The Group of Gender, Population and Environmental Studies (VNU) was established in 2010 (then known as the Group for Family, Gender and Social Work Studies, USSH, VNU). The group was founded by several members of the Department of Family and Gender Sociology, Faculty of Sociology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-USSH). In 2023, the group changed its name to the Group for Gender, Population and Environmental Studies, under the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
In 2017, the Research Group was recognized as a Strong Research Group (NCM) of VNU. With its valuable research contributions and international publications contributing to VNU's scientific and technological achievements, the Gender, Population and Environment Research Group, led by Prof. Dr. Hoang Ba Thinh, was further recognized as a VNU-level NCM for the 2023-2025 period in 2023.
This is a recognition of scientific achievements in the field of Gender, Population, and Environment research – one of the strengths of scientists at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, contributing to affirming VNU-USSH's mission to be a leader in training high-quality, highly skilled human resources; researching, creating, and disseminating knowledge in social sciences and humanities, serving the cause of national construction and defense and international integration.
The NCM Group for Gender, Population and Environment Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, currently has 11 members:
1. Prof. Dr. Hoang Ba Thinh - Group Leader
2. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thai Lan - Deputy Head of the Group
3. Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Nhung - Key Member
4. Dr. Dinh Phuong Linh - Key Member
5. Dr. Pham Dieu Linh - Secretary, key member
6. Ms. Nguyen Kim Thuy, Center for Gender, Family and Environment in Development Studies (CGFED) - Key Member
7. MSc. Hoang Nguyen Tu Khiem, Center for Gender, Family and Environment in Development Studies (CGFED)
8. Dr. Dang Thi Le Thu, Senior Lecturer, People's Police Academy
9. Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh, M.Sc., PhD Candidate, Lecturer, People's Police Academy.
10. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Doan Thi Thanh Huyen, Vietnam Women's Academy
11. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, M.Sc., PhD Candidate, Institute of Human Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
Professor Hoang Ba Thinh, PhD, Meritorious Teacher - Head of the Research Group, was appointed by the Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi as a Member of the Science and Training Council, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Decision No. 3312/QD-VNU dated August 29, 2017); Vice Chairman of the Interdisciplinary Council of Political and Management Sciences for the term 2012-2017; and Member of the Council of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Decision No. 4692/QD-VNU dated December 7, 2017). In his position as Head of the Research Group, Professor Hoang Ba Thinh proposed and led the development of 3 national-level science and technology project proposals; and served as the principal investigator for numerous scientific research projects at the ministerial, national university, and city levels. The fundamental contents from some of the recommendations and advice of Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Teacher Hoang Ba Thinh on Gender, Family, Population and Environment in relation to economic, cultural and social development have been adopted by the Party and State, and the Vietnam Women's Union, serving as an important basis for amending the Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence.
In 2010, Professor Hoang Ba Thinh, PhD, founded the group, whose core members are lecturers from universities as well as young researchers and staff working in research institutes and science management agencies both domestically and internationally. Through their training and self-training, many members of the group are proficient in two or three foreign languages for communication and research. All key members have had the opportunity to pursue further studies (Master's and PhD degrees) or participate in scientific exchanges, research, and teaching abroad in countries such as the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, etc. Over the years, the group leader has trained 15 doctoral candidates (10 of whom have successfully defended their dissertations) and 40 master's students (38 of whom have successfully defended their master's theses).
In particular, the research group has collaborated with many domestic and international researchers. Along with its members and key members, the Gender, Population and Environment Research Group also benefits from the participation and advice of: Prof. Dr. Trinh Duy Luan (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences); Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tan (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), Prof. Dr. Hong Jin Wang (National DongHwa University), Prof. Dr. Peter Kang (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan),... These experts and scientific advisors have actively supported research, training, publication, international cooperation, and the development of the group.
Professor Hoang Ba Thinh and the key members of the Group are currently leading state-level, ministerial-level, and Hanoi National University-level scientific research projects and tasks. Notably, they successfully proposed, developed the project proposals, and bid for two state-level science and technology projects: 1) Urbanization and urbanization management in the sustainable development of the Central Highlands; State-level Science and Technology Project, Code TN3/X15 - Project Leader, 2013-2015; and 2) The impact of urbanization on rural development in the period 2011-2020; State-level independent Science and Technology Project; Code DTĐL.2010T/38 - Project Leader, 2010-2012.
In addition, some members of the group have successfully bid on several science and technology projects at various levels, achieving a rate of 50 million VND/person/year, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thai Lan (Project Leader): The Impact of the Internet on the Relationship between Parents and Children in High School Age. This project is funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED)… Members of the group have participated in numerous scientific projects at various levels, serving as scientific secretaries and key members of several state-level, ministerial-level, National University-level, and Nafosted-level scientific projects; and as project leaders of many basic-level scientific projects…
As a leading research group at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the Gender, Population and Environment Research Group will focus on the following key research directions over the next three years:
1. Research issues related to family transformation in Vietnam and the barriers to achieving gender equality goals.
2. Research on population changes, population structure and quality in social development. The impacts of population aging and low birth rates on economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions.
3. Research the social security system and social welfare policies aimed at achieving sustainable development goals.
4. Research the role of social work in assisting vulnerable groups, particularly issues related to mental health, stress, bullying, and school violence.
The research directions outlined above contribute to a more complete and comprehensive understanding of Vietnam's economic, cultural, and social history. These research directions will also help prepare the arguments and scientific basis for developing recommendations and advisory reports; and for policies and strategies related to family, gender, population, environment, and social work.
Simultaneously, during the 3-year period from 2023 to 2025, the top priority of the Research Group is to focus on implementing the National Geographic Atlas of Vietnam - a special national-level science and technology task, focusing on the Social Sciences; and completing the Nafosted Foundation project, an international cooperation project with Dong Hwa University (Taiwan) on changes in fertility rates.
In recent years, the Group has published numerous scientific works domestically and internationally (in English and several international languages) on the fields of: family, gender, population, environment, social work…[TĐMQK1] in reputable specialized scientific journals in the country.
In the last three years, the Group has published numerous works on family, gender, environment, social welfare, social work, etc. [TĐMQK2] in reputable domestic specialized scientific journals, including those in the Q1 and Q2 groups of the ISI/Scpus index.
In the last three years, the NCM Group has undertaken at least one collaborative research project with domestic/international partners: an international project with National Tung Hwa University, Taiwan, on the topic of "Environmental Pollution Issues and Solutions for Prevention and Protection" (2020) and the international scientific conference "Research Methods in Social Sciences: Theory and Practice" (2022). In addition, the group is currently working on an international project on "Social Protection Policies in Agriculture and the Rights of Female Agricultural and Rural Workers" in collaboration with PANAP.
The NCM Group for Gender, Population, and Environment Studies has established itself as a leading institution in the social sciences and humanities, focusing on gender, population, and environment, and integrating research, training, and the publication of research results. The Group's achievements contribute to realizing the vision of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-USSH, by 2035: to leverage the strengths of a basic science university, concentrate resources on building VNU-USSH into a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research university with a team of leading experts; develop several new and pioneering training programs and majors that play a core role in training and research in basic sciences of the country, reaching regional and international standards; and be ranked among the top 100 universities in Asia and the top 500 universities in the world.
