Delegation from the Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-USSH)
The delegation was led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thu Hien - Head of the Faculty of Literature, and included Dr. Le Van Cuong - Deputy Head of the Faculty of Literature, Dr. Dinh Thanh Hieu - Head of the Han Nom Department, Dr. Pham Van Dung, Dr. Le Phuong Duy, and Dr. Ngo Viet Hoan.
The delegation from the Faculty of Literature took a commemorative photo at the Faculty of Chinese Literature (NTU).
First academic collaboration with a leading university in Taiwan (China)
The international workshop "Traditional Chinese Studies and Southern Perspectives: Dialogue between Taiwan and Vietnam" will take place over two days, December 23-24, 2025, at National Taiwan University (NTU), co-organized by the Department of Chinese Literature and the Department of Literature at VNU-USSH. According to the Times Higher Education rankings, National Taiwan University (NTU) will be ranked 140th among the world's best universities in 2026, further solidifying its position as a leading research university in Taiwan (China) and the Asian region.
Professor Liu Zhengzhong - Head of the Department of Chinese Literature, NTU, and Associate Professor Nguyen Thu Hien - Head of the Department of Literature, VNU-USSH, inaugurated the Workshop "Traditional Chinese Studies and Southern Perspectives: Dialogue between Taiwan and Vietnam".
In their opening remarks at the Workshop, Professor Dr. Luu Chinh Trung - Head of the Chinese Literature Department at NTU, and Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Hien - Head of the Literature Department, emphasized the special significance of this first academic collaboration between the two departments, marking the beginning of the first year of cooperation between the best training institutions in the field of social sciences and humanities in Vietnam and Taiwan (China). From an academic perspective, the Workshop stressed the importance of approaching Sinology from a Southern perspective, considering Vietnam and Taiwan not only as spaces for receiving knowledge but also as subjects in creating knowledge, contributing unique historical and cultural experiences to East Asian academic discourse.
Professor Dr. Luu Chinh Trung presented his paper.
At the Workshop, Vietnamese and Taiwanese scholars presented numerous papers revolving around Sinology, classical literature, and the history of East Asian thought from a comparative and interregional perspective, focusing on clarifying the evolution and localization of the Sinology tradition in different historical and cultural contexts. The papers analyzed the roles of Chinese characters and Nôm script, Confucian classics, poetics, and classical literary theory; while emphasizing translation and literary exchange as important mechanisms in knowledge construction and the restructuring of regional literary discourse. Through the discussions, the Workshop demonstrated a shift from an "influence-reception" model to a dialogue- and reciprocal approach, in which Vietnam and Taiwan were seen as active academic actors contributing to the expansion and renewal of Sinology and East Asian literature research.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thu Hien presented her paper.
The lively discussions demonstrated the great potential of the comparative-dialogue model from a Southern perspective, contributing to expanding the theoretical framework of Sinology and regional literature, going beyond the traditional center-periphery model.
Scholars and researchers presented papers at the second session of the Workshop.
Besides the participation of scholars from the Faculty of Literature, the Workshop also received enthusiastic support and profound academic contributions from the faculty of the Chinese Literature Department - NTU. Many reputable professors and researchers from the Chinese Literature Department directly attended, presented papers, chaired sessions, and participated in academic discussions, notably Professor Liu Zhengzhong, Professor Mai Jialing, Professor Cai Zhenfeng, Professor Chen Zhixin, Professor Lin Yongshang, Professor Lin Hongjia, Professor Zhang Suqing, Professor Cao Meitu, Professor Cai Yu, and Dr. Liu Baizheng.
Scholars and researchers presented papers at the third session of the Workshop.
Scholars and researchers presented papers at the 4th session of the Workshop.
The full attendance, open exchange of ideas, and in-depth academic contributions of the scholars not only enhanced the academic quality of the Workshop but also clearly demonstrated Taiwan's interest, willingness to cooperate, and appreciation for Vietnam-Taiwan academic exchange in general and this event in particular. To mark the success of this Workshop, it is anticipated that both sides will have an internationally published work resulting from academic cooperation between Vietnam and Taiwan in 2026.
The delegation from the Faculty of Literature took a commemorative photo with Vietnamese researchers and students working and studying in Taiwan.
The delegation from the Faculty of Literature visited the Traditional Room of the Faculty of Chinese Literature - NTU.
The delegation from the Faculty of Literature visited the NTU campus.
Continue to expand the network of research and publishing collaborations in Taiwan.
In addition to the workshop at National Taiwan University, the delegation from the Faculty of Literature participated in numerous academic exchange activities to expand their collaborative network in Taiwan.
The delegation held a professional exchange with Professor Tu Wen-Wei, Director of the Institute of Literature, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). In the Times Higher Education rankings for 2026, NTNU is among the top 600 universities worldwide, top 400 in the field of social sciences and humanities, and notably ranks 41st in the field of educational science. During the meeting, both sides discussed academic cooperation activities in early 2026 to promote and introduce the Chinese version of "A Brief History of Vietnamese Literature" to a wider audience of Taiwanese academics and the Vietnamese-American community in Taiwan, helping to spread the values of Vietnamese literature to the world.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Hien, representing the delegation, presented the books "A Brief History of Vietnamese Literature" (Chinese version) and "Cong Thao Vien Tap" (Vietnamese version) and took a commemorative photo with Professor Tu Van Uy - Director of the National University of Literature.
During the working session, the delegation from the Faculty of Literature also discussed potential future collaborations with Dr. Truong An Thuy, Editor-in-Chief and Deputy General Director of Van Quyen Lau Publishing House. Van Quyen Lau is a leading Taiwanese publishing house in the humanities, particularly in classical studies, with significant academic influence in the region and the world. The two sides focused on discussing trends in academic publishing in Taiwan, as well as the possibility of collaborating on the publication of monographs and research collections by Vietnamese scholars in Chinese, thereby increasing the presence of Vietnamese research in the Chinese-speaking academic space.
The delegation from the Faculty of Literature took a commemorative photo with researchers from National Taiwan Normal University and representatives from Wan Quan Lou Publishing House.
On December 26, 2025, the delegation received an invitation to visit and learn about research activities at the Institute of Classical Chinese Studies, Central Research Institute (Sinica) in Taiwan – one of the leading academic research centers in Taiwan and East Asia. Initial exchanges opened up prospects for cooperation in interdisciplinary research, access to academic materials, and connections between research groups on classical Chinese studies, literature, philosophy, and East Asian thought.
Professor Hoang Quan Man - Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Literature (Sinica) and Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Hien presented commemorative gifts during the meeting and exchange between researchers from the two institutions.
The delegation from the Faculty of Literature visited the Library of the Institute of Philosophy and Literature, Central Research Institute, Taiwan (China).
Dr. Dinh Thanh Hieu presented books and took a commemorative photo with Dr. Luu Bach Hoanh - a researcher from the Institute of Philosophy and Literature, Sinica.
The series of international workshops and academic exchanges with prestigious universities, research institutes, and publishers in Taiwan demonstrates the Faculty of Literature's proactive approach to regional and international academic integration. Expanding cooperation beyond just training and research to include publishing and knowledge dissemination is considered a crucial foundation for enhancing the standing of Vietnamese literary and classical studies within the East Asian and international academic landscape.
