Gathering prestigious domestic and international scientistsThe workshop on “Culture, ethnicity, and religion in Vietnam in the new development context” aims to clarify theoretical and practical issues on culture, ethnicity, and religion in the context of Vietnam’s development, modernization, and international integration. The presentations will assess the current situation, changing trends, and impacts of development policies on these areas, while identifying opportunities and challenges.
This is also a scientific forum to share experiences, research results and propose policy solutions to promote the role of culture, strengthen national solidarity, and ensure freedom of belief and religion, contributing to the building and development of a sustainable Vietnamese society. In particular, the Conference is an opportunity to honor the historical, cultural and social values and achievements of the Vietnamese people throughout the past 80 years of history.
The workshop was attended by more than 100 domestic and international experts and scholars from many prestigious units such as the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions; universities and research institutes under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi; domestic research and training facilities; experts from the University of California, Riverside (USA), Nanyan Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore).
Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, delivered the opening speech at the conference.
According to scientists, in the process of leading the revolution, our Party and State have always consistently advocated equality, solidarity, respect and mutual assistance for all ethnic groups to develop together. Throughout the country's development, the Party and State have always ensured and created conditions for ethnic minorities in all regions of the country to have freedom of belief and religion according to the provisions of law; supported socio-economic development for ethnic minority areas to contribute to improving their lives.
Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups, each with its own cultural identity, creating a unified and diverse Vietnamese culture. In particular, the spirit of great national solidarity has been promoted by the entire Party, State and people in all periods and stages of the revolution and has achieved great victories as President Ho Chi Minh summarized: "Solidarity, solidarity, great solidarity/Success, success, great success". Along with that, strongly promoting solidarity between religions, religions also link religion with life, life with religion in the spirit of "religion and nation". At the conference, domestic and international scientists and scholars, from their professional perspectives, all aim for a prosperous and sustainably developing Vietnam in the new era.
The conference also received more than 100 full-text papers from scientists, researchers, lecturers and postgraduate students. After the conference, the Organizing Committee will publish the proceedings with ISBN index, expected in June 2026.
Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Ba Nam (Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Ethnology and Anthropology) chaired the opening session of the conference.
Prof. Dr. Christina Schwenkel (University of California, Riverside, USA) presented the paper “Walking to explore the sounds of Truc Bach: Gender impacts of redeveloping the lakeside area according to the creative city model”
The workshop was attended by many scientists from ministries, branches, universities and research institutes.
Valuable research results on culture, ethnicity and religionThe workshop was divided into 4 thematic sub-committees, discussing many issues of current interest. In Sub-committee 1: Culture, the presentations focused on cultural characteristics, cultural exchange and cultural change in the trend of national development. Specific research topics include: "Gender impact of redevelopment of the Truc Bach lakeside area according to the creative city model", "Visual illusion of ancient stone faces in the grass stream (Hoa Binh) and the economic and ritual basis of heritage", "Searching for the origin of village gods after renovation - the case of Kim Luy village in Dien Chau (Nghe An)", and promoting the value of the heritage of worshipping the Mother Goddess of the Three Realms in tourism development.
Prof. Le Hong Ly (Chairman of the Vietnam Folk Arts Association) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quynh Phuong (School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts, VNU) co-chaired Subcommittee 1.
In the discussion session of Subcommittee 2: Ethnicity, the research papers delved into ethnic relations, policies and practices of implementing ethnic policies in the trend of development and integration. Issues presented included: institutionalizing indigenous knowledge in the development of ethnic minority areas, shifting from the policy of “granting and supporting” to “accompanying and creating”, and cultural transformation of local ethnic groups in the Central Highlands.
Scientists discuss at Subcommittee 2
The workshop attracted many scientists and interested people to follow in Subcommittee 3: Religion with discussions on religion and changes in current life, the trend of religion in the context of contemporary society. Notable presentations include: the change in perception and behavior of the Party and State of Vietnam on religion in the Doi Moi period; assessment of obstacles in promoting religious resources in Vietnam when religion is considered a cultural and social resource, and changes in religious beliefs and practices of Hoa Hao Buddhism.
Prof. Dr. Do Quang Hung (Former Director of the Institute of Religious Studies) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Hong Hai (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) co-chaired Subcommittee 3.
The topics of discussion on modern, multidisciplinary issues were discussed at Panel 4: Contemporary Issues. The presentations included: “Red Music, Performing Arts and Jazz in the New Era of Vietnam”, “Going to the Market” in Vietnamese Social Life: The Transformation of Socio-Economic Space in the Contemporary Context”, and the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Vietnamese Religious Life. The Panel also discussed the practice of beliefs of Ly Son Islanders (Quang Ngai) to strengthen spiritual security and cultural milestones, along with an assessment of the development effectiveness of some ethnic groups in the border area.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Hien (School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts, VNU) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Cam (Deputy Director of the Institute of Cultural Studies) co-chaired Subcommittee 4.
During the discussion sessions, experts not only focused on the traditional and contemporary aspects of Vietnamese people and culture, but also expanded to a future vision, clearly identifying the theoretical and practical issues facing the country. The Organizing Committee also expressed the hope that international scientists would continue to accompany Vietnam on the journey of preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Associate Professor, Dr. Le Ba Nam (President of the Vietnam Association of Ethnology and Anthropology) delivered a closing speech at the conference.
Scientists share the same view that in the era of strong national development, research on culture, ethnicity and religion in Vietnam needs to continue to be carried out in an interdisciplinary direction, linked to the country's development practices and international integration.
Since 1998,International Conference on Vietnam Studies The International Conference on Vietnamese Studies, jointly organized by VNU and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, has become a forum to introduce the latest research achievements on Vietnam by domestic and international scholars. Over the past 30 years, through 6 conferences, the International Conference on Vietnamese Studies has published many valuable research results on Vietnam on the path of development, integration and sustainable development, and enhanced international cooperation.
The 7th International Conference on Vietnamese Studies in 2025 with the theme "Vietnam: Sustainable Development in the New Era" focuses on the following content orientations: Research and training in Vietnamese Studies; Diplomacy and international cooperation; Economy and society in the context of global change; National governance in the new era; Culture, ethnicity, religion in the new development context; Resources, environment and sustainable development; Education, training and development of Vietnamese people; Science and technology, innovation and knowledge transfer. In which, the theme "Culture, ethnicity, religion in the new development context" is hosted by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Some photos at the Workshop on August 13, 2025:
People's Newspaper:Promoting cultural, ethnic and religious values in building Vietnam for sustainable development
People's Representative Newspaper:Culture, ethnicity and religion in Vietnam in the new development context
Vietnam.vn (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism):Promoting cultural, ethnic and religious values in building Vietnam for sustainable development
Vietnamnet:Preserving Vietnamese culture in the digital age
Vietnam National University, Hanoi: ICVNS 2025: From cultural, ethnic and religious depth to new development context
