Nguyen Dinh Thi - "The Vastness of the Dawn"

This portrays a multifaceted portrait of a cultural leader and outstanding artist.
Rereading the familiar verses from the poem "The Country" by poet Nguyen Dinh Thi, Professor Hoang Anh Tuan - Secretary of the Party Committee and Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - shared that Nguyen Dinh Thi was truly close to the Vietnamese people through his literary works, music, and literary criticism. The scientific seminar on Nguyen Dinh Thi - "The Vastness of the Dawn," organized by the Faculty of Literature and attended by scientists from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and many other prestigious research units, was an opportunity for us to comprehensively review Nguyen Dinh Thi's contributions to the national literature and art. The research results of the seminar will contribute to the scientific achievements of the university, enriching the tradition and legacy of generations of teachers and students from the 80-year tradition of the University of General Studies to the 30-year tradition of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Nguyen Dinh Thi (1924 - 2003) was born in Hanoi but in Luang Prabang (Laos). He later returned to Vietnam with his parents and studied in Hanoi and Hai Phong. From a young age, Nguyen Dinh Thi was known for his intelligence and excellent academic performance, especially in Philosophy. A patriotic intellectual, he joined the Viet Minh at the age of 17 and became a key official of the National Salvation Cultural Association (1943). He held many important positions in the Vietnam National Liberation Committee and was a representative in the first, second, and third National Assemblies of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
Nguyen Dinh Thi was an outstanding and highly talented and dedicated leader in the arts and culture sector, holding high positions for 57 years. With his organizational and leadership skills, high personal prestige, and unwavering revolutionary stance, Nguyen Dinh Thi made immense contributions to the development of modern Vietnamese culture and art.
Nguyen Dinh Thi was present and warmly received with many famous works in the following fields: music (Destroying Fascism, The People of Hanoi); literary criticism essays (Some Issues in Literature, The Work of a Novelist); short stories and novels (Assault, On the Banks of the Lo River, Breaking the Embankment); poetry (The Soldier, The Black Sea Poem); plays (The Black Deer, The Dream)...

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Xuan Thach - Head of the Department of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities

Associate Professor Pham Xuan Thach – Head of the Literature Department, said that the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is the first institution to organize a research seminar on Nguyen Dinh Thi, in conjunction with Hanoi's activities commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the poet, writer, playwright, and musician Nguyen Dinh Thi.
The symposium received nearly 20 papers from scientific researchers and scholars, offering multifaceted perspectives and reconstructing the portrait of Nguyen Dinh Thi from all angles. These papers will be published as a scientific proceedings volume immediately following the symposium. The topics presented in the papers painted a portrait of a talented and outstanding Nguyen Dinh Thi in many fields, from general topics such as "Nguyen Dinh Thi - a pioneering artist on the literary front" (by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Khanh Thanh), "Nguyen Dinh Thi or a position in the literary school, a survey in the Literature Magazine from 1960 to 2004" (by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Xuan Thach), "Nguyen Dinh Thi and the journey of literary innovation" (by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Van Duc); to detailed aspects such as "Nguyen Dinh Thi and French literature" (by researcher Tran Hinh), "Nguyen Dinh Thi and Hanoi" (by Professor Ma Giang Lan); "Nguyen Dinh Thi's plays" (by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Long)...

Nguyen Dinh Thi - a pioneering artist on the arts front.
According to Associate Professor Tran Khanh Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Central Council for Literary and Artistic Theory and lecturer at the Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Nguyen Dinh Thi was a political activist and an outstanding cultural and artistic leader. However, when people think of him, they think of a multi-talented artist who was always a pioneer in innovation and contributed to the modernization of Vietnamese literature and art after the August Revolution. He composed music, wrote poetry, novels, plays, and critical essays; in every field, he made significant, groundbreaking, and boldly innovative contributions.
Associate Professor Tran Khanh Thanh affirmed: "With his diverse creative talents, the poet, writer, playwright, and outstanding leader of the arts, Nguyen Dinh Thi, left us a vast and rich cultural heritage. In many artistic fields, he left behind outstanding works that have enduring vitality and a profound influence on the cultural and artistic life of our country."

Recalling Nguyen Dinh Thi's special affection and achievements associated with Hanoi, Professor Ma Giang Lan assessed that Nguyen Dinh Thi's connection to Hanoi was through music, poetry, and literature. He embodied the common qualities of Hanoians—intelligence, politeness, talent—elevated to a new level by a profound intellect and a sensitive, compassionate heart.
Nguyen Dinh Thi joined the revolution with a fervent patriotism and all the talented and romantic qualities of a young man from Hanoi. Hanoi was always in his heart and is reflected in his outstanding works such as the songs "Destroy Fascism" and "People of Hanoi"—songs that will forever remain deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of the people of Hanoi in particular and Vietnam in general.
"From Nguyen Dinh Thi, we can think of other artists, writers, and poets: no matter where they were born or where they worked, the spirit of their homeland remained a constant," Professor Ma Giang Lan emphasized.

Associate Professor Dr. Ha Van Duc - former Head of the Literature Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities - affirmed that, fairly and objectively speaking, not all of Nguyen Dinh Thi's innovative ideas in poetry and literary scripts were successful. However, what he accomplished for the development of Vietnamese literature is truly valuable and worthy of respect. Nguyen Dinh Thi was a writer who spent his life pondering and searching for something new, always consciously seeking innovation in both the content and form of literature and art. In many respects, he was ahead of his time, and this very fact led him to encounter many difficulties and obstacles.
"Looking back today at Nguyen Dinh Thi's literary journey, his successes, and his contributions to the national literature and art, we further affirm his position and role as a great and talented writer, a man who was always deeply concerned with innovation and renewal in literature."

Associate Professor Dr. Ha Van Duc - former Head of the Department of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, presented his paper at the seminar. Associate Professor Pham Thanh Hung presented a paper on the topic "Poet Nguyen Dinh Thi and 'Dreams' in the Post-War Era". Associate Professor Pham Quang Long - former Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, lecturer in the Faculty of Literature, shared his thoughts on Nguyen Dinh Thi's plays. Researcher Tran Hinh presented a paper titled "Nguyen Dinh Thi and French Literature". The dialogues in the poetic drama "The Dream" were the topic of discussion at the seminar, presented by Dr. Do Thi Thu Huyen – Journal of Literary Criticism and Theory, Central Council of Literary and Artistic Theory.

The symposium concluded, but it opened up many avenues for further exploration and research into Nguyen Dinh Thi's immense achievements in various fields of national culture and art, affirming his position as an outstanding and talented figure of the 20th century.