Professor Ha Minh Duc with the Faculty of Literature

Although he has worked in many different positions, the greatest contribution of Professor, People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc is mainly in the field of literature and at the Faculty of Literature. Among the thousands of students in 59 training courses at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, as well as the former Hanoi University of Science, there are many who are his direct or indirect students, and many even received his instruction and guidance from the time they were university graduates to doctoral students. Some were lucky enough to directly listen to his lectures, others were only taught through his books and works, some only had time to listen to him lecture once in their student life, and the next day they had to leave the lecture hall to participate in the resistance war against America to save the country..., but all of them have grown up, and every time they mention their former teacher, they are extremely respectful and admiring.

Professor, People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc was Vice Head of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University of Science (1987-1988); First Head of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU) (1990-2000); Director of the Institute of Literature, Editor-in-ChiefLiterary Magazine(1995 - 2003).

Photo: Bui Tuan

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thien, former student of the Faculty of Literature, class VIII (1963 - 1967) wrote in his memoirs: “Mr. Duc was both the head teacher and the teacher of Literary Theory and topics on Modern Vietnamese Literature. We attended his classes in large numbers and enthusiastically, not only because he was our head teacher, but also because we really liked the subjects he taught. He taught in an easy-to-understand, easy-to-remember, gentle and lively way. The theoretical concepts were abstractly generalized, but he incorporated illustrative examples directly drawn from the practice of Vietnamese and world literature.”

He guides students to write scientific reports, essays, yearbooks, graduation theses, guides graduate students to write master's theses, guides doctoral students to write doctoral theses. With any student, he is dedicated, attentive, gives specific instructions, and makes reasonable corrections to achieve perfection. Among the 25 PhDs he has guided, there are four people from the Department of Literary Theory, where he has been in charge for many years. "Although the feelings he has for each person are different, there is one thing that is not different, which is the nurturing, the help, the responsibility, including the love of a teacher. In the Faculty of Literature, the old Hanoi University of Science, there is no department where almost 100% of the trained staff have now become pillars, guided by only one teacher, like in the Department of Literary Theory" - lecturer Tran Hinh (Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities) shared.

Professor, People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc was awarded the State Prize for Science and Technology in 2000 for his works on Modern Vietnamese Literature and Literary Theory; and the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Science and Technology in 2010 for his works on Ho Chi Minh's literary career, journalism, and a number of theoretical and practical issues of Vietnamese culture and arts.

Throughout his life as a teacher, Professor Ha Minh Duc devoted himself to two main tasks: teaching and research. For him, research is first and foremost to support teaching, but many of his research works have reached great academic value. It is difficult to imagine his work schedule, when he both teaches and does administrative work and has to read reference materials to write so many pages of books. More than 40 books he wrote are aimed at many areas of cultural and artistic life. There are major issues:C. Marx, F. Engels, VI. Lenin and some issues of literary theory;Literary essay;Writer and works;Time and pages;Literary talent and style;Revolutionary practice and poetic creativity;An era in poetry; Modern Vietnamese literature; Anti-American poetry to save the country… There are specific authors and works:President Ho Chi Minh - great poet of the nation;Literary works of President Ho Chi Minh;To Huu - revolution and poetry;Nam Cao, an excellent realist writer.;Nguyen Binh, poet of the countryside;Nguyen Dinh Thi - the phoenix from the mountain;Che Lan Vien - flowers growing on rocks;Anh Tho - wild flower… He is the editor-in-chief of the book series.Vietnamese Literature from the 10th Century to the End of the 20th Century, book seriesAbout the author(36 great authors in Vietnamese literature). His research works, the books in which he devoted all his mind and heart, have been a source of light full of intellectual energy and emotional energy illuminating the journey to the future of many generations of literature students.

Professor, People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc is a great teacher of many generations of students and trainees majoring in Literature and Journalism/Photo: Bui Tuan

In daily life, Professor Ha Minh Duc is a simple, humble, sociable and friendly person with everyone. Many generations of students of the Faculty of Literature who grew up from the cradle of General Studies and are now working at the Faculty and the University have received from him gentle and profound professional and life lessons: “In our Faculty of Literature, most of the current staff are either direct students or have been guided and helped by him in the process of studying and doing science, all feel that: with Professor Duc, talking about fun things, things unrelated to expertise, literature are all life stories, also a way to exchange information, a way to learn and very useful for work. Many things he said, seemingly off-hand, when thinking back at home, I realized how cleverly, gently and deeply he said them” - shared by Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Long, Faculty of Literature. “Not only is he a scientific mentor, Professor Ha Minh Duc is also a vivid role model for us to learn about human relations, the ability to harmonize relationships, the ability to “humorize” serious matters, the ability to ease the overly tense atmosphere of meetings and elections…” - shared by Associate Professor, Dr. Ly Hoai Thu (Faculty of Literature).

After nearly 60 years standing in the university lecture hall with over 40 books contributing to life, along with many achievements, now Professor - People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc has turned 80 years old. I wish him longevity and good health to continue writing pages of life and literature.

                                                                           May 2015