Chancellor of Nalanda University, Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, commended the Vietnamese students for organising the celebration and highlighted the longstanding relationship between India and Vietnam.

He spoke about the development of bilateral relations, particularly in areas such as agriculture, and the evolution of relations to a strategic partnership in 2007 and a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016.

Professor Chaturvedi also praised the Vietnamese students for their contribution to the university environment through their cultivation of vegetables. He expressed interest in developing a Vietnam garden at Nalanda University, inspired by the keen interest of Vietnamese students in horticulture.

The Vietnamese students expressed their appreciation to the university for supporting them in celebrating their national day and honouring those who sacrificed their lives for Vietnam’s independence and peace.

A short video presentation highlighting Vietnam’s journey over the past 81 years, including its pursuit of peace and development, was also shown to the audience, alongside a special video message from His Excellency Trinh Minh Manh, Ambassador-designate of Vietnam to India.

For students from Africa and other parts of the world, the celebration was also an opportunity to experience a culture beyond their own. In an international academic environment such as Nalanda, such occasions create spaces where national histories and traditions can be shared across continents.

The cultural exchange continued through food, with Vietnamese students serving a selection of dishes including rainbow vegetable salad, agar jelly, lemongrass and chilli, soy chunk stir-fry, Vietnamese sour soup, and crispy taro and seaweed bites.

The evening concluded with group photographs and informal interactions, as Vietnamese students and students of other nationalities shared laughter and captured moments from the celebration.

Beyond marking Vietnam’s independence, the event demonstrated how cultural celebrations can foster friendship and understanding among students from diverse backgrounds – offering, for an African student at Nalanda, another reminder that distance from home does not have to mean distance from one’s culture