University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU Hanoi

I. General Information

• Year of birth: 1976.
• Email: Lephuonglien@vnu.edu.vn/ Lephuonglien.tgcp@gmail.com
• Affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Religious Studies.
• Academic degree: PhD. Year received: 2018.
• Training process:

- 1998: Graduated from the Department of History, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

- 2008: Received a Master's degree in Philosophy, specializing in Religion, from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

- 2018: Received a PhD in Philosophy, specializing in Scientific Socialism, from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

• Foreign language proficiency: English.
• Main research areas: Catholicism; policies and laws on belief and religion; the religious situation in the world and in Vietnam; religious resources; new religious phenomena; human rights in the religious field.

II. Scientific works

Book

1. Conflicts and Conflict Resolution Related to Religion in Some Southeast Asian Countries and Implications for Vietnam, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2026.
2. Trends in the activities of the Vietnamese Catholic Church and the issues raised for security work (co-authored), People's Police Publishing House, Hanoi, 2025.
3. Religion and Religious Policy in Vietnam (White Paper) (co-authored), Religious Publishing House, Hanoi, 2023.
4. Religious Life in Vietnam during the Renovation Period (co-authored), Political Theory Publishing House, Hanoi, 2016.

Book chapter (published conference proceedings)

1. Catholic cultural integration in ethnic minority community in the Central Highlands, in "Law and policy to ensure the freedom of belief and religion sharing Vietnamese and European experiences", Religious Publishing House, Hanoi, 2016 (bilingual in Vietnamese and English).
2. The issue of registering Catholic religious orders in Vietnam, in "Policies and Laws on Religion and Beliefs in Vietnam: 25 Years in Retrospect," Political Theory Publishing House, Hanoi, 2016.
3. The work of combating extremist elements who exploit religion to spread propaganda against the Party and the State, in "Protecting the ideological foundation of the Party, combating and refuting false and hostile viewpoints in the new situation", Ministry of Public Security (2021) - Confidential.

Articles (from 2019 onwards)

1. "The results of enacting and implementing policies and laws on belief and religion have made a significant contribution to Vietnam's human rights work," Religious Affairs Magazine, January+February 2019 issue.
2. "The results of enacting and implementing policies and laws on belief and religion have made a significant contribution to Vietnam's human rights work," Religious Affairs Magazine, January+February 2019 issue.
3. "Some proposals aimed at leveraging religious resources in national development," Journal of Religious Affairs, December 2019 issue.
4. "The current level of qualifications of religious dignitaries and monks in religious organizations through some survey results", Journal of Religious Affairs, April issue (164) – April 2020.
5. "International relations activities of religious dignitaries and monks of religious organizations in Vietnam today", Journal of Religious Affairs, August issue(168)-T8/2020.
6. "Religions join hands with the whole country to fight the Covid-19 pandemic," Human Rights Magazine, April 2020 issue.
7. "State management of religion and current limitations in this work," Journal of Political Theory - People's Public Security, November 2020 issue.
8. "Innovating State Management of Beliefs and Religions over 30 Years (1990-2020)", Journal of Religious Affairs, January+February 2021 issue.
9. "The social responsibility of religious organizations in Vietnam in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic," Religious Affairs Magazine, August 2021 issue.
10. "The development of religion in Vietnam impacts the increase in land allocated for religious facilities," Religious Affairs Magazine, January+February 2022 issue.
11. "Religious diplomacy contributes to connecting Vietnamese religious followers abroad with their homeland," Religious Affairs Magazine, December 2022 issue.
12. "Integrating Catholic culture with the preservation and promotion of national culture," Religious Affairs Magazine (Special Issue), 2022.
13. "Reforming the mechanism and policies on religious land in the spirit of Resolution No. 18 on continuing to innovate and improve institutions and policies, enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of land management and use, creating momentum to make our country a developed country with high income," Religious Affairs Magazine, September 2022 issue.
14. "Factors Affecting Land Use by Religious Organizations in Vietnam Today," Journal of Resources and Environment, 2022.
15. "Achievements in ensuring freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam during the đổi mới (renovation) period," Journal of Law on Human Rights, No. 6/12/2023
16. "Conflicts and disputes related to religion in the Philippines," Journal of Religious Affairs, January+February 2023 issue.
17. "Religious freedom for ethnic minority believers," Human Rights Journal, No. 9/2023.
18. "The Value of Ho Chi Minh's Thought on Beliefs and Religions and its Application in Protecting the Party's Ideological Foundation in Religious Affairs in Vietnam Today," Communist Magazine, No. 11/2023.
19. "New manifestations in religious activities among ethnic minorities impacting the assurance of religious security in Vietnam today," People's Police Magazine, No. 03/2024 – Issue 2.
20. "Religious and ethnic minority conflicts in some Southeast Asian countries and lessons for Vietnam," People's Public Security Magazine, No. 05/2024 – Part 2.
21. "Religious entities as stipulated in the Law on Belief and Religion and issues arising in ensuring security and order in the religious field," People's Police Magazine, No. 12/2024 – Part 3.
22. "Transformation in Beliefs and Religious Practices among Religious Followers in Present-Day Vietnam", Russian Journal of Vietnamese Studies, August 2024, (Pages: 57-69); ISSN 2618-9453) DOI: 10.54631/VS.2024.83636573.
23. ВЕРОВАНИЯ,РЕЛИГИИИРЕАЛИЗАЦИ ЯПОЛИТИКИИЗАКОНОДАТЕЛЬСТВА"Eurasian Law Journal", Eurasian Law Journal, № 7 (194)/2024, (Pages: 670 - 678),https://eurasialaw-journal.ru/
24. "Religious affairs work contributes to combating distorted views on religious freedom in Vietnam," Journal of Defense Relations, No. 66/Quarter II/2024.
25. "Identifying the tactics of groups and organizations exploiting religion to undermine Vietnam and contributing to national defense in the new situation," Journal of Defense Relations, No. 71/Third Quarter/2025.
26. "Religious unity, national unity for the common good of the country," Human Rights Magazine, No. 9/2024.
27. "Promoting freedom of belief and religion in Vietnam," Human Rights Magazine, No. 12/2024.
28. "Religious diplomacy contributes to promoting religious freedom in Vietnam," Human Rights Magazine, No. 6/2025.
29. "Promoting religious freedom in the new context," Human Rights Journal, No. 12/2025.
30. "Some issues to consider regarding spiritual tourism activities related to beliefs and religions in Vietnam today," Journal of State Organization, January 2026.
31. "Improving the effectiveness of ethnic and religious affairs in the new situation," Journal of Defense Relations, Q1/2026, No. 73 (pp. 45-51).

