Associate Professor Pham Quang Long - administrator and teacher

On the surface, one might think this man is incredibly fortunate, seemingly born to be an official or a leader. In truth, he was trained to be a literature lecturer, because, considering both his character and professional aptitude, I'm 100% certain that Pham Quang Long truly possessed the ability to be an excellent literature teacher. However, after graduating from the University of Literature (in 1975) and being retained as a lecturer in the Department of Literary Theory (he actually graduated with a thesis on foreign literature), he didn't have much teaching time before being sent to Russia as a postgraduate student (again, on a topic related to foreign literature). Returning to Vietnam after 1984, in 1987 he left the Faculty to become Deputy Head of the Science Department. After that, his career continued on a path of advancement. It wasn't until recently, in June 2013, when he left his position as Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and returned to the Faculty of Literature, taking on the most ordinary job like all his peers—teaching literature—that he truly became himself.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Long/Photo: Thanh Long

He was Head of the Faculty of Literature (1992-1996); Vice Rector and Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (1996-2001); Vice Director of Hanoi National University (2001-2005); Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture (2005-2013).

Speaking about Associate Professor Pham Quang Long's time as an administrator, I honestly don't know much. My relationship with him was more as a friend than as an employee or superior, and I wasn't close enough to "listen" to or "interfere" in his private affairs. When he first became head of the Faculty of Literature, succeeding Professor Nguyen Kim Dinh, I only perceived him as someone enthusiastic about his work, harmonious with everyone, a good listener, and humble. And that's understandable, because Pham Quang originally came from a background in youth organizations. As a student, I knew he had spent many years participating in youth branch activities, then inter-branch activities, and class committees; after graduation, he remained a lecturer, still involved in youth organizations and associations – a job I know few teachers in the Faculty of Literature wanted to take on, as it took up a lot of their private time. But coming from a revolutionary family (son of a martyr, mother of a Vietnamese Hero), Pham Quang Long diligently carried out his assigned tasks without ever calculating or hesitating. I think that's why he was trusted and respected. During his years managing the Faculty of Literature, Pham Quang Long truly gave his all: he worked tirelessly, organizing one department and improving another. While it was difficult to achieve any "great breakthrough," I think the Faculty of Literature under his management was considered stable. Around 1992-1995, just before the establishment of the National University, as a unit of the former University of General Sciences, the Faculty of Literature was still considered a large, "prestigious" faculty, no less important than the History or Mathematics faculties. Perhaps that's why, despite being young and only just beginning his work managing a large unit like the Faculty of Literature, Associate Professor Pham Quang Long has managed to maintain a position for the faculty that is not at all "inferior" to other large units both within and outside the university. That in itself is a significant contribution. Therefore, he is even more trusted and respected.

At higher management levels, from Vice Rector, Rector, and then to Deputy Director of Hanoi National University, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, I understand that Pham Quang Long still maintained his passion for teaching and the responsibilities entrusted to him, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the common good, never hesitating to take on any task. But, perhaps because of this, he started to have "issues." I say "issues," but actually, there weren't really any "issues." It's just this: many people commented that Pham Quang Long is a straightforward, upright, and sensitive person. He only maintains a "safe" position in moderately demanding jobs, managing places with few people and harmonious subordinates, such as the Faculty of Literature, or even larger institutions like the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. If he is allowed to express his inherent qualities in places where people understand his personality, or where they are "easygoing," then he does well. In the case of "forcing" a literature teacher, even in the position of deputy director, to think and act directly on specific matters such as "land clearance" as quickly as possible; or making a high-ranking director of a Hanoi city department (after the merger with Ha Tay), with so many "mouths" (talking a lot but doing little), to "guard" and "supervise" the renovation of the Tram Gian Pagoda in Chuong My, even with "a hundred hands and a hundred eyes," he would hardly avoid making mistakes. In fact, in his capacity as head of the National University of Hanoi or the Hanoi Department of Culture, many people acknowledge that Pham Quang Long was a truly conscientious person. A very small example of the many things he did while serving as Director of Culture, recounted by himself when asked by a female reporter from An Ninh The Gioi (World Security) magazine: “Your question reminds me of an exhibition on Hanoi culture that I organized when I was director… Some senior members of the advisory board told me that an exhibition on Hanoi culture absolutely had to include a cyclo (rickshaw), because cyclos are closely associated with Hanoi culture for a long period, and can even be considered a symbol of Hanoi. But I disagreed, arguing that the image of the cyclo only evokes hardship and toil, not symbolism of the essence of Hanoi culture, and I chose the theme of “literary culture” for the exhibition.” This is just one small example among many others that could be cited to affirm that, although not professionally trained in culture, when assigned a task, it was actually not unfamiliar to his previous profession (management and teaching in a school). (University), Pham Quang Long accomplished it, it wasn't a case of him "taking a gamble." But I know that during nearly ten years of managing culture in Hanoi, as well as that same amount of time managing at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Pham Quang Long gave his all. The extent of his actual contribution depends on the circumstances, the support and cooperation of others, and the collective's evaluation. And there's one thing I know and want to reiterate: because of his frankness, integrity, and even his hot temper, "manager" Pham Quang Long was sometimes disliked by some and displeased by others. Even I, at times, was dissatisfied with him because of his "extremist" nature or his "misplaced kindness." It's also true that extremism can lead to rigidity, sometimes ruining things. But I also think, "no one is perfect," what can you do! Pham Quang Long wasn't born to be a manager, was he? His main job is teaching. And there's another area of ​​work, which, in my opinion, perfectly suits his strengths: not only teaching and research, Pham Quang Long is also a creative writer who's not bad at all. If only he had stayed true to his strengths from the beginning of his career? But, having said that, how many people can "program" their own path? Pham Quang Long is one of those "rare" people. And who knows, thanks to his experiences in various management positions over the years, especially his time managing culture in Hanoi, Pham Quang Long has "sharpened" his writing and life experience. Now he has returned to his inherent strengths. It's just a pity that he doesn't have much time left…

