Sharing new studies on Japan and Asia

Apart from young researchers of USSH, other experts were present such as Prof.Dr Nguyen Kim Son (Vietnam National University), Prof.Dr Do Quang Hung (USSH), Prof.Dr Nguyen Huu Dung (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences), etc.

Three main papers were discussed at the seminar.

The first was titled “The humanistic worldview of gratitude in the doctrine of Shinran (1173 – 1262) by Dr.Pham Thi Thu Giang (Division of Japanese studies). Shinran was a monk in the era of Kamakura and was known as the founder of Jōdo Shinshū sect, one of the largest Buddhist sects in Japan. The relentless philosophy in 90 years of his religious activities and simultaneously the most powerful idea of Jodo Shinshu was a broad humanistic worldview. Shinran always wanted to develop a kind of Buddhism for the “hatred”, “greedy” and found a way for their enlightenment. Through concepts such as  Karma, Buddhatā, tanha, Akunin shôkisetsu, Shinran showed his distrust of traditional Buddhist tendencies and deep sympathy for the traumatized people who were not considered by contemporary Buddhism as a target of enlightenment.

The second paper was titled “Confucianism and the idea of democracy (On the idea of Confucian “democracy” by Tran Trong Kim in Confucianism)” by Dr.Nguyen Tho Duc (Dean of Division of Chinese studies). The paper illustrated the basic contents and opinions of Tran Trong Kim on Confucian “democracy”, through which it went on to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Tran Trong Kim on Confucian “democracy”. In addition, it put Confucianism in the development of regional Confucianism in the early 20^th century and preliminarily identified the similarities and differences in the modernization of Confucianism in terms of “democracy” by Tran Trong Kim and that of modern Chinese Confucians.

The last paper was titled “The harmonious character in Korea’s strategy for economic development from 1961 to 1970, with an emphasis on capital and human resources” by MA. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong (Division of Korean studies). The paper examined how capital and human resources were utilized as planned in the strategy for Korea’s economic development from 1961 to 1979 (when former President Park Chung hee was in office). On that basis, it illustrated the harmonious combination of internal and external resources, Western educational ideas and Korean traditional moral values by Korea. Prof.Dr Nguyen Duy Dung said that this paper made a right choice when it attempted to study the “Miracle on the Han river” of Korea in the last 60s and 70s, in which Korea rose from a poor country to an Asian dragon. Not only did the paper clarify particular aspects of Korea’s strategy for economic development, it also explained this event so as to draw valuable lessons for the development of Vietnam.

The series of seminars “New researches on Japan and Asia” is sponsored by Toshida Foundation and aimed at promoting academic exchanges between young scholars and helps develop the sharing of latest findings on Japan and Asia.