Reunion of former teachers on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of the Rat (Canh Tý)

Professor Pham Quang Minh, the Rector, stated that in the past year, the university achieved many accomplishments in various areas of activity but also faced many challenges.

Professor Pham Quang Minh, the Rector of the University, on behalf of the Board of Directors, briefly presented the achievements of the University's staff and faculty during the past year.

Regarding personnel organization, on October 9, 2019, the Hanoi People's Committee signed a decision to establish the Specialized High School for Social Sciences and Humanities under the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. This event attracted significant public attention because it added another high school with the mission of selecting and nurturing talented students, promising to provide a high-quality source of university entrance. Last year, despite increasingly stringent criteria for professorship and associate professorship appointments, the school added one professor and four associate professors, bringing the total number of professors and associate professors working at the school to 108 out of a total of 380 staff and lecturers.

Teacher Nguyen Van Ham - Vice President of the Association of Retired Teachers - presented the Association's activities over the past year.

Regarding training, the University has organized enrollment for three high-quality and socialized programs in accordance with Circular 23 of the Ministry of Education and Training, including Journalism, Management Science, and Information Management. The Japanese Studies program is independently enrolling students for the first time. It is expected that in 2020, the University will continue to open independent Korean Studies and Cultural Studies programs, bringing the total number of undergraduate programs to 28. The programs are also being adjusted towards integration and interdisciplinary approaches to meet the needs of society in the new development phase, as well as to expand students' adaptability and employment opportunities.

Teacher Vu Duong Ninh - Chairman of the School's Retired Teachers Association - congratulated the veteran teachers on their 80th, 85th, 90th, and 95th birthdays.

Regarding scientific research activities, last year, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Technology entered the top 1000 most prestigious universities in the world for the first time. Contributing to the overall achievements of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities had over 500 published scientific research works and articles. The university participated in and edited more than 10 volumes.Vietnamese National Historyand 10 episodesNational Defense.

Regarding international cooperation, in 2019, the University signed nearly 30 new and ongoing cooperation agreements, bringing the total number of international partners to over 400. Notably, these included cooperation programs with the European Union and ASEAN countries to develop inter-country tourism programs; and collaboration with Facebook to develop a Digital Thinking course for universities in Vietnam.

Besides the outstanding achievements, the Rector also shared the challenges the university is facing in the context of increasing competition among universities both domestically and internationally, between public and private institutions, and among universities themselves; the trend of university autonomy leading to the requirement for restructuring units towards streamlined and efficient operations; and the pressure from the Fourth Industrial Revolution... In the past academic year, the university enrolled more than 2,000 undergraduates, more than 400 postgraduate students, and 50 doctoral candidates. The structure of undergraduate, master's, and doctoral training within the university still shows a significant imbalance. This is a challenge to the goal of building a research university of international standards. In addition, the number of internationally published articles is still modest. In 2019, the university had 80 articles published in international journals, including 20 articles in ISI and Scopus journals. In addition, the school also faces difficulties regarding facilities and limited campus space...

2020 is a year of many important events for Vietnam in general and for the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in particular. The University will hold its 28th Party Congress in May 2020. Professor Pham Quang Minh, the Rector, expressed his hope that the veteran teachers will continue to be a source of spiritual support for the staff, students, and trainees of the University; and continue to show interest and contribute ideas to help the University achieve its development goals in the coming time. The Rector also extended his best wishes to the former faculty members and their families for a new year filled with good health, peace, prosperity, and happiness.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Ham - Vice President of the Association of Retired Teachers, representing the Association's leadership, summarized the activities of 2019 and proposed directions and tasks for 2020. Last year, the Association organized two trips to Tam Chuc Pagoda and Truc Lam Tay Thien Yen Tu Zen Monastery for its members; organized a scientific seminar "Commemorating the 129th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and the 50th anniversary of the implementation of his Testament - The Journey of Vietnamese Heritage" on May 29, 2019... These activities created opportunities for members to meet, interact, and share information. Some members of the Association of Retired Teachers, still healthy and passionate about their profession, actively participate in postgraduate teaching, guiding students to successfully defend their Master's and Doctoral degrees; writing research papers for specialized journals in Vietnam and abroad; and publishing monographs...

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Ham, on behalf of the Association's leadership, also expressed gratitude for the attention of the University's leadership and wished good health, happiness, and success to all staff, students, and trainees of the university on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Next, Professor Vu Duong Ninh, Chairman of the School's Association of Retired Teachers, on behalf of the Association, congratulated the veteran teachers who have reached the advanced age of over 80.

This is an annual event organized to visit and express gratitude to the generations of leaders, staff, and employees who have taught, worked, and contributed to the school on the occasion of the New Year; it is also an opportunity for the school's leadership to report on the achievements made during the year and listen to the contributions of former faculty members for the school's future development.