Hosted by the HCMC National University this year, it is help under the aegis of the ASEAN University Network (AUN), which was founded in 1995 with 21 universities.

The five-day forum is held to help ASEAN youths better understand the member-countries’ diverse cultures, thus contributing to friendship and development in the region, organisers said.

Participants will bring their own distinct cultural characters like folk dances and music, attend a seminar on Vietnam’s culture, and learn about life in the Mekong Delta.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at the university campus in Thu Duc District, HCMC National University director Dr Phan Thanh Binh said he hoped the event would create a good impression on the visitors about Vietnam and its people.

The forum was held for the first time in 2003 in the Philippines before moving on to other venues.