The seminar lasted a full day, with nearly 30 presentations and speeches. Many touching stories were shared, tears were shed, and everyone was filled with admiration, respect, and profound gratitude for a great scientist with far-reaching international influence; a kind, virtuous teacher who always showed love and care for all his students.
Professor Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, delivered a speech reviewing the outstanding contributions of Professor Phan Huy Le to his career, particularly emphasizing his role in building and developing many academic disciplines, departments, and faculties of the University.
Professor Vu Minh Giang (Vice President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association) emphasized the turning point for the Historical Science Association when he became President, pioneering the reform of historiography and bringing together a wide range of prestigious scientists from both within the country and internationally in major scientific conferences. This established a solid foundation for the Association's continued strong development.
Professor Phan Huy Le was born on February 23, 1934, in Thach Chau commune, Thach Ha district (now Loc Ha), Ha Tinh province, into a family with a long tradition of scholarship and many renowned intellectuals such as Phan Huy Ich, Phan Huy Chu, Phan Huy Vinh, etc. His maternal side was also a distinguished family with famous and erudite scholars such as Cao Xuan Duc, Cao Xuan Tieu…
To create the intellect, character, and stature of a leading Vietnamese historian in the 20th and early 21st centuries, one must acknowledge the outstanding qualities inherited from his ancestors and a sharp scientific mind; the passion, enthusiasm, and tireless perseverance; and the courage to dedicate himself and make sacrifices for the cause of national education and scientific research of Professor and People's Teacher Phan Huy Le.
Therefore, Professor Phan Huy Le was able to produce outstanding research works from a very young age, transcending national borders and affirming and elevating Vietnamese historiography on the international stage. Many of his contributions created a major turning point in the development of the field of history: both in terms of understanding and research methods.
Under the guidance of legendary professors such as Tran Van Giau and Dao Duy Anh, the young teacher Phan Huy Le began his journey in the field of history and teaching, and soon made remarkable progress. In 1958, at the young age of 24, he was entrusted with the position of Head of the Department of Ancient and Medieval Vietnamese History (at the University of Hanoi), and within just two years, he published several monographs and textbooks, including works that had already been recognized.
beyond bordersDuring his 30 years in this position, Professor Phan Huy Le built and developed the Department into a highly prestigious academic institution, making significant contributions to the national historiography in both scientific research and personnel training.
Professor Tran Van Giau and his wife had four outstanding students, the "four pillars" of modern Vietnamese historiography: Lam, Le, Tan, and Vuong (Professor Dinh Xuan Lam, Professor Phan Huy Le, Professor Ha Van Tan, Professor Tran Quoc Vuong).
As a visionary scientist, shortly after the country entered the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, Professor Phan Huy Le quickly grasped the development trends of modern social sciences and humanities worldwide and established a new interdisciplinary scientific unit. In 1989, the Center for Vietnamese Studies and Cultural Exchange at the University of Hanoi, the predecessor of the current Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, was founded under his direction. Through tireless efforts, he connected and collaborated with most major training and research centers in Vietnam studies worldwide. During his tenure as Director (1989-2001), the Center welcomed and engaged in academic exchanges with hundreds of international Vietnam studies scholars, including many world-class academics. Based on that foundation, since 1998 the Center has taken the lead in organizing the first international conference on Vietnamese studies in Vietnam, with nearly 1,000 delegates, including more than 300 international scholars from 26 countries. To date, this special event has become a tradition, held every four years, and six conferences have been organized.
Based on a new understanding of regional research trends, in 1995, Professor Phan Huy Le became the founding Dean of the Department of Oriental Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Many new disciplines such as Japanese Studies, Korean Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, etc., were formed from this foundation and have been highly regarded by society.
Professor Vu Duong Ninh (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) shared an unforgettable memory of participating in a working trip with Professor Phan Huy Le in 1973. "He was a highly respected scientist, not only domestically but also internationally. I learned not only from him about professional expertise but especially about his incredibly scientific, meticulous, and creative way of organizing work," Professor Vu Duong Ninh emphasized.
Professor Nguyen Van Khanh (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) affirmed that Professor Phan Huy Le had made outstanding research on the topic of land ownership in Vietnamese history and socio-economic formations.
Associate Professor Dr. Le Dinh Sy (Institute of Military History), based on statistical data, affirmed that Professor Phan Huy Le dedicated a great deal of time and effort and made outstanding contributions to research on the topic of the nation's history of resistance against invasion, historical uprisings, and prominent figures, with hundreds of research works.
Professor Nguyen Van Kim (Vice Chairman of the National Council for Cultural Heritage