The Ninh Thuan Gazetteer has basically completed the compilation of its draft content.

Attending the workshop were representatives from the leadership of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (the host unit), the project team, the authors involved in compiling the research topic, and a large number of scientists and experts from Hanoi National University, research institutes, and universities nationwide.
On the Ninh Thuan province side, the event was attended and directly supervised by Mr. Tran Minh Nam, Head of the Propaganda Department of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee and Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer project; Mr. Nguyen Bac Viet - Former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Nguyen Long Bien - Vice Chairman of the Ninh Thuan Provincial People's Committee; and Mr. Le Tien Dung - Director of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology.

Overview of the Conference
 

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Professor Lai Quoc Khanh shared: “The University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is one of the leading centers in the country for training and research in social sciences and humanities, with a steadfast philosophy of “academic foundation, modernity as the trend,” promoting high-quality scientific products, strengthening cooperation with localities and serving the community. A prime example is the leading role in organizing the compilation of the national and local geographical gazettes. Entrusted by the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan province to lead the implementation of the Ninh Thuan Geographical Gazetteer project, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities mobilized a large team of leading researchers and staff from within and outside the university to participate in the project. After a period of diligent and serious implementation, with the support and cooperation of the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Committee, the Propaganda Department, and local departments and agencies, the project has now been basically completed in terms of scientific content. The workshop today This is one of the crucial stages in the project implementation process, providing an opportunity for the Project Management Board and editorial members to listen to feedback and suggestions from experts, and to continue researching and perfecting the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer project, ensuring the highest quality and timely completion. The success of this project affirms the prestige and commitment to the locality, contributing to the long-term and sustainable cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Ninh Thuan province in the present and future.”

Professor Lai Quoc Khanh delivered the opening remarks at the workshop "Gathering opinions on the scientific content of the draft Ninh Thuan Gazetteer" organized by VNU-USSH on December 25, 2024.

The content compilation for the project's various components has been largely completed.

According to the report by Dr. Dinh Duc Tien (Project Leader): “The compilation of the Local Gazetteer in general, and the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer in particular, aims to synthesize a system of data from the past to the present, in order to assess the current situation, resources, and potential in all aspects of the locality… serving as a scientific basis for the Provincial leadership and management agencies to build plans and orientations for future development. Under the direction of the Standing Committee of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee approved the project proposal for the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer and assigned the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to lead the implementation with a timeframe of 16 months (starting in December 2023 and ending in March 2025). The Ninh Thuan Gazetteer includes 5 volumes: Volume 1: Administrative Geography; Volume 2: History; Volume 3: Culture; Volume 4: Ideology, Religion, National Defense and Security; and Volume 5: Socio-economics. To date, the compilation teams have completed 95% of the work.”
The scientific workshop to gather opinions on the scientific content of the draft of the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer is an important task in the compilation process, aiming to focus on evaluating and providing feedback on the professional content of the volumes. Based on the opinions of scientists, the compilation team will revise, supplement, and further refine the remaining sections before the review and acceptance process.

Dr. Dinh Duc Tien (project leader) presented a report on the results of compiling the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer.

At the workshop, representatives from the chief editor and the editorial team of each volume presented papers sharing the results of their work, the advantages and difficulties encountered, and the adjustments and changes made during the compilation process.

Professor Lai Quoc Khanh, Professor Vu Minh Giang, and Mr. Tran Minh Nam chaired the first session of the conference.
 

Mr. Nguyen Long Bien, Dr. Dinh Duc Tien, and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim chaired the second session of the conference.

Dr. Giang Van Trong (Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) affirmed the practical scientific value of the task of compiling the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer: “Gazetteers are an important type of compilation, contributing to the preservation and promotion of local knowledge values, while providing a comprehensive database for research, planning, and management. The Ninh Thuan Gazetteer is a work with profound scientific and practical significance, providing a comprehensive picture of the natural, socio-economic, and cultural characteristics of Ninh Thuan province.” On behalf of the compilation team, Dr. Giang Van Trong stated that Volume 1 is now basically complete, with only a few sections needing to be omitted or replaced with others due to a lack of documentation or absence in practice (such as metamorphic rock infrastructure, etc.). To contribute to improving the quality of the manuscript, during the internal peer review process, we noticed several points that need further revision: the content of some sections is still quite general and superficial, lacking detailed statistics; there is much repetition in sections (introduction to administrative boundaries); the data is outdated and inconsistent. The copyright issues of images, maps, and diagrams are also a major problem for the authors, and we hope for support from local authorities.”
 