III. Science and Technology Tasks at all levels (starting from 2019)

1. Survey and assessment of the current situation of religious dignitaries, officials, and clergy in religious organizations in Vietnam, ministerial-level investigation project, 2018-2019, project leader.
2. Survey, research on the current situation and proposed solutions for "new religious phenomena" in Vietnam today, a project at the Board level, 2018-2019, project leader.
3. State management of religious activities in the new era, ministerial-level scientific research project, 2020, project leader.
4. Evaluating the implementation of religious policy in the period 2011-2020 and the goals and tasks for the period 2021-2030, the 5-year plan 2021-2025, belonging to the group: Special topics serving the development of the 10-year strategy 2021-2030 and the directions and tasks for the 5-year period 2021-2025 of the Socio-Economic Subcommittee of the 13th National Congress of the Party, state-level tasks, 2020, "main member".
5. Building relationships between local authorities and religious groups to ensure social stability and consensus, a state-level project, 2018-2021, "key member".
6. Forecasting some trends in the development of religious organizations in Vietnam during the period 2020-2030 - issues arising in religious affairs, a project at the Committee level, 2020-2022, chaired by the committee.
7. Research proposing reforms to mechanisms and policies for the management and use of land for religious establishments in Vietnam, ministerial-level project, 2022, project leader.
8. Solutions for dealing with associations and groups exploiting religion to violate the law in Vietnam today, a research project at the Committee level, 2022-2023, project leader.
9. Religious Conflicts in Southeast Asian Countries and Lessons for Vietnam, Ministry-level Project, 2023, Project Leader.
10. Survey of the current state of religious-related complaints in Vietnam, proposed solutions and recommendations, ministerial-level research project, 2022-2023, "principal member".
11. Research on new and potentially complex trends within Protestant ethnic minority communities - Proposing solutions to strengthen national unity, ministerial-level project, 2023-2024, "key member".
12. Research on the resources of religion in the field of social welfare, proposing solutions for managing and utilizing these resources for national development, ministerial-level project, 2023, "Secretary - Principal Member"
13. The exploitation of ethnic minority religious followers by extremist individuals and organizations is causing social instability in the Central Highlands provinces today; proposed solutions for prevention, a basic-level research project, 2024, project leader.
14. Leveraging the resources of religions (Buddhism, Catholicism) to contribute to socio-economic development in Ha Tinh province in the new context, provincial-level research project, 2024-2025, "key member".
15. Activities exploiting religion - Current situation, issues raised and solutions, ministerial-level research project, 2025-2026, project leader.
16. Research investigating the current state of religious establishments in Vietnam, ministerial-level project, 2023-2025, "principal member"
17. Research evaluating the implementation of policies and guidelines on belief and religion in Vietnam during the period 2003-2025, proposing policies, guidelines and solutions for implementation in the new situation, ministerial-level project, 2026-2028, project leader.

IV. Policy and legal consultation

1. Drafting the Law on Beliefs and Religions of 2016, as a "member," is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior.

   (Certificate of Commendation from the Minister of Home Affairs for achievements in drafting the Law on Beliefs and Religions)

2. Decree No. 162 of 2018, Decree detailing a number of articles of the Law on Beliefs and Religions, "Drafting Committee", for the Ministry of Interior.
3. Develop a proposal to open a Master's degree program in Religious Affairs within the field of Religious Studies, a "member" institution, for the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
4. Reforming mechanisms and policies on the management and use of land for religious establishments in Vietnam, for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, 2023.