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Ho Chi Minh City students’ chronic insomnia escalates due to sleepless café habit

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There is an upward trend in young students in Ho Chi Minh City plowing through their assignments at cafés despite the late hour, raising the risk of chronic insomnia.

Many 24-hour coffee shop staff members are accustomed to numerous students studying and working at times foreign to most Vietnamese.

Around-the-clock cafés targeting students are also available in ‘Thu Duc University Village,’ a cluster of universities under the Vietnam National University in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, a café on Luong Dinh Cua Street in Thu Duc City stayed open to welcome customers, most of whom are Vietnamese, though the clock was about to strike midnight.

Sleeping is not an option for students who are meeting their deadlines. Photo: P.K. / Tuoi Tre

Sleeping is not an option for students who are trying to meet their deadlines. Photo: P.K. / Tuoi Tre

“It is typical for students to flock to the store during the exam period. The number of customers can reach 100 during the peak season,” said Nguyen Thanh Vinh, a coffee shop employee.

The personnel have to take turns being on duty to receive customers at the payment counter.

Being a ‘night owl,’ Minh Chau avoids disturbing her dorm roommates by opting for a sleepless café to meet her deadlines.

As a student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, Chau is also a regular customer at many coffee houses in the ‘Thu Duc University Village.’

“My mom is always complaining about me staying out late repeatedly without knowing that I need an appropriate ambiance for study and that I will sleep the following day to regain health,” she said.

Meanwhile, Vo Thi Bich Tram, a sophomore from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, often walks into an overnight café at 8:00 pm and returns to campus at 9:00 am the next day.

Even though she knows this pattern will do harm to her health, Tram still sticks to this habit as she finds the late-night atmosphere most suitable for study.

According to Tram, the quiet night enhances her productivity, and looking at other people working actively in public places like coffee houses prods her to pay more attention to studying.

Staying up late raises risk of chronic insomnia

Le Cong Lam, owner of the 24-hour coffee shop on Luong Dinh Cua Street in Thu Duc City, has extended his store’s service hours to 24 hours in order to meet the demand of students.

There are two types of rooms at 24-hour cafés for students to select: one with hard wooden chairs and the other with soft beanbags. Photo: Bao Tien / Tuoi Tre

There are two types of rooms at 24-hour cafés for students to select: one with hard wooden chairs and the other with soft beanbags. Photo: Bao Tien / Tuoi Tre

He even equipped his café with beanbag chairs, resembling giant pillows, for students to lie back whenever they are exhausted or drowsy.

It only costs VND20,000-40,000 (US$0.81-1.63) for a drink alongside VND10,000 ($0.41) as a surcharge for rooms with wooden chairs or VND30,000 ($1.22) for those with cotton beanbags.

Staying up late for a long time will damage health and cause serious long-term effects, said Dr. Ha Thanh Dat, a lecturer at the Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine.

A grown-up normally needs an eight-hour sleep every night for the body to recover.

As a result, the internal organs can get some rest as night falls and function optimally the following day.

“A sleep of good quality can boost the immune system and avoid various health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, and more,” Dat added.

“Staying up late regularly can also lead to chronic insomnia.

“Meanwhile, those who suffer severe symptoms should have medical experts assist with regaining the normal biological rhythm.”

This photo shows many students studying from late at night to early in the morning. Photo: Bao Tien / Tuoi Tre

This photo shows many students studying from late at night to early in the morning. Photo: Bao Tien / Tuoi Tre

As for unavoidable cases, students should relax about five to 10 minutes after 45-50 minutes of intense concentration to optimize focus and steer clear of fatigue. 

During this short break, learners can take deep breaths, have some water, listen to music, or do a few light exercises.

Dr. Dat said that a doze of around 30-45 minutes is needed after two hours of studying so that the body can rest, regenerate energy, and maintain stable concentration.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20231103/ho-chi-minh-city-students-chronic-insomnia-escalates-due-to-sleepless-cafe-habit/76526.html

Education

Vietnamese high school principal’s enthusiastic greeting on first day goes viral on social media

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A video capturing the spirited moment of a high school principal, dressed in a white shirt, standing in the schoolyard and wholeheartedly applauding and welcoming every student on the inaugural day of his new role in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam, has garnered significant attention on social media.

The video began circulating on social media on Friday last week, marking the first day that Le Trieu Son took on the role of principal at Hai Ba Trung High School in Hue City, Thua Thien-Hue Province.

Numerous teachers at the school were surprised to witness the new principal standing and warmly greeting each student, a scene that also took many students aback.

Following the school drum signaling the commencement of the school day, Son took advantage of the 15-minute bellwork period in each class to visit every classroom, extending personal greetings to students and homeroom teachers.

During these visits, Son humbly introduced himself to the students and teachers, saying, “I have been assigned by the Department of Education and Training of Thua Thien Hue Province to serve as the school principal, and today marks the beginning of my job.”

“I hope you will join hands with me to transform this hundred-year-old school into a happy place.” 

In response to the principal’s sincerity, many students expressed interest and asked to shake hands with him.

