Professor Ha Minh Duc and the Faculty of Literature

Despite having held many different positions throughout his career, Professor and People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc's greatest contribution was primarily in the field of literature and within the Faculty of Literature. Among the thousands of students across 59 training courses at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, as well as the former Hanoi University, many were his direct or indirect students. A significant number received his guidance and instruction from their undergraduate years to their doctoral studies. Some were fortunate enough to attend his lectures in person, others only learned from him through his books and works, and some only had the chance to hear him lecture once during their student life before leaving the lecture hall the very next day to participate in the resistance war against the US. However, all of them later matured, and whenever they mention their former teacher, they express their deepest respect and admiration.

Professor, People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc was the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University (1987-1988); the first Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication (Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) (1990-2000); Director of the Institute of Literature, Editor-in-ChiefLiterature Magazine(1995 - 2003).

Photo: Bui Tuan

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

Professor Tran Hinh guided students in writing scientific reports, essays, yearbooks, and graduation theses; he supervised master's theses for graduate students and doctoral dissertations for doctoral candidates. He was dedicated, thorough, and provided specific guidance and reasonable corrections to every student to achieve perfection. Among the 25 PhDs he supervised, four belonged to the Department of Literary Theory, where he had been in charge for many years. “Although the professor's affection for each student differed, there was one thing that remained constant: his nurturing, support, and sense of responsibility, which included the love and care of a true teacher. In the former Faculty of Literature at Hanoi University, there was no other department where almost 100% of the staff, now pillars of the faculty, were supervised by a single professor, as in the Department of Literary Theory,” shared lecturer Tran Hinh (Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities).

Professor Ha Minh Duc was awarded the State Prize for Science and Technology in 2000 for his body of work on modern Vietnamese literature and literary theory; and the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Science and Technology in 2010 for his body of work on Ho Chi Minh's literary and journalistic career and some 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 was primarily to support teaching, but many of his research works have reached a significant academic level. It's hard to imagine his work schedule, as he simultaneously taught, managed administrative work, and read numerous reference materials to write so many books. He has authored over 40 books covering various aspects of cultural and artistic life. Some of the major issues include:C. Marx, F. Engels, V.I. Lenin, and some theoretical issues of literature and art.;Literary essay;The writer and his works;Time and pages;Literary talent and style;Revolutionary practice and poetic creativity;An era in poetry; Modern Vietnamese literature; Poetry of the anti-American war for national salvation.…There are specific authors and works:President Ho Chi Minh - the great poet of the nation.;Literary works of President Ho Chi Minh;To Huu - Revolution and Poetry;Nam Cao, an outstanding realist writer.;Nguyen Binh, poet of the countryside;Nguyen Dinh Thi - the phoenix from the mountains;Che Lan Vien - flowers growing on rocks;Anh Tho - a wildflower… The teacher is the chief editor of the book series.Vietnamese literature from the 10th century to the end of the 20th century, book seriesAbout the author and the work(36 great authors in Vietnamese literature). The professor's research works, the pages he poured his intellect and passion into, have been a source of intellectual and emotional energy illuminating the journey towards the future for generations of literature students.

Professor Ha Minh Duc, a People's Teacher, is a great mentor to many generations of students and trainees in Literature and Journalism. (Photo: Bui Tuan)

In his everyday life, Professor Ha Minh Duc was a simple, humble, sociable, and friendly person to everyone. Many generations of students from the Faculty of Literature, who graduated from the University and are now working in the faculty and the university, have received from him profound and insightful lessons in both professional and life: “In our Faculty of Literature, most of our current staff are either his direct students or have been guided and helped by him during their studies and scientific work. We all feel that with Professor Duc, even lighthearted conversations, unrelated to professional matters or literature, are just like life stories, a way of exchanging information, a way of learning, and very useful for our work. Many things he said, seemingly casually, when we think back on them at home, we realize how skillfully, gently, and profoundly he said them,” shared Associate Professor Pham Quang Long, Faculty of Literature. “Besides being a mentor in science, Professor Ha Minh Duc is also a vivid role model for us to learn from in interpersonal skills, the ability to harmonize relationships, the ability to ‘humorize’ serious matters, and the ability to ease the overly tense atmosphere of meetings and elections…” - shared Associate Professor Ly Hoai Thu (Faculty of Literature).

Having spent nearly 60 years teaching at universities, contributing over 40 books to society, and achieving numerous accolades, Professor and People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc has now turned 80. We wish him a long and healthy life so that he may continue to write the chapters of his life and literature.

                                                                           May 2015