Among the guests were Prof. Dr. Tran Van Doan - National Women's University, Taiwan, China; Prof. Patrice Vermeren - University of Paris 8; Prof. Detlef Briesen - Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany; Dr. Trinh Huu Tue - researcher at the Federal Republic of Germany (Leibniz-Zentrum Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft), along with scientists, lecturers, postgraduate students and undergraduate students from Vietnam and abroad.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thanh Truong delivered the welcoming speech at the conference.
In his opening remarks at the workshop, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thanh Truong shared: The University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi - as one of the leading training and research centers in the country - has for many years conducted research, organized scientific workshops, and produced research reports on philosophical and development issues.
The scientific conference on the theme "Tran Duc Thao – Some Philosophical and Historical Issues" is a continuation of the university's academic activities with humanistic values, connected to the ideas of the philosopher and professor Tran Duc Thao.
Today's conference is a scientific forum bringing together researchers from Vietnam and abroad to share research results and exchange ideas, discussing the thoughts of Professor Tran Duc Thao, as well as reflecting on contemporary philosophical issues.
Dr. Pham Hoang Giang reads the welcome letter from the Director of the Center for Asian Studies Support.
According to Dr. Pham Hoang Giang, Head of the Philosophy Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the international scientific conference "Tran Duc Thao - Some Philosophical and Historical Issues" was organized to create an international academic environment for scientific exchange, discussion, and evaluation of the contributions and intellectual values of Professor Tran Duc Thao in the fields of philosophy, history, and other social sciences and humanities, as well as to apply, inherit, and develop his ideas, especially in Vietnam from the late 20th century to the present.
Through the discussions at the conference, researchers will gain multifaceted, comprehensive, and open perspectives to evaluate and honor the contributions of Professor Tran Duc Thao to Vietnamese philosophy and history on the 30th anniversary of his passing (1993-2023).
According to Dr. Pham Hoang Giang, this is an opportunity for the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi, to develop the professional capacity of its lecturers, strengthen international cooperation to exchange and share experiences, promote international publications, internationalize the University's research activities, and concretize and implement the cooperation agreements between VNU Hanoi and international partners.
The international scientific conference “Tran Duc Thao - Some Philosophical and Historical Issues” was held in both online and in-person formats, presented in two subcommittees, allowing scholars the opportunity to choose their desired topic. The conference included a total of 40 papers, divided into 6 main themes such as:
- Methodological approaches to human beings;
- The history of the formation, transformation, and development of Tran Duc Thao's thought;
- Perspectives on Marxism;
- Tran Duc Thao's approach to philosophical ideologies around the world;
- Study and analyze the work "In Search of the Origins of Language and Consciousness";
- Compare Tran Duc Thao's views with philosophical views around the world.
Professor Tran Duc Thao was born on September 26, 1917, in Song Thap commune, Tu Son district, Bac Ninh province, into a family of civil servants. To date, he is the only Vietnamese philosopher renowned in the scientific community and recognized for his international stature. He was the only Vietnamese person of his generation to pursue a truly authentic philosophical education.
Before embracing Marxism, he received formal training at the renowned d'Ulm Teacher Training College in Paris from March 1941 to September 1944, giving him the opportunity to work within an elite French intellectual environment and maintain close ties with many influential philosophers of the latter half of the 20th century, such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Alexandre Kojève, Louis Althusser, and Jacques Derrida – leading thinkers of phenomenology and existentialism.
His ideas were recognized and highly valued by them as "unique contributions to the fields of philosophy, anthropology, and linguistics" (Daniel J. Herman). He was the only Vietnamese philosopher recognized as having international stature, leaving behind a large body of extremely valuable works. Tran Duc Thao left behind the example of a true scientist: lifelong learning, lifelong diligent creativity, overcoming all difficulties, to live honestly and with integrity.
Here are some photos from the workshop:
Professor Tran Van Doan, PhD - Fu Jen University, Taiwan, China, presented the introductory report "Tran Duc Thao, Phenomenology and Philosophy in Vietnam".
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Trong Chuan - Vice President of the Vietnam Philosophical Association, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Philosophical Studies: Professor Tran Duc Thao defended and developed dialectical materialism and historical materialism.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Cong Su (Hanoi University): A general overview of Tran Duc Thao and his works.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan Thanh Khoi (Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics): "The Human Problem" by Tran Duc Thao and the renewal of understanding in building and protecting the Vietnamese Fatherland today.