Le Trieu Son visits every classroom on the first day of his new role as the principal at Hai Ba Trung High School in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam, December 1, 2023. Photo: Anh Thu / Tuoi Tre

Le Trieu Son visits every classroom on the first day of his new role as the principal at Hai Ba Trung High School in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam, December 1, 2023. Photo: Anh Thu / Tuoi Tre

Son, confirming the incident to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, said that he extended this personal greeting not only to morning classes but also to afternoon classes on Friday. 

Reflecting on the motivation behind his actions, Son explained that upon arriving at the school, he noticed the hurried faces of students rushing to their classes. 

In response, he headed to the schoolyard, greeted the students, and reminded them to walk slowly to avoid tumbles.

“I remained standing to welcome the students until the start of the class,” Son said. 

“Subsequently, I visited every classroom to personally meet with all the students and their respective homeroom teachers throughout the entire school.

“The fulfillment of my assigned tasks at this school hinges on the cooperation and engagement of the students.”

The Department of Education and Training in Thua Thien Hue Province has designated Son, the former principal of Gia Hoi High School in Hue City, as the new principal of Hai Ba Trung High School.

This decision comes in the aftermath of Ngo Duc Thuc’s resignation due to financial management violations.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20231204/vietnamese-high-school-principals-enthusiastic-greeting-on-first-day-goes-viral-on-social-media/77052.html

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UK government scholarship recipients train Vietnamese students in clean energy

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Luu Nguyen Nguyet Minh, an alumnus of the UK government’s Chevening Scholarship Program, is working alongside a cohort of her fellow Chevening alumni to promote the shift to renewable energy in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region.

Last weekend, the group hosted a two-day training program for 9th graders at Doan Thi Diem Middle School in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City.

The program, named ‘Enhancing Awareness of Renewable Energy Toward Achieving Zero Net Emissions in the Mekong Delta,’ brought several Chevening scholars and local experts together to teach the participants about simple renewable energy models.

Minh, a Can Tho native, has spent the better part of her academic and professional life working to create positive changes in the Mekong Delta region.

“The project brings together Chevening alumni, young engineers, and lecturers from Can Tho University,” Minh said. “Young people in the Mekong Delta, especially in Can Tho, have the ability and passion to build a sustainable and healthy delta.”

During the training program, Nguyen Thi Anh Thu, a Chevening scholar who specializes in environmental and energy studies, spent time teaching the participants about energy, including different sources of energy and actions they can take within their families and schools to implement renewable energy and efficient energy-saving practices.

Thu specifically focused on the Mekong Delta’s abundance of wind as a clean, renewable energy source for the region.

Contributing to the project, Bui Minh Duc, a construction engineer in Can Tho, along with a team of experts, built a visual model depicting four systems of renewable energy production.

According to Duc, the model allows students to visualize the basic principles of generating electricity from renewable sources. The students also wrote down the ideas for their own model and presented them in English.

The model will eventually be donated to the school so that it can continue to be used to inspire the transition to renewable energy.

On December 11, a convoy from the British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will visit the school to present awards to the teams who participated in a solar energy-powered mini vehicle design competition.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20231201/uk-government-scholarship-recipients-train-vietnamese-students-in-clean-energy/77035.html

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Vietnam university awards honorary doctorate to S.Korean province governor

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The University of Social Sciences and Humanities under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday awarded an honorary doctorate to Lee Cheol Woo, governor of North Gyeongsang Province in eastern South Korea for his contributions to the friendship between the East Asian country and Vietnam.

Speaking at a ceremony to give the doctorate, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tam, vice-president of the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, hailed Lee’s assistance, informing that Lee had received many medals and prizes, including the Order for the Hongjo Geunjeong Medal, the Proud Korean Grand Prize, and the grand prize for Proud Koreans Who Shined for Korea.

He promoted the establishment of the Saemaul Globalization Foundation in Vietnam.

Activities of the foundation and the Center for Rural Development – Saemaul Undong have helped foster Vietnam’s socio-economic development, which has been recognized by many Vietnamese localities.

Saemaul Undong is also known as the New Community Movement, a political initiative launched in 1970 to modernize the rural South Korean economy.

“Through the operations of the foundation and the Saemaul movement, North Gyeongsang Province governor Lee has helped with increasingly tightening the Vietnam – South Korea relations,” Tam said.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan, rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, said Lee had contributed significantly to the local community through the Center for Rural Development – Saemaul Undong’s activities.

Lan added that Lee would continue making great contributions to the currently strong Vietnam – South Korea relations.

“It’s my great honor and pride to receive the honorary doctorate from the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, which is known as the largest university in Vietnam and the cradle of many talents of the country,” Lee remarked at the ceremony.

He added he used to be a teacher and has more than 40 years of working in the National Diet of Japan and then the North Gyeongsang Province administration.

“I get a new feeling when standing here because Vietnamese educators recognized my efforts and achievements from my contributions to human prosperity through the Saemaul movement,” Lee shared.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20231129/vietnam-university-awards-honorary-doctorate-to-skorean-province-governor/76995.html

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