Global Awareness Day: Integrating Service-Learning into the “Global Issues” Course

Global Issues is an important course in the curriculum for students of the Faculty of International Relations (IR). To provide IRers with a fresh and more practical learning experience, on June 18, the Faculty of International Relations collaborated with the UEF Center of Service-Learning  (CSL) to organize “Global Awareness Day.” With the theme “The Future Is on Us,” the event aimed to raise students’ awareness and encourage action toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while allowing them to develop essential skills and demonstrate the outcomes of a semester of dedicated learning and research.

After a semester of learning and research, IR students created a meaningful and well-organized event.

The event was attended by Dr. Nhan Cam Tri, Vice President of UEF; Dr. Tran Thanh Huyen, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations; Ms. Tran Thi My Phuong, Director of the UEF Center of Service-Learning; Ms. Cao Thanh Anh Thao, MA; Ms. Vo Ngoc Bich Vy, MA; Ms. Bui Thach Hong Hung, MA, Lecturers from the Faculty of International Relations, together with a large number of UEF lecturers, staff, and students.

Global Awareness Day is a program featuring eight United Nations observances. Under the guidance of Ms. Vo Ngoc Bich Vy, MA, and Ms. Cao Thanh Anh Thao, MA, 77 students from two classes conducted research and recreated these observances through cultural spaces designed to raise awareness and inspire the wider community.

Ms. Tran Thi My Phuong, Director, CSL, shared the importance of integrating community engagement into academic courses.

Dr. Tran Thanh Huyen expressed her pride in and appreciation for the achievements presented by the students at the event.

The booths gave visitors the opportunity to explore and learn about the different observances created by talented IR students. The eight student groups each created a booth representing a distinct United Nations observance, icluding: Sexual Violence – International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict; World Ocean Day; Cultural Diversity – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development; Peace – International Day of Living Together in Peace; Hate Speech – International Day for Countering Hate Speech; Blood Donor – World Blood Donor Day; Food Safety – World Food Safety Day; and Biodiversity – International Day for Biological Diversity.

One of the event's highlights was the chance to step into these colorful cultural spaces. Through the booths, students delved into historical events, discovered the wonders of nature, explored the concept of peaceful coexistence, learned about the rare Rh-negative blood type, gained useful knowledge about the world’s oceans, weighed in on ways to counter hate speech, picked up practical tips on food safety, and celebrated the beauty of Vietnam's  54 ethnic groups and cultural diversity. Participants could also take part in activities and games designed around each theme, take in distinctive cultural details, and receive souvenirs representing the identity of each booth.

Representatives from each group presented the content and significance of their respective themes.

Following the group presentations and hands-on booth visits, the lecturers offered candid feedback, pointing out areas for improvement while also recognizing the effort behind each project. After listening to the group presentations and experiencing the booths firsthand, the lecturers provided objective feedback, pointing out areas for improvement while also recognizing the students’ efforts in creating these meaningful projects.

Reflecting on the event, Ms. Cao Thanh Anh Thao, MA. shared: “After visiting the booths representing different meanings and themes, I could clearly see the effort the students have put into their work to create well-prepared projects that truly reflect the spirit of the Global Issues course. I believe the students worked very hard to complete this project. I am very impressed with today’s event, and I am extremely proud of and appreciate all of their efforts.”

Each booth featured a different theme, activity, and message, while bringing meaningful value to both the course and the community.

Vo Khanh Hoang Kim, a member of the Cultural Diversity group, shared: “This is the first year that the Global Issues course has delivered knowledge in such a different way. I was happy and surprised to see how the activities continue to evolve each year. I found that all the groups put great effort into their booths, both in terms of presentation and the values they brought to participants. Through the project, we gained many valuable lessons from this meaningful community engagement activity. Throughout the process, each of us has grown in the way we think and work. In particular, for IR students, community responsibility can become a distinctive identity and a meaningful legacy that we should preserve and promote.”

The combination of the Global Issues course and the Service-Learning model provided students with an engaging and practical learning experience. Although the project presented numerous challenges, the students successfully fulfilled their responsibilities and contributed to advancing the integration of learning and community service at UEF.

The ceremony involved placing message leaves symbolizing contributions toward a better future for the planet.

This hands-on experience of creating a vibrant and diverse event will serve as a strong foundation for IR students as they prepare to enter a promising professional world. Congratulations to the Faculty of International Relations and CSL UEF students for creating a fresh and engaging learning space centered on global issues, while further demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating community engagement into academic learning.

UEF Center of Information and Communication