Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat - a profound researcher and dedicated educator.

Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat was born in 1941 in Thai Binh province. From 1959 to 1964, he studied Philosophy at Lomonosov University – one of the prestigious universities of the former Soviet Union, now part of the Russian Federation. During 1985-1986, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat completed his professional internship at several universities in Czechoslovakia. From 1996 to 1998, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat studied advanced political science at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Administration. Before becoming a full-time lecturer in Philosophy, he taught Logic in the Faculty of Literature and several other faculties at the university. I have heard some colleagues from the Faculty of Literature, who were his former students, recall memories of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat from that time. Back then, he was a young, energetic, enthusiastic lecturer with a very impressive teaching style. It wasn't until 1979 that he officially became a lecturer in the Philosophy department.

Associate Professor, Distinguished Teacher Bui Thanh Quat/Photo: Thanh Long

From the very beginning of the Philosophy Department's establishment, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat served as the Vice Dean, making significant contributions to the formation and development of the Department's main research directions from its inception to its current strength and growth. In 1996, upon officially becoming the Dean of the Philosophy Department (1996-2000), he, along with several colleagues and scientists within the department, began developing a scientific and systematic training program. It can be affirmed that the Philosophy Department's current strength and growth are largely due to the contributions of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat, Professor Nguyen Huu Vui, and several other teachers from the first generation of the department. From 1979 to the present, the Philosophy Department has truly grown, becoming one of the most prestigious philosophy training centers in the country and recognized by the international philosophical community. The credit for this establishment certainly belongs to everyone, but in his capacity as an administrator and the early head of the Philosophy Department, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat's role was immense. He not only left a real mark on the development of the Logic Department into a strong department in the academic world in this field, but also played a significant role in establishing the Social Management Department (1995), which was later separated into the Faculty of Management Science, currently thriving in the university. The period from 1990 to 2000 was a time of significant social changes and many events that directly affected the training and research in philosophy at the Philosophy Department. After 1990, the country entered a period of reform and integration; in response to this situation, to meet the practical needs of society and the country, the philosophy training and research of the Department also underwent timely and positive changes. In 1993, Hanoi National University was established, and in 1995, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities was officially founded. At that time, the leadership at all levels clearly recognized the importance of philosophy, as a key element in other scientific disciplines, especially social sciences. Thanks to this, the Philosophy Faculty received significant attention and investment from Hanoi National University and the University. In this context, the faculty members of the Philosophy Faculty have leveraged favorable objective conditions, fostered unity and democracy, and strived continuously to expand the scale and improve the quality of training, affirming the position of a large and traditional faculty within the university. Among these achievements, the contributions of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat to the Philosophy Faculty are immense.

Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat is not only regarded as a visionary administrator but also as a profound researcher and a dedicated educator. He was a teacher and scientific advisor to many generations of undergraduates, graduate students, and doctoral candidates, many of whom have held and continue to hold various positions and made significant contributions to the field of philosophy education, such as: Nguyen Van Vinh (defended his doctorate in 1996, currently Deputy Director of the Institute of Political Science, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), Vu Thien Vuong (defended his doctorate in 2001, lecturer at the National Economics University), Nguyen Thuy Van (defended his doctorate in 2001, former Head of the Philosophy Department from 2008-2015, Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities), Tran Thi Ngoc Anh (defended her doctorate in 2004, now a lecturer at Hanoi Pedagogical University), Nguyen Thanh Tan (defended his doctorate in 2005, lecturer at Hue University), Luong Thuy Lien (defended her doctorate in 2009, Philosophy Department, Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities), Tran Ngoc Lieu (defended his doctorate in 2009). (2010, now Head of Training Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities)...That is the pride of a teacher in years of teaching and research.

Photo: Jackie Chan

In terms of scientific activity, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat's research topics are very rich and diverse. He pays attention to many different issues in the social sciences and humanities. The main areas of expertise that Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat dedicates himself to can be summarized in four main groups: Logic and methodology, Political science and political philosophy, History of philosophy, and issues of Philosophy of Culture.

In the field of Logic and Methodology, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat is one of the first in Vietnam to research and develop this discipline. He has published many valuable works on formal logic and dialectical logic, some of which have been used as basic textbooks for the department's teaching for many years, such as:Formal logic((Published in 1994). Many of his other works and articles have also received attention and high praise from researchers, students, and colleagues. Below are some typical examples:Old manTand Western philosophy(co-authored, Journal of Theoretical Information, No. 7/2000);History of Philosophy(co-edited, Education Publishing House, Hanoi, 1999, reprinted 2000, 2001);Taoism and Classical German Philosophy(co-authored) (Taoism and Culture, Central China);History of Philosophy(co-authored) (National Political Publishing House, 1999);Regarding the subject matter, research methods, and characteristics of dialectical logic.(co-authored) (Philosophy Journal, No. 7/2001);The concept as a philosophical problem(Philosophy Journal, No. 6/1997);Philosophical thinking and the teaching of the history of philosophy in Vietnam.(Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference “Classical German Philosophy: Epistemological and Ethical Problems”. National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006) etc…

Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat also focuses his research on topics related to Political Science and Political Philosophy. Notable works include:Further reflection on "Political Power" as a scientific category.(Philosophy Journal, No. 5/1996);Some Confucian political viewpoints and their impact on development in Vietnam.(co-authored) (Philosophy Journal, No. 1/2000);Human rights – a political issue and the current state of addressing human rights in Vietnam.(co-authored, Journal of Political Science Information, No. 2/2000);General Political Science(co-authored, National Political Publishing House, 1999);The relationship between the national process and the political process in Vietnam(3 volumes, World Publishing House, 2001)...

In addition, issues related to Vietnamese history, cultural studies and philosophy of culture, globalization, philosophy in management, etc., also frequently appear in the research of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat.

For his significant contributions to the field of education, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat has received numerous commendations and prestigious awards. In 1995, he was awarded the Anti-American Resistance Medal by the President of Vietnam, the title of Excellent Teacher in 1994, and the Medal for the Cause of Education in 1995. In 2001, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat was recommended by Hanoi National University to the State for the Third-Class Labor Medal, along with many other commendations and certificates of merit throughout his career.