Having just completed an exchange program at Dong A University, 3 students majoring in Textile Technology from Lille University - France were extremely excited to recount their "first" experiences. The first experiences in Vietnam have given foreign students unforgettable emotions and impressions.

The first faces participating in the exchange program
Jeanne Bondoni, Emma Chiara Pendolino, Lukas Titouan Viale - the first group of students  to participate in the exchange program between Dong A University, Vietnam and Lille University, France since March 2023.

During the three-month exchange, Jeanne, Emma and Lukas studied and worked at the International Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD), Dong A University. They are guided to use AI knowledge bases to conduct research on "How Chat GPT is applied in fashion".

Through the time of researching projects at Dong A University, together, they have found applications of ChatGPT in the fashion industry such as: novel and unique design ideas, creative marketing content, projects, trend report. They have also created a Chatbot that works on OpenAI's API key; Chatbots assist customers with clothing styles, options, sizes, and recommendations for clothing. Before the end of the semester, a group of French students presented a project with both their enthusiasm and expectations when doing research at Dong A University.

Feeling the "heat" of student activities for the first time

During 3 months of studying and researching, they have lived in the exciting and bustling atmosphere of Dong A University students in classes, activities taking place in the halls, sports areas, and stadiums at school,…

Lukas shared: “Every day at Dong A University is a different story because there are many activities and events for us to participate in such as: Vietnam-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival, Open Day... For the first time, we experienced such a large, unique and rich cultural exchange."

Particularly for Emma – the foreign girl who suddenly appeared at the 1st Voluntary Blood Donation Day 2023 at Dong A University brought back even more memories: “This is the first time participating in voluntary blood donation. , I've never done this in France. When I accidentally knew and saw a lot of students queuing for their turn, I was really surprised and grateful for this beautiful gesture. This is definitely an unforgettable experience in my lifetime.”

Dong A University - The beginning of a series of journeys to discover Vietnam

This is also the first time Jeanne, Emma and Lukas set foot in Vietnam. Thanks to the opportunity to study at Dong A University, foreigners like they can get to know and understand Vietnam better. Since receiving the ticket to participate in the exchange program at Dong A University, they have also taken the time to thoroughly research information about the school environment and the country that they are going to so as not to be "shocked". Therefore, they were very quickly integrated and adapted to Vietnamese culture.

“What we feel is the friendliness and kindness of Vietnamese people, even though we don't understand Vietnamese, we don't know each other before, but Vietnamese friends have helped us a lot during this time." – Jeanne shared her beautiful impressions of Vietnam.

Not only the impression of the landscape, people, Vietnamese cuisine also becomes "addictive" to them. Every day, all 3 spend time experiencing the bustling life of Da Nang. After finishing the study program at Dong A University, the 3 of them also had trips to many places in Vietnam such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, etc. It is known that they will finish the trip in Vietnam and return to France next July.

When participating in an international student exchange program, it is undeniable to improve professional knowledge and improve foreign language ability. Not only that, studying and practicing in a new environment will also help students change many things: new experiences, new friends, new perspectives, discovering their "new self", etc.
Not only French students came to Vietnam through the program at Dong A University, on the other hand, many students of Dong A University participate in exchange programs in Korea, Taiwan, etc. There will be precious “first” experiences. All the opportunities to experience will definitely leave an unforgettable mark on their journey of self-improvement.

<Nguyen Thi Luc>