Four decades of love is a theme of this year’s event for the Vietnamese students who have studied in the UK. Thanh Bui, a famous singer and song writer in Vietnam and Trang Trinh, an award-winning pianist and a graduate with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music London will join hundreds of Vietnamese UK alumni to celebrate 40 years of Vietnam – UK relations.
The festive galas hit Danang on 08 December, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on 14 December. The events are co-organised by the British Council Vietnam and UKAV, the UK Alumni Association in Vietnam. Sponsoring the events are the British Embassy, The British Business Group Vietnam (BBGV), Vietnam Invest Group, Alma Resort, VietJet Air, Elite Fitness & Spa, Swing Lounge, Thien Minh Group, and VinGallery.
Badged ‘An Endless Journey,’ the event in Danang will mark two years of UKAV’s operations in Danang, one of the most dynamic and beautiful cities in Vietnam. It will feature traditional British music and games.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the gathering will be turned into a night of music and arts. Themed ‘UK in your soul,’ Thanh Bui and Trang Trinh will stage a striking contrast between a classical chamber pianist and a pop singer; interestingly the two artists will show how they produce such different music with the same piano. Soul Academy, the venue for this year’s event in Ho Chi Minh City, will be turned into a space for contemporary arts, displaying impressive collections of talented painters from VinGallery, a new destination for contemporary artists in Ho Chi Minh City.
In Hanoi, the celebration is tagged ‘Four Decades of Love’ to mark the successful anniversary year of Vietnam – UK relations. Before the gala in Hanoi, a competition was launched targeting 2,000 registered UKAV members nation-wide; the competition called for photos taken by these members over the past 40 years. All entries create a unique and diverse collection of UK memories, captured by Vietnamese alumni over the past four decades. The best photos will also be judged during the night.
Chris Brown, Country Director, British Council Vietnam said: ‘It will be difficult to find a better way to end this special year marking the 40th anniversary of Vietnam – UK diplomatic relations than organising this gathering and badging it ‘four decades of love.’
‘I am delighted to see the UK Alumni Association in Vietnam growing from strength to strength, especially with the launch of the UKAV Leaders’ Group last year. Many successful UK alumni have stepped up to take part in this group; including nine come from different government agencies, 13 from major business and the media, six from educational institutions.
‘The galas will help members of UKAV and of the Leaders’ Group to meet and discuss future initiatives for the community’
Members of the alumni group have been actively involved in diverse activities to create networking and professional opportunities in a wide range of areas, including culture, education, business, science and technology.
Find below more details of the UKAV Galas 2013:
Hanoi
18:00 – 22:00; 14/12/2013
Melia Hotel, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi
Ho Chi Minh City
18:00 – 22:00; 14/12/2013
Soul Academy’s Garden, 214-216, Pasteur Street, District 3, HCMC
Da Nang
18:00 – 22:00; 08/12/2013
Soho Bar, 463 Tran Hung Dao, Danang
About UKAV
The UK Alumni Vietnam (UKAV) is the association for Vietnamese people who have studied in the UK for at least 3 months. It was officially launched in November 2001 and currently the association has approximately 2,000 members, all of whom are Vietnamese nationals who have studied in the UK for at least three months either on scholarships or privately funded programmes.
UKAV’s mission is to:
- promote the relationship between the UK and Vietnam through a number of networking opportunities within the alumni network and beyond, with educational, professional and business organisations
- position and project the image of UK Alumni as successful and ethical leaders in society
- encourage and support continuous professional development and lifelong learning among its members.