The Vietnam Institute of Geodesy and Cartography and the National University of Economics have just amended their logos to include the Paracel and Spratly islands.

National University of Economics' logo

The institute had designed the logo in 2009 for printed use which made it difficult for the island to be visible. They have since redesigned it so the islands are recognisable on computer.

Dr. Le Tuan Anh, head of the National University of Economics’ politics activities and student management, said the university principal had worked with the logo designer to propose adding the islands. The change will be completed on April 15.

“We are waiting for the artist to correct the logo. If it’s accepted, we will send a registration document to the Ministry of Information and Communications to add the islands into the old logo,” he added.

Opposite views

According to Mr. Anh, some people said that it was no need to show the islands in the university’s logo because the logo was too small to contain them. However, many others insisted that it was ‘essential’ to add the islands into the logo.

He himself also agreed that it would be good to have the islands included in the logo, noting that at least a sign needed to be used to indicate Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands.

Professor Nguyen Minh Thuyet said that agencies which used ‘incomplete’ maps for their logos should include the islands into them. The government should issue an instruction to request the use of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands into the map in logos.

Many other agencies in Vietnam also use the incomplete map in their logos, including the Vietnam Federation of Material Arts’ logo, the Saigon College of Accounting Finance – Informatics, Academy of Banking, and Viet Nhat Seafood Company.