The ferryman of science
Our generation of students of the QHX - 2012 course, the History department, entered the school when the teacher was already in his eighties. Due to his old age, he rarely went to school and taught, but thanks to fate, we, students from other provinces who loved to learn about history and archaeology, were lucky enough to meet him, get to know him, and often went to his house to listen to him lecture for hours about dragon and phoenix patterns, about ancient coins, about artifacts that he discovered during excavations, or simply to listen to him share his thoughts about life.
Then we, the first-year students who knew nothing about the so-called Student Scientific Research, were guided by the Teacher, the outlines were crossed out and erased with red and blue ink when we brought the outlines to meet the Teacher. The Teacher was the one who introduced me, a H'mong student from Dien Bien to Hanoi, who was unfamiliar with the learning method and research method, to open the door before my eyes to extremely interesting understandings about the history of Vietnam, about my own H'mong people, student Vang A Cu, Faculty of History, shared.
All his life, since entering the profession, he has always devoted all his heart to scientific research and the career of educating people. From his youth until his old age, he has always used paper as a mat and a pen as a stick, his footprints have spread across the length of the S-shaped country: Vietnam.
Dr. Do Thi Thuy Lan, a lecturer at the Faculty of History, who is both a student and a descendant of the Master, confided, “The Master is one of the leading experts in the field of archaeology in Vietnam. Being able to go, study and be guided by the Master in scientific research is a blessing for me. With more than 80 years of age and more than half a century of experience, Master Khoan has accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge. Students who are fortunate enough to receive his teachings are lucky enough to not have anyone.”
Although he is friendly, the teacher is also very strict with his students. He teaches that in life, people must havePersonalityand put two wordsPersonalityto the top. The teacher is ready to yell when students make mistakes, not because he yells because he hates but because he loves. The teacher always knows how to encourage students to overcome difficulties to reach out and realize their dreams. Personally, besides learning knowledge from the teacher, I also learn how to be a human being and how to treat others.
The student's heart for the respected teacher
During a conversation with me about Teacher Khoan, Vang A Cu, K57 History, the student who won first prize in the 2nd Humanities in Me writing contest organized by the school, shared: “Since my first year, I have been guided by the teacher to do research on students and from then until now, the teacher has been a familiar place whenever I have questions about studying and life. The teacher is friendly and enthusiastic with students, many times when I visit him, even though he is busy writing papers, he still takes time to talk about history and culture with students. The most memorable memory for me was when I was a first year researcher on students, when the teacher and I took a bus to the Imperial City to see the archaeological excavation team there. The teacher told stories about the Imperial City during the Ly, Tran and Le dynasties through each cultural layer that was discovered, and the teacher taught us how to get into the Imperial City without paying for tickets. The teacher and I just talked and laughed with the archaeologists there until noon.”
When asked about her feelings for her teacher, Bui Thi Diem Hang, a student of K57, History, Archaeology major, shared, “Teacher Hoang Van Khoan is a great example for students. He always cares and helps students wholeheartedly. I hope he will always be healthy to help more generations of students.”
He was as close to me as my grandfather. The memory I remember most was the trip with him to Tuyen Quang to visit Dinh Hong Thai and listen to him talk about History and confide in me about his life and career, which made me love the career I had chosen and am pursuing even more. He was the one who inspired me in my studies. Many times when I went to his house to ask for lessons and saw him working hard alone in the attic on the 2nd floor, I felt so sorry for him. Ngo Thi Ngoc Tu, K57 History, confided in me when talking about him. Sharing the same feeling, Khuc Thu Phuong, a student of K57 History, majoring in Cultural Studies, said, "I often feel like Mr. Khoan is like a grandfather. In his work, he is always strict but also very close, dedicated, and devoted to his students. Being able to do Student Scientific Research with him and being his student is a great happiness in my life."
We, the students who are lucky enough to meet you, to have you guide our thesis and to be treated like your nephews in the family, are extremely happy. Sometimes when reading the news of the Archaeological Seminar on the school website, the faculty website or the website of the Institute of Archaeology... seeing the tall image of you sitting there, we feel strangely happy. Because we know that you are still healthy, still walking, still smiling, still talking and still using cigarettes to enjoy life. Wishing you happiness like the East Sea's eternal flowing water, longevity like the South Mountain's immortal pine.
Author:Ly Viet Truong K57 Faculty of History
