On November 6, Ho Chi Minh City Open University held a scientific seminar on "Southeast Asian Studies - 30 years of establishment and development". Attending the seminar were Mr. Agustaviano Sofjan, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Ho Chi Minh City; and Mrs. Le Thi Phung, Honorary Consul General, Consulate General of the Republic of the Philippines in Ho Chi Minh City.

The seminar was attended by researchers and diplomats with extensive experience in the field of teaching, research and international cooperation as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thi Hong Xuan (HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities); Dr. Dinh Hoang Thang, Director of Institute of Law, Politics and Development Research, Former Ambassador of Vietnam in the Netherlands; Dr. Vo Xuan Vinh - Deputy Director of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS).

Currently, Southeast Asian Studies is one of three majors of the Faculty of Sociology - Social Work - South East Asian Studies. As one of the first faculties to train Southeast Asian Studies (1991), Sociology (1992), Social Work (2004) in Vietnam, the Faculty of Sociology - Social Work - Southeast Asia Studies has constantly improved the training quality with lecturer team graduated in Doctoral and Master’s programs from prestigious Universities in Viet Nam and abroad such as Germany, France, Belgium, Japan, Taiwan, UK, Philippines with in-depth teaching experience. In addition, lecturers in Faculty have also participated in a variety of practical activities implemented by different projects/programs on community development, counseling psychology, social research, and they have also built good relationship with the Consulates of South-East Asia countries in Ho Chi Minh city./.