In 1990, the Faculty of Journalism of Hanoi National University, the predecessor of the current Institute of Journalism and Communication, was established, marking the birth of the first journalism training unit in Vietnam that was not part of the Party school system. This was also an important turning point in the history of journalism education in Vietnam, when journalism and communication training and research were placed in a leading university in social sciences and humanities.

Over 35 years of establishment and development, the Institute of Journalism and Communication has trained more than 30,000 regular and non-regular bachelors, more than 1,000 masters and doctors, contributing to providing high-quality human resources for the Vietnamese journalism and communication industry. Many alumni of the Institute currently hold important positions in press agencies, media organizations, and information management agencies at the central and local levels. Hundreds of alumni have won national journalism awards and specialized journalism awards at all levels.
Currently, the Institute has 6 regular training programs, including: Bachelor of Journalism, Bachelor of Public Relations, Bachelor of Multimedia Communication, Master of Journalism, Master of Journalism - Communication Management, Doctor of Journalism. In addition, the Institute also organizes short-term training courses, 2nd degree and on-the-job training, meeting the diverse needs of society.

A thesis defense session of students from the Faculty of Journalism, University of General Sciences (old). (Photo: SJC)
 

The highlight of the Institute’s training activities is the harmonious combination of theory and practice. The Institute is equipped with a modern and synchronous system of facilities and training equipment, closely linked with domestic press agencies so that students can practice their profession right from their time in the classroom. The Institute is also the first journalism training institution to apply the credit-based training model in Vietnam.

The Institute's educational philosophy is "Dynamic - Creative - Humane - Integrity". This philosophy has become the guiding principle in all teaching, training, research and cooperation activities. The Institute always aims to train journalists and media professionals with independent thinking, critical spirit, solid professional skills, while maintaining professional ethics and a high sense of social responsibility.

Besides training, the Institute also focuses on in-depth research directions in journalism and communication.

In the context of global journalism and media changing rapidly under the impact of digital technology, the Institute of Journalism and Media Training has been proactively adapting and comprehensively innovating both training programs, teaching methods and development orientation.
The Institute is one of the first institutions in Vietnam to implement research-oriented master's training in Journalism (1997), then expanded to application-oriented master's training (2017), and is the first unit in Vietnam to build a master's program in Journalism - Media Management (2018).

Students of the Faculty of Journalism (Hanoi University of Science) with Professor Ha Minh Duc on a field trip. (Photo: Archive)
 

In the near future, the Bachelor of Multimedia and Digital Communication (2025) program will be officially launched, reflecting the agility in approaching new trends such as digital communication, big data, AI, social networks and digital creative content.
The Institute's teaching staff is constantly being strengthened and improved in quality. Most of the Institute's lecturers are well-trained in countries with developed journalism such as the Soviet Union, England, Australia, Korea, Russia, China, etc. In addition, there is a team of part-time lecturers, including journalists and media experts with prestige and practical experience at leading press and media agencies in Vietnam.
The Institute of Journalism and Communication is also a leading center for journalism and communication research in the country, with hundreds of scientific articles, research topics at the State, Ministry, and VNU levels, and dozens of national and international scientific conferences organized. The Institute also compiles and publishes many textbooks, lectures and specialized books used in journalism and communication training in Vietnam, typically the textbook Journalism and Communication Theory, Journalism Language Textbook, a set of textbooks on journalism genres, textbooks on types of journalism and communication, books on Journalism and Communication: Key Issues, Digital Transformation of Vietnamese Journalism, Vietnam Television after Doi Moi, Digital Convergence in Journalism and Communication - Approaching Vietnam and the World, etc. Among them, there are books published by prestigious international publishers such as Routledge Publishing House (UK), Nomos Publishing House (Germany)...
In the field of international cooperation, the Institute has established relations with many prestigious journalism training institutions such as Stirling University, Bournemouth University (UK), University of Southern California (USA), Communication University of China, Renmin University of China, Xiamen University (China)... and organizations such as Reuters, AFP, British Council, Konrad Adenauer Institute (Germany)... The Institute is the focal point for connecting journalism training schools in the region and internationally, and gradually implementing student and lecturer exchanges and mutual recognition of training credits.

In 2024, under the connection of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU), the program "Dialogue on Journalism Training Vietnam - China" took place in Beijing with the participation of all universities training in Journalism of the two countries. The forum marked the first time that there was cooperation and exchange on journalism - media training at a new systematic level in cooperation in journalism and media training in Vietnam.
The Institute also regularly organizes major academic forums such as the “June Press Forum” on the occasion of the anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day. In 2024, the international conference “Vietnam’s press and media economy in the context of the digital economy” gathered more than 50 presentations, including delegates from Germany, China, Thailand... affirming the Institute’s academic core role in the industry.
35 years is a journey full of effort and creativity of the Institute of Journalism and Communication. With a solid foundation and strategic vision, the Institute is moving steadily in its mission of training a generation of journalists and media professionals with courage, humanity and modernity, meeting the increasing demands of the information society and international integration.

During 35 years of development, the Institute of Journalism and Communication has built a distinct academic position, which is the model of "General Journalism - Humanistic Communication", crystallized from a profound educational perspective: journalists and communicators not only need skills but must first of all be equipped with a broad knowledge base, sharp critical thinking and a profound humanistic spirit. This has been the consistent direction of the Institute since it was the Faculty of Journalism of Hanoi National University and then the Faculty of Journalism and Communication of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU).

The event "Honorary Lecture" and book launch "The Teacher and the Pages" by Professor, People's Teacher Ha Minh Duc by Institute of Journalism and Communication organize the day May 23, 2025. (Photo by HUU TOAN)

The Institute recognizes that, in the information age, journalists cannot simply be collectors and transmitters of data; they need to become people who have a deep understanding of the social, political, and cultural context, in order to select, process, and transmit information responsibly, contributing to the creation of positive social discourse. Therefore, the Institute's training programs always focus on fundamental subjects such as philosophy, sociology, media psychology, history of journalism, journalism and media theory, popular culture, along with subjects on journalism ethics and social responsibility of the media.
However, that does not mean that professional skills are underestimated. On the contrary, skills are always trained systematically, but not separated from the system of academic values ​​and humanistic spirit. Practical subjects such as modern journalism skills, radio and television technology, multimedia communication applications, press and communication product production, etc. are all placed on a solid theoretical foundation and guided by critical thinking and clear social awareness.

In the context of rapidly changing digital media, the Institute of Journalism and Communication still adheres to the philosophy of “synthesis – humanity”, but not conservatism. On the contrary, the Institute continuously updates new media technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analysis, multi-platform digital content production, etc. in practical and specialized courses. This helps students not only master technology, but also have the ability to choose tools that suit their communication goals and career values.
Practice has proven the effectiveness and sustainability of this model. Many generations of students of the Institute, whether working in mainstream press agencies, digital media companies or working independently as YouTubers, podcasters, influencers, etc., still maintain their professional identity: sharp in thinking, upright in behavior and humane in production content. They themselves have contributed to creating the "brand" of the Institute - a brand that is not only associated with academic reputation, but also a guarantee of human quality in the modern journalism and media profession.