MSc. Tran Xuan Hung (VNU-USSH) further shared the difficulties arising from limited documentation, particularly the lack of administrative maps, information on geographical boundaries and divisions, inconsistent naming conventions across documents, and changes over time; fieldwork organization is also limited due to geographical distance, etc. Therefore, the editorial team expressed their desire for local authorities to support the digitization of documents, especially administrative maps, not only for immediate use in compiling the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer but also for long-term useful reference materials.

With 222 out of 227 items in Volume 2 completed, including content on historical chronicles, historical figures, relics, and artifacts of Ninh Thuan, Dr. Nguyen Huu Manh (VNU-USSH) shared his experience on the importance of collaboration, mobilizing contributions and participation from local experts, managers, and researchers, and fostering a high sense of responsibility within the editorial team to conduct peer review, identify inconsistencies, and make necessary revisions and additions to ensure consistency in writing style and quality.
Representing the editorial team for the section on the History of Ninh Thuan in the Modern Period, Dr. Pham Minh The (VNU-USSH) emphasized the results achieved, noting that the compiled sections adhere to the principles of comprehensiveness, objectivity, and consistency, closely linked within the context of world, national, and regional history; avoiding excessive detail in describing local history. The writing style is scientifically sound but also accessible, easy to understand, and easy to read, making it easily accessible to many people, especially teachers who can use it as a reference for compiling teaching content on local history in the general education curriculum.
 

Dr. Nguyen Van Phong (Tran Nhan Tong Institute, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) reported on the results of compiling Volume 4 on Ideology, Religion, National Defense and Security, emphasizing the effective collaboration between the team of authors in Hanoi and local experts, including many Cham scholars with a deep understanding of local culture, religion, and beliefs.
 

This work is meticulously and seriously compiled, possessing high scientific and practical value.

Congratulating the editorial team on their achievement, Comrade Tran Minh Nam (Head of the Propaganda Department of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee) emphasized: “The Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee and People's Committee have great confidence and peace of mind in the task being carried out by a team of highly qualified and dedicated scientists from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and several research institutions nationwide. Despite the tight deadline and the long geographical distance, the results achieved so far are highly commendable, demonstrating meticulous, serious, and careful work with a highly scientific methodology. This is an important project to celebrate the Provincial Party Congress in September 2025, and we hope that the publication will be completed in August.”
 

Regarding some of the editorial board's proposals, the local authorities fully support and assist them: they are ready to provide the most up-to-date data (number of administrative wards and communes after mergers and streamlining; latest statistics on various sectors, etc.). The images and maps used for reference are copyrighted by organizations and individuals in the province; the Propaganda Department will issue a directive allowing the editorial team to use them for the Ninh Thuan Gazetteer. Furthermore, after the draft is finalized, the local authorities will be ready to participate in the review, critique, and feedback process with the highest sense of responsibility.
Mr. Nguyen Bac Viet (former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee) expressed his joy that the project is nearing completion, fulfilling the long-held aspirations of local leaders and people for a comprehensive, large-scale scientific work covering all aspects of the province. With the results achieved so far, he confidently believes the project will be completed on schedule and with the highest quality. Mr. Nguyen Bac Viet hopes that scientists will collect documents to confirm the details of President Ho Chi Minh's stop in Ninh Thuan (specific location and time).
 

Dr. Nguyen Dinh Hoa, from the Vietnam Institute of Economics, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, highly praised the research and compilation results of the authors: “The information in Volume 5 is authentic, up-to-date, and clearly cited; the language is easy to understand, serving the general public; ensuring an interdisciplinary approach, a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional perspective, and sustainable development. It not only analyzes the province's strong and unique economic activities but also points out the challenges and potential for Ninh Thuan to develop rapidly and sustainably in the future. During the completion process, the authors could add and emphasize some of Ninh Thuan's strengths and new models (such as Ninh Thuan Wind Power), which would make the book truly have very high scientific and practical value.”

