Thank you very much, I appreciate it. Well, I will not stand if you will allow me. I will just sit here like you are, relaxed and perhaps we can have a conversation rather than me hog the floor. First of all, let me say I'm very pleased to be here, and to see this incredible goldmine of talent, and also this goldmine of educational experience that you are providing for these students. I did not know this program existed. I'm making these discoveries almost daily in Vietnam. There are so many things happening in Vietnam that are so positive in the building of the relationship between the United States and Vietnam. You all know my background, I've lived here in another life and have returned to Vietnam so that we can work together as two nations and two peoples to improve the understanding, first of all, between our two cultures, but also to have our governments understand each other better so that we do not have a mistake of misunderstanding, should problems arise.

Since I've arrived, I've been incredibly well received by all of the ministries and the heads of government here in Vietnam. But what's most, what I've valued the most, is that I've been received by the people of Vietnam so well. Everywhere I go in Vietnam, the people are happy and very much reaching out to improving relationships and I think they see in me some sort of communicator, and I'm happy to take that role. That role, now as I see around me, is shared with you. The people who are best qualified to tell America what Vietnam is all about is you. And not just about what your country is all about. But what is so very, very important for you to share your aspirations with everyone that you meet in America. What I want to demonstrate, and I know you've been able to do this with some of your other connections with Americans. I'm convinced that your aspirations are identical to those aspirations of young people in America as well. They are no different. You want a good education, and you want a good quality of life. You want to watch MTV. You want to essentially have fun, and at the same time be good professionals. Because you are all obviously dedicated to something beyond just visiting the United States to see the country and to meet the people. You want to learn management skills, economical skills, scientific skills. And this I hope is going to be that opportunity.

I have a whole host of things that are flashing through my mind that probably would be OK to repeat but I would think I would be wasting time because I think you all know the value of education. Without education, no country can succeed, and I have to tell you that the most exciting statistic, that I know about, in Vietnam, is the one that I continue to repeat to everyone that I see, that in Vietnam there somewhere between 75 and 78 million people, and of that over 60% are under the age of 25. Now that is virtually unsurpassed by any other country in the world. Which tells me that this human resource, that means you, each one of you sitting in the chairs in which you are sitting in, bear incredible responsibility for the success of this country. This country needs you more than they've ever needed any generation in the past.

I see Vietnam as a country in transition and one of its major transitions is one from hostility and essentially isolation from the world to one of a good partner and a good, I guess, member of the world community of nations, in a peaceful, constructive way. You're the generation that's going to take this nation to its full potential. And that has to be very exciting for you, cause I can assure you it's exciting for me. I see anything that I do here, on whatever note it is, the one thing I'd like to see is for Vietnam to succeed, and it cannot succeed unless you succeed individually. So your responsibility is much bigger than you think. While you're probably at the age of 17, in that area, you will have national responsibility sooner than you think. Think about that. Very quickly the national leadership will be reaching down and securing from you assistance, and asking for your opinions. This [has never] been the case in Vietnam. And so I would not be afraid to break the code that exists in Vietnam — [the code] about you being in your place. This new generation needs to plug in to all of the different echelons of authority in Vietnam, and not just the ones next to you. And I know in Vietnam it's very difficult to go beyond mom and dad, and you don't want to go too far. But you will have to make known your opinions to national leadership a lot earlier, because they need it, they need your input.

Vietnam is doing so many things now that it's never done before. Have no historical knowledge of how to do things. And you're going to come back from your educational experiences knowing how to do things that even the very top-most leader in this country will not know how to do. And without you sharing that experience with them — and your knowledge with them — it will take away potentially some of their successes. So if there is anything I can leave you with today — and we can talk about this fuller in discussion — it's how much you individually bear responsibility for the success of this nation. In your place right now I can't overemphasize that. So let me stop at this point and thank certainly the faculty for having the vision and the perseverance — because sometimes this isn't so easy — to continue with this educational process, because it is so very important that you pass on your experiential knowledge to the youngsters...I know that you are doing a wonderful job, and I'm very proud to be with you today.

For more information about Pete Peterson's experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and his mission of reconciliation as the first U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam after the war, visit PBS's Pete Peterson: Assignment Hanoi website.