Professor Vu Minh Giang: Dedicated to life, devoted to his homeland.

Professor Vu Minh Giang has conducted research in many fields with a high level of expertise. His main area of ​​activity is historical science, which is very diverse and complex. Therefore, those working in history research and teaching need to ensure the logical consistency of the issues, the horizontal and vertical connections, and the chronological order of events. Thus, he has devoted his passion and intellect to researching not just one, but many different issues, all of which he considers necessary.

Dedication to the cause

Excluding the two years of direct combat in the Southern front (after completing his fourth year at Hanoi University), Mr. Vu Minh Giang spent 16 consecutive years studying from university level to obtain his PhD (defending his dissertation at Lomolosov Moscow State University in the former Soviet Union). And importantly, his passion and unwavering determination led him to continuously cultivate a broad and deep understanding of the subject.

Professor, Doctor of Science, Distinguished Educator Vu Minh Giang

In 1972, the resistance war against the US was at its most intense. While in his fourth year at Hanoi University, he enlisted in the army and directly fought on the battlefields of the South. In 1974, following a reassignment, he was transferred to the North, returning to Hanoi University and assigned to be a lecturer, beginning a new career: teaching and scientific research. Although there was a period of interruption due to military service, Professor Vu Minh Giang gained invaluable practical experience right on the fierce battlefields of the resistance war. For someone who researches and teaches history, this practical experience was even more useful.

Ranked among the "potential" cadres, possessing both competence and practical experience, in 1980 he was sent to study as a postgraduate student in the Soviet Union, at Lomolosov Moscow State University – one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the world at that time. Specializing in Economic History, he proved to be a highly promising postgraduate student, earning the respect and high regard of the university's professors. In 1985, he successfully defended his Candidate of Science dissertation, and the following year (1986) he successfully defended his Doctor of Science dissertation. This was an achievement few could attain in such a short time. Nevertheless, in Professor Vu Minh Giang's mind, truly contributing his knowledge to the cause of building his homeland was his greatest and most burning aspiration. Returning to Vietnam in the early years of the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, he faced many difficulties. However, Professor... Professor Vu Minh Giang still believes in the future development of the country based on innovation. Through his tireless efforts, he has been entrusted with many different positions inside and outside the university, from Head of Department, to Deputy Head, then Head of Faculty and Deputy Director of Hanoi National University. He served as Deputy Secretary-General of the Vietnam Historical Science Association from 1991 to 2003. Currently, Professor Vu Minh Giang is the Chairman of the Science and Training Council of Hanoi National University, Vice Chairman of the National Cultural Heritage Council, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Historical Science Association, and Head of the Department of Ancient and Medieval Vietnamese History. In every position, he has demonstrated the dedication and high level of expertise of a specialist researcher.

Professor Vu Minh Giang is a scientist who is very aware of the importance of "being one step ahead" in research, aiming to obtain a complete and solid scientific basis to solve and prove the practical problems that require it. Without waiting for the necessary conditions and factors to be met, as early as 1998, he and his colleagues organized four international conferences on...Vietnamese StudiesIn his role as Head of the Organizing Committee, this can be considered the foundation for the creation ofVietnam Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development ScienceLater on, the Institute's development over the past decade has demonstrated its essential role in contributing to the overall development process, both in research and in training, especially postgraduate training on interdisciplinary issues related to Vietnam.

As an educator and historian, Professor Vu Minh Giang has closely integrated teaching and research. These two activities complement each other, leading to greater efficiency in his work. He is the author and co-author of numerous research works, monographs, and textbooks. Among these are works highly regarded for their practical application and value, such as:The historical process of Vietnam(Education Publishing House)Vietnamese History Textbook(National Political Publishing House)History of the Southern Region(Editor-in-chief – World Publishing House)History of Vietnam – Tradition and Modernity(Author - Education Publishing House)Theoretical and practical issues arising in the current situation.(National Political Publishing House)... Along with that, hundreds of his specialized articles have been published in domestic and foreign newspapers and magazines, highly appreciated by experts. He directly served as the head of the organizing committee and the head of the secretariat at many important scientific conferences on history, education, and Vietnamese studies. His historical works are highly valued and help clarify many issues that needed further proof. The bookHistory of the Southern regionIt is one such project.