But anyway, he has returned to his position as a teacher. In this role, I know Pham Quang Long is a teacher admired by many students. Teaching literary theory is probably his chosen strength, because he is sharp and eloquent. Despite his somewhat less powerful and resonant voice compared to Professor Ha Minh Duc or some other teachers in the Literature Department, I still find Pham Quang Long's lectures on literary theory captivating to his students. There was a time when, out of curiosity, I wanted to hide somewhere and eavesdrop on his lectures to verify whether the praise from his students was true. But before I could carry out that intention, he was promoted to administrative positions, reducing his teaching time. Reduced, but not completely abandoned, because I know that teaching is what Pham Quang Long loves. To say that he neglected his research work because of his administrative duties is only partly true; in my opinion, it's not entirely accurate. Looking at the list of research works by Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Long, we may not find any truly substantial work (a separate book), but the number of articles published in specialized journals is considerable. This is not to mention the hundreds of articles on culture he wrote and published regularly in newspapers during his time as a cultural administrator in Hanoi. Furthermore, there are many more writings he made in his capacity as interim secretary of the Central Theoretical Council's summary of 30 years of cultural reform, which are often not widely published. In particular, I think this is Pham Quang Long's true forte: during his time managing culture in Hanoi, leveraging his strengths as a humanities researcher, Pham Quang Long wrote dozens of plays, many of which were staged and performed, with one winning the A prize at the 2005 National Theatre Festival. Pham Quang Long's plays truly reflect the "undercurrent" of a well-read, widely observant, and deeply thoughtful teacher, as they contain many reflections on human nature and social issues, both historical and contemporary. These are the plays...Cao Bá Quát, Nguyễn Công Trứ, Debt to the Nation, Moments of Ho Chi Minh, Playing a Role, The Returnee, The Human-Faced Demon, The Inspector...all of these are "thorny" topics. I once asked him, "Aren't you afraid of offending anyone by writing like that?" He didn't answer, but I knew it was time for the free and honest person within him to begin to "break free." When he could be himself again, he didn't need to be so "reserved." Some people worried about him, but I thought that, after nearly half a century of "refinement," Pham Quang Long would never be "foolish" enough to break his established "principles." That's because, seeing the irony of the times, how could a man as deeply committed as Pham Quang Long remain "silent"? He revealed to me that he currently has three manuscripts that will be published soon: two novels (currently being reviewed by literary critic Bui Viet Thang); and a research project on realism in Vietnamese literature that he had long been contemplating and nurturing...

A complete "portrait" of Associate Professor Pham Quang Long would certainly require a lengthy article. The above is merely a brief sketch, from the perspective of someone observing from afar. And a distant, sketchy view can only shed light on a few "issues." I dare not claim to have painted a completely accurate portrait of him. Because I believe Pham Quang Long still possesses many hidden potentials that we have yet to fully discover. As the writer Nguyen Minh Chau, an author Pham Quang Long once studied, essentially said:Within each person lies a wealth of beauty and wonder, so much so that a lifetime may not be enough to fully discover it.Pham Quang Long is such a person.