The second mother of Vietnamese students in China

Ngo Tue Quan was born in 1973 in Vietnam’s Binh Duong province. After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City’s University of Education in 1996, Quan worked as a foreign language teacher in Ho Chi Minh city.

Two years later, she moved to Guilin with her husband and began teaching at the University of Education there. Quan is now the assistant for Vietnam in the University’s Office of International Cooperation.

The Vietnamese students at the University affectionately call her “Mother Quan”. Students who have left their home for a distant studying and living environment have lots of difficulties. Quan knows this well and supports students from the moment they arrive at the University.

Student Huynh Thi Ngoc Luu recalled “She’s kind to everyone, but especially to Vietnamese students, because she’s also Vietnamese. She often picks up Vietnamese students at the airport. We’re so lucky to be cared for by a Vietnamese teacher”.

Quan helps with her students’ accommodations, interactions with friends, and studies, to try to relieve their homesickness. The first thing she does in class is to check attendance and determine the reason for any absence. She takes care of students with an illness and provides support if they need to be hospitalized.

“I love this job. In class, I’m a teacher. Outside class, I’m also a sister or mother who takes care of my students. This makes me happy,” Quan said.

Quan is aware of her responsibility for promoting Vietnamese culture among the local community. She’s a guide at the Memorial House for Vietnamese Schools in Guangxi. She explains to visitors each item or photo.

“This memorial house provides Vietnamese and Chinese students insight into Vietnam’s culture and history and the traditional friendship between the two countries. This encourages them to study harder, preserve their traditions, and uphold bilateral relations,” Quan explained.

Quan was honored by the Consulate General of Vietnam in Nanning, China, for her contributions to mass mobilization for Vietnam’s development.