There are more than 1,900 students from 16 universities and junior colleges across Da Nang currently living in dedicated halls of residence, plus 1,300 others staying in the private DMC-579 Dormitory.  In their efforts to ensure the students' stable lives amid the coronavirus crisis, the tertiary establishments and philanthropists nationwide have worked together to provide timely suitable assistance to the students.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyen Huu Hieu, the Vice Rector of the Da Nang University of Science and Technology, said, more than 460 students now live in the university’s dormitory.

Food and drink services (including takeaway and delivery services) are now prohibited from 30 July due to the social distancing restrictions imposed by Da Nang government in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. 

Given this ban, along with no permission for cooking in the dormitory’s rooms due to potential fire and explosion hazards, many students here initially fell into anxiety as they did know to how to prepare meals for themselves on a daily basis.

Luckily, in a supportive move, the university has allowed to set up a designated shared-use kitchen fully equipped with cooking untensils and necessary furniture right in the dormitory. This common venue meets the hygiene, and fire fighting and explosion prevention regulations.

Also, this tertiary establishment has worked with some local food providers to ensure supplies of meals for these students here.  At the same time, appeals have made for food support from volunteer groups across Da Nang.

According to Mr Nguyen Tan Hoa, Head of Student Affairs Department at the University of Technology and Education, the university’s canteen have offered reasonably-priced meals for students living in its hall of residence.

The price for each portion of meals is now set at only 10,000 VND, instead of 15,000 as previously, in a bid to ease the students’ daily expenses amid Covid-19 outbreak.

In an attempt to making students feel more secure whilst staying in the city at this stressful time, recently, representatives from the University of Da Nang visited and distributed essential items, as well as extended words of great encouragement to them so that they can overcome all difficulties facing them now and safely get through the still-raging pandemic.

“In this very stressful time, the valuable support from my university as well as the local authorities indeed made me feel much more secure.  I really feel at home now” said Nguyen Ngoc Tram, a student from the Faculty of Journalism in the University of Education.

Many students are excluded from the normal learning process due to school closures. Alternative approaches, such as online learning at home, are used to maintain undisrupted learning.  All the students living in halls of residence are found complying with the social distancing rules.

By HOANG SA- HUY HOANG- Trnaslated by A.T