People's Teacher Le Mau Han - A model scientist and pedagogist, a respectable personality

Associate Professor, People's Teacher Lê Mậu Hãn (1932 - 2021)

People's Teacher Lê Mậu Hãn was born on October 1, 1932, in Bích La Thượng, Triệu Phong commune, Quảng Trị province. From an early age, he participated in grassroots resistance activities; in 1953, he relocated to the North, leaving behind his young wife, whom he was reunited with decades later. In Hanoi, he strived to become one of the first students in the history department of Hanoi University, and from 1959 until his retirement, he dedicated his life and made many outstanding contributions to the research and teaching of revolutionary history, the history of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh Thought.

Colleagues and generations of students admired and respected the profound knowledge, meticulous and scientific work style, and strong character and responsibility of People's Teacher Le Mau Han.

For over 60 years, through diligent research, examination, comparison, reflection, and synthesis from abundant domestic and international sources, and from the glorious revolutionary history of the nation that he and his students surveyed in many revolutionary base areas, war zones, and localities across the country, he has enriched himself with a vast amount of knowledge and affirmed his role and position as a leading expert on modern history, the history of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh Thought. He thoroughly understands each historical document, grasps the essence of each event, provides insightful interpretations, and makes accurate assessments without avoidance of issues in political, military, diplomatic, and socio-economic history.

He made many outstanding contributions to affirming the value of the 1930 Brief Platform and Brief Strategy – the first platform of the Party drafted by President Ho Chi Minh – and his core ideas on independence, freedom, and socialism; and on the science and art of building and directing the Party's strategy and tactics throughout the revolutionary periods. He is the author and editor-in-chief of dozens of national-level research works and textbooks on the history of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the history of the National Assembly, the history of the Government, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Vietnamese Encyclopedia, etc. These scientific works will endure through time.

The vast majority of the valuable knowledge accumulated by People's Teacher Le Mau Han was dedicated to the education of generations of students. Students and researchers who listened to his lectures could never forget his bright eyes and resonant voice, ignited by surging revolutionary fervor. His students not only received from him a wealth of historical knowledge and scientific methodology but also absorbed from him a spirit of patriotism and responsibility towards the people and the country. For decades, he trained countless generations of students, many of whom became high-ranking officials of the Party and State, and leading experts in various fields of social sciences and humanities.

Associate Professor Lê Mậu Hãn and Professor Vũ Dương Ninh - two leading historians and mentors to many generations of students and trainees at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. (Photo: University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

People's Teacher Lê Mậu Hãn left a profound impression on his friends, colleagues, and generations of students as a truly respected figure. He was not someone easily understood at first sight, nor was he easily understood in depth with only a short period of contact and work. The closer one got to him, the more one realized that beneath his slender frame and serious face, behind his reserved and somewhat dry manner of speaking, lay a kind heart, a deep affection for his students, friends, and colleagues; a spirit of responsibility and dedication to the common good, to life, and to humanity; a burning love and a deep, inseparable bond with his country, his people, and the ideals of the Party. Everything he thought, said, wrote, and did stemmed from his heartfelt desire: to make his country, his people, his Party, and his society stronger and more beautiful; and to ensure that the cause of education and training developed healthily and genuinely. so that future generations of students will enter life as decent and useful members of society..

What is truly fascinating and admirable about People's Teacher Le Mau Han is his simple yet refined life. Generations of students and young staff of the History Department at the University of Hanoi in the 1970s and 1980s still fondly remember the image of Professor Le Mau Han, a thin man in dark clothes, frequently visiting the Me Tri dormitory to meticulously check on the daily lives and studies of the students; showing thoughtful concern for the lives of each teacher in the department, especially the young teachers. After the war, when the country was poor, the school was poor, the department was poor, and the teachers and students were poor, subsisting on meals of noodles and vegetables, he was the stern, austere captain who tirelessly steered the History Department, later making it a Heroic Labor Unit during the đổi mới (renovation) period. Few people know about another quiet, yet very artistic, aspect of the life of People's Teacher Le Mau Han. Those were rare moments amidst the hustle and bustle and hardships of the subsidy era when he passionately searched for beautifully shaped trees and branches, unique ceramic vases, and carefully tended to orchids and jasmine plants... to decorate his small room in the dormitory; and on moonlit nights in Me Tri, he and the young teachers would enjoy a cup of tea or a glass of light wine, eagerly and anxiously waiting to see the jasmine flowers bloom... At those times, the austere teacher Le Mau Han transformed into an artist captivated by and worshipping beauty...

People's Teacher Le Mau Han was such a person. A steadfast individual who throughout his life believed in and strived for his chosen ideals; a revered teacher whose dedication, intellect, and character will forever shine brightly in the respect, admiration, and emulation of generations of students and colleagues.

Hanoi, November 14, 2021
Professor Phung Huu Phu, former member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi City Party Committee and Chairman of the Hanoi City People's Council, former Standing Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, former Standing Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council.