Regarding the field of culture, literature, and art, based on affirming the importance of compiling local histories for national and local governance, Associate Professor Pham Xuan Thach (Head of the Literature Department, VNU-USSH) emphasized the significance and achievements in collecting and preserving the unique cultural values ​​of Ninh Thuan through the compilation of local histories. “Compiling Volume 3 on Ninh Thuan Culture faced many difficulties, such as a lack of documentation (especially the period from 1945-1975), and some research materials inevitably containing biases and political intentions. The authors of the compilation have strived to consult diverse sources with the highest level of critical thinking and caution; making maximum use of the research results of previous scientists to be able to select and affirm the unique cultural values ​​of Ninh Thuan in this work.”

Dr. Nguyen Huy Binh further affirmed: “Regarding research methodology, this is a very new approach, close to the way encyclopedias are compiled, a modern, feasible, and appropriate approach today, helping to provide a very comprehensive yet in-depth system of information and knowledge, ensuring all aspects of a locality are covered. The Culture volume fundamentally ensures the highest principle of local history: covering the most basic issues of the locality, presenting them sequentially and coherently, updating materials both domestically and internationally, and making maximum use of bibliographic sources combined with fieldwork results.”

Many practical suggestions were proposed to improve the quality of the manuscript.

At the workshop, in addition to affirming the scientific and practical value of the compiled content and information, scientists also contributed several suggestions to improve the quality of the work, such as: All sections must follow a common structure to ensure coherence and unity; some sections are too general and rambling, requiring in-depth analysis of the unique cultural characteristics, phenomena, and events in Ninh Thuan province; the transliteration of local dialects should also be consistent to ensure objectivity and accuracy; appropriate attention should be paid to all ethnic groups living in Ninh Thuan province, both as creators, preservers, and promoters of cultural values.
Mr. Nguyen Long Bien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan province, emphasized: "Ninh Thuan is a province with extremely harsh natural conditions, 'winds like a furnace and sun like a roasting oven,' but these disadvantages create Ninh Thuan's unique characteristics in terms of economy, culture, and tourism. Therefore, we hope that the authors will strive to highlight the most distinctive and outstanding values ​​of Ninh Thuan, while also updating and adding very new highlights: the restart of two nuclear power plants, the Cham pottery village recognized by UNESCO as an intangible heritage in need of urgent protection, etc., in this work."

Mr. Nguyen Bac Viet hopes that the author will pay more attention to highlighting the contributions of the Raglai community to the history, economy, and culture of Ninh Thuan. The Raglai people are a loyal revolutionary group with famous heroes, and are also the creators of a very distinctive epic and long poem.

Concluding the workshop, Professor Vu Minh Giang once again emphasized: “At this workshop, we need to once again unify our understanding of local history and how to compile it. Local history is not just a collection of data about a locality, but a system of knowledge derived from processing, analyzing, comparing, and contrasting documents and information from many different sources, ensuring the principles of authenticity, fundamental principles, comprehensiveness, modernity, and up-to-dateness. From there, the knowledge in local history books will truly be a reliable and valuable reference source for formulating local or national development policies.”
Despite having only about two-thirds of the project's duration, the research team has completed over 95% of the work. This is a very encouraging result, affirming the outstanding efforts of the scientists and demonstrating the strong and effective support and cooperation from the local authorities. The research results to date have been highly praised by scientists for their scientific value, accuracy, reliability, and adherence to established principles.
However, at this workshop, scientists also noted several points that need further revision and improvement, with particular emphasis on: the draft needs to be reviewed and evaluated by experts, managers, and intellectuals in the locality; the information needs to be as up-to-date as possible; the illustrations should be vivid and diverse, ensuring copyright protection; and the content should be strengthened and upgraded to highlight the unique and distinctive values ​​of Ninh Thuan.
Professor Vu Minh Giang particularly emphasized the deadline requirement: the editorial team needs to urgently complete 100% of the manuscript, then widely solicit feedback from scientists, conduct evaluation and acceptance, and complete the book's launch no later than August 2025 to serve the province's political objectives.

On behalf of the leadership of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Thu Huong congratulated the success of the workshop and the scientists on their very promising initial results. As the leading institution in compiling the materials, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is committed to mobilizing resources and creating favorable conditions for the scientists to expedite the remaining work according to the established procedures, completing the compilation on schedule with the highest quality. This is an extremely important political task, and also a clear demonstration of the close cooperation model between training and research institutions and local authorities, to enhance the application of research results in building and developing the local economy and society, and to disseminate knowledge and values ​​to the community.
 

Mr. Tran Minh Nam (Head of the Propaganda Department of Ninh Thuan province) presented a commemorative gift to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

The delegates attending the workshop took a commemorative photo.