Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa - Willpower is the key to success

Since childhood, she has always studied and practiced with a serious and positive attitude, was good at natural sciences and was a leader in collective activities. In 1983, she registered for the National Economics University and with high university entrance exam results, she was sent by the State to study abroad. Faced with many choices of majors, she was advised to study Tourism Economics in Bulgaria. At that time, the country was still under a subsidy regime, with many difficulties and shortages, and the frustrations in socio-economic life increasingly placed an urgent need for progressive and comprehensive innovations. The major in Tourism Economics and Organization she studied promised a bright future ahead. The country she came to was completely different from the socio-economic context of her homeland at that time. A new horizon in scientific knowledge, in learning and living conditions fostered her eagerness to learn, her ability to work proactively, her serious and independent lifestyle, and she achieved excellent academic results. Selected to stay on as a transfer student, she pursued a major in International Tourism, delving into the field of finance and currency. Her feelings about her major - heavy and arduous - cannot be fully expressed, but not dry at all; the more she studied, the more she realized how little she knew and how lacking she was. Having studied and researched in a continuous and in-depth process in Bulgaria (1984-1995), witnessing many major changes in the economy, politics, and society of a country developing from a socialist regime to a capitalist regime, she considered it a blessing to have access to many schools of economic research, many valuable sources of documents and knowledge. With determination, not to waste time and the favorable conditions she was fortunate to have, she devoted herself to studying and researching with the mindset of "sunny days meet rainy days". Economics is not a basic science field, it requires "hard work", being serious, sharp and having a vision. In 1996, she returned to her homeland with a doctorate and many plans and concerns to contribute more to the country. While there was a shortage of PhDs in tourism economics in Vietnam at that time, career opportunities were wide open and attractive, but she chose to become a lecturer. Partly due to her interest from her youth, partly, more importantly, after spending some time traveling and absorbing, perhaps the desire to share knowledge, to inspire the younger generation, to contribute a small part to creating motivation for sustainable development was greater than anything else.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa/Photo: Bui Tuan

Starting her teaching career at the National Economics University in 1996, she is passionate about and focuses on researching macroeconomics, models, methods, and strategies in economic management and development, especially in the field of tourism economics. Her main research and teaching directions are: Tourism Economics and Business, International Payments in Tourism, Marketing. She used to hold the position of Head of the Department of Tourism Economics and Business, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, National Economics University. Researching Vietnamese tourism, she is concerned that the tourism industry has great potential but lacks a good development strategy, only focuses on quantity without investing in improving quality, so operations are not really effective and the value is low. In addition, in the context of regional and international competition, Vietnamese tourism in particular and the Vietnamese economy in general face many disadvantages in situations where understanding of the law, principles, and behavior in economic relations is limited. This requires constant learning, research, acquisition of new knowledge and application to the Vietnamese context in a more appropriate, flexible, decisive and dedicated manner. Continuously for more than 10 years since returning to Vietnam, she has focused on researching, publishing and announcing many textbooks, reference books, research works, scientific articles with high professional quality, full of enthusiasm and sharp opinions. In 2007, she was awarded the title of Associate Professor. During the process of participating in teaching and cooperating with agencies and organizations researching in the field of tourism, there were many invitations for Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa to work. And among the forks in the road ahead, she chose to step on the development path of the Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa came to the Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities with respect for the prestige and personality of outstanding teachers, dedicated colleagues, and faith in a multidisciplinary and multi-field training and research environment in social sciences and humanities with a rich tradition and development potential. Here, she saw the strengths and unique characteristics that helped her continue to deepen her research with new perspectives and approaches, while also being able to contribute to the overall development of the Faculty. Being a proactive and hard-working person in all circumstances, she self-studied, self-discovered, and quickly absorbed knowledge about social sciences and humanities from the typical works of erudite professors, from colleagues in the Faculty, and in the University. She also graduated with a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She has very good foreign language skills in both research and communication in Bulgarian and English. For her, studying is never enough, knowledge belongs to humanity, constantly acquiring knowledge is also the noble responsibility of a lecturer, of a person doing scientific research. Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa actively edited and participated in compiling many lectures with colleagues in the Faculty of Tourism Studies; wrote many scientific articles in the proceedings of international conferences, specialized journals at home and abroad; chaired and participated in many topics at all levels. In her research, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa presents interdisciplinary perspectives and explanations, proposals that are argued clearly and convincingly. The dedication to research is concretized by goals, each plan and once set, it is necessary to make efforts and determination to implement.

When moving to school-level management, in charge of finance, administration, facilities management and quality assurance, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa faced many difficulties and challenges. The biggest challenge was the contradiction between the subsidy mindset and the spirit of independence, autonomy and self-responsibility. Administrative reform includes reform of institutions, institutions, people and material conditions, in which the human factor - the issue of awareness is the most complicated and long-term. With her enthusiasm and capacity, she and the School Board of Directors have issued guidelines and many appropriate and timely decisions, which have received the consensus of the staff in the School. She believes that from the position of an individual to the whole collective, it is necessary to know how to turn potential into conditions, creating advantages for development. She shared that Vietnam's social sciences and humanities will increasingly receive investment, and are fully capable of enhancing the intellectual and material value from research and policy consulting activities in the general development trend of the country and all of humanity.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa is Head of the Faculty of Tourism Studies (2010-2012) and Vice Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (2012 to present)/Photo: Bui Tuan

In the perception of the faculty of Tourism Studies, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa is an example of scientific working ability, professional and management capacity. Always close to work, careful and demanding of efficiency, everything for her requires constant effort. For young staff, her care and guidance is not only as a manager but also as a relative, a solid support. Sometimes silently, sometimes frankly, she wants to remind staff to try to overcome difficulties, everyday distractions to complete work well and improve life. Nothing is achieved easily and what is obtained from luck cannot be sustainable. For students, each of her classes is truly interesting and attractive. Her logical teaching method, tight arguments, vivid examples and sense of humor in expression make the classes or research exchanges useful and effective. There is a funny sharing from the Faculty of Tourism, when the Faculty summoned students to participate in extracurricular activities, the students whispered to the Faculty staff: "Miss, don't summon me during Ms. Hoa's class, because you teach very well...!". That is the joy, the biggest motivation for Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa. For her, although she has held many positions, she is always proud and moved when she is remembered as a lecturer.

Building a family from Bulgaria, the life partner of Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa has been with her through many ups and downs in life, building a career from the hands of intellectuals who studied abroad and returned to the country to start a business and contribute. Few people know that she had experienced a terrible traffic accident, almost paralyzed, her career was unfinished. Learning to walk step by step, recovering her health, getting back into rhythm with life and work, her willpower had to increase many times to be able to continue taking steady steps. The hands of a mother, a wife still take care of the family every day, despite her busy work. She is very fond of the family education method: Each member needs to be responsible for themselves, for their family from the smallest things, children need to be trained in independence, self-control and a sense of responsibility, based on love and sharing. Something lingers behind the serious eyes, the disciplined demeanor and the tight arguments at work.... She smiled, a very gentle smile and shared: "I am really at ease, because I always wish and constantly strive for the best things."