Associate Professor, Meritorious Student Bui Thanh Quat - a profound researcher and dedicated teacher

Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat was born in 1941 in Thai Binh. 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 the period 1985-1986, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat did professional internships at several universities in Czechoslovakia. From 1996 to 1998, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat studied advanced political programs at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration. Before becoming an official lecturer in the Faculty of Philosophy, he had spent years teaching at the Faculty of Literature and several other faculties in the school, in the subject of Logic. I once heard some colleagues from the Faculty of Literature, who were his former students, recall memories of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat in the past. At that time, he was a young, enthusiastic, passionate lecturer with a very impressive teaching style. It was not until 1979 that he officially became a lecturer in the Philosophy Department.

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

Since the early days of the Faculty of Philosophy, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat has been the Vice Dean of the Faculty. He has contributed greatly to the formation and development of the Faculty's main research directions since its establishment until it has grown and matured as it is today. In 1996, when he officially became the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy (1996-2000), he and a number of colleagues and scientists in the Faculty joined hands to build a scientific and systematic training program framework. It can be affirmed that the Faculty of Philosophy has grown as strong as it is today, thanks to the contributions of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat, Professor Nguyen Huu Vui, and a number of other teachers of the first generation of the Faculty. From 1979 to the present, the Faculty of Philosophy has truly grown, becoming one of the most prestigious philosophy training centers in the country and known to foreign philosophers. The credit for that construction is of course everyone's, but in his position as a manager and head of the early Philosophy Department, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat's role was enormous. He not only left a real mark in developing the Department of Logic into a strong department in the academic world in this field, but also made great contributions in establishing the Department of Social Management (1995), which was later separated into the Faculty of Management Science, which is developing very strongly in the school today. The period of 1990 - 2000 was a period of many strong changes in society and many events directly affected the training and research of philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy. After 1990, the country entered a period of innovation and integration. In that situation, in order to meet the practical needs of society and the country, the training and research of philosophy at the Faculty also had timely and positive changes. In 1993, Hanoi National University was established, and in 1995, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities was officially established. At that time, leaders at all levels clearly recognized the importance of philosophy, with its key role in all sciences, especially social sciences. Thanks to that, the Faculty of Philosophy received significant attention and investment from the National University and the School. In that context, the staff of the Faculty of Philosophy knew how to promote favorable objective conditions, solidarity, democracy, and constantly strive to expand the scale, improve the quality of training and affirm the position of a large and traditional Faculty in the school. Among these achievements, the merits and contributions of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat to the Faculty of Philosophy are extremely great.

Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat is not only considered a visionary manager but also a profound researcher and a dedicated teacher. He is a teacher and scientific instructor of many generations of students, graduate students and researchers, many of whom have held and are holding different positions and have made contributions to the cause of philosophy education such as: Nguyen Van Vinh (PhD in 1996, currently Deputy Director of the Institute of Political Science, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), Vu Thien Vuong (PhD in 2001, lecturer at the National Economics University), Nguyen Thuy Van (PhD in 2001, former Head of the Philosophy Department from 2008 to 2015, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi), Tran Thi Ngoc Anh (PhD in 2004, currently a lecturer at Hanoi Pedagogical University), Nguyen Thanh Tan (PhD in 2005, lecturer at Hue University), Luong Thuy Lien (PhD in 2009, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Social Sciences and Humanities), Tran Ngoc Lieu (PhD in 2009, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Social Sciences and Humanities), 2010, now Head of Training Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities)... That is the pride of a teacher during the years of teaching and research.

Photo: Jackie Chan

Regarding scientific activities, the issues that Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat researches are very rich and diverse. He is interested in and pays attention to many different issues of social sciences and humanities. The main fields that Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat devotes his efforts to research can be summarized in four main groups of issues, which are: Logic and methodology, Political science and political philosophy, History of philosophy, and issues of Cultural Philosophy.

In the field of Logic and Methodology, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat is one of the first people in Vietnam to research and develop this field. He has published many valuable works on Formal Logic and Dialectical Logic, some of which have been used as basic textbooks for the teaching work of the department for many years, such as:Formal logic(published in 1994). Many of his other works and articles have also received attention and high appreciation from researchers, students and colleagues. Here are some typical examples: :OldTand Western philosophy(co-authored, Journal of Theoretical Information, No. 7/2000);History of philosophy(co-editor, Education Publishing House, Hanoi, 1999, reprinted 2000, 2001);Taoism and Classical German Philosophy(co-authored) (Taoism and Culture, China Center);History of philosophy(co-authored) (National Political Publishing House, 1999);On the subject, research method and characteristics of dialectical logic(co-authored) (Philosophy Journal, No. 7/2001);Concept as a philosophical problem(Philosophy Journal, No. 6/1997);Philosophical thinking and teaching history of philosophy in Vietnam(Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference “Classical German Philosophy: Epistemological and Ethical Issues”. National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2006) etc.

Topics of Political Science and Political Philosophy are also focused on by Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat. Notable works include:Further Thoughts on “Political Power” as a Scientific Category(Philosophy Journal, No. 5/1996);Some Confucian political views on development in Vietnam(co-authored) (Philosophy Journal, No. 1/2000);Human rights – a political issue and the resolution of human rights issues in Vietnam today(co-authored, Journal of Political 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 of Vietnamese History, cultural studies and cultural philosophy, globalization, philosophy in Management... also appear frequently in the research of Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat.

With his great contributions to the education cause, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat has received many certificates of merit and noble awards. In 1995, he was awarded the Anti-American National Salvation Medal by the President, 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 proposed by Hanoi National University to be awarded the Third Class Labor Medal by the State along with many certificates of merit and commendations during his work.