In the field of education and training, Professor Vu Minh Giang has dedicated a great deal of passion and time to his work. He considers it his career, his happiness, and also his responsibility to the younger generation. “For me, teachers, and the teaching profession in general, have two most sacred qualities: dedication to their profession and concern for how they are perceived by their students,” Professor Giang shared. “If everyone held this belief, the education sector would certainly change significantly. Teachers would understand what their students need; sometimes they understand their students better than even the sector’s administrators. If they are dedicated, they will offer valuable suggestions and proposals for the sector. And if they care about their image in the eyes of their students, they will know how to improve themselves to be worthy teachers.”"Professor Giang not only taught domestically but also at many universities abroad, such as in Japan, the United States, and France. There, he received numerous prestigious awards.Order of the Academic Palm Branchof the French Government… Professor Vu Minh Giang's dedication to his profession is also reflected in his concerns and contributions to the cause of education and training in the university. He initiated and directed the reform of the university's admissions process using its own exam format many years ago. Even regarding the current fundamental and comprehensive reform of education, Professor Vu Minh Giang has offered clear, specific opinions and viewpoints that are closely linked to reality and the development trends of the times.

In 2010, on the eve of the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, one of the largest, unique, and most practical academic activities in the Project approved by the Prime Minister was the International Conference on Hanoi Studies with the theme:Hanoi, the capital city, is developing sustainably in the context of global change.Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) was entrusted with the task of being the permanent organizing body for the Conference. And, Professor Vu Minh Giang assumed the role of Head of the Organizing Committee for this significant Conference.

In recent years, as the South China Sea issue and Vietnam's struggle for sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos have increasingly demanded the contributions of historians, Professor Vu Minh Giang has thrown himself into this endeavor with highly combative writings and activities. Particularly noteworthy is his work...The academic basis of Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.Published in the Journal of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, it has been highly appreciated by experts both domestically and internationally.

Currently, as the Deputy Head of the State-level project, Professor Vu Minh Giang, along with Professor Phan Huy Le and many leading historians, is focusing their efforts on building a monumental work on Vietnamese history, encompassing 25 volumes of general history and 5 volumes of chronicles. This will be the largest national history ever undertaken…

He was Head of the History Department (1991-1995) and Vice-Director of Hanoi National University (2003-2013).

Dedicated to my homeland and community.

Professor Vu Minh Giang was born into a family with a tradition of patriotism and revolution. His father was from Minh Tan commune, Thuy Nguyen district, and his mother was from Dong Phuong commune, Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong city. During the resistance war against French colonialism, both his parents went to the resistance zone to participate in resistance activities, where they met and married. Born in 1951 in the resistance zone during a time of intense struggle and hardship, Hai Phong was his ancestral home. He closely followed the development of the port city, sharing in its joys and difficulties.

No matter what he does or where he is, he is always ready to dedicate his passion and intellect to contributing to his homeland through concrete actions. Most recently, in 2014, when Hai Phong was tasked with organizing the opening ceremony of the tourism year, Professor Vu Minh Giang was invited to contribute to the program's script. He proposed an idea to highlight the traditional beauty of the rice-farming civilization, which was approved by the Organizing Committee. The city invited Professor Giang to provide input on many issues considered academically complex, and he offered positive contributions and highly persuasive evidence. He also participated in the editorial board of the Hai Phong City History Project, highlighting its role as a seaport for hundreds of years; and contributed opinions to the Political Report presented at the 15th City Party Congress…

With his homeland as his home, he always remained devoted and lived with integrity and compassion. Because "everyone only has one homeland," and he could not be an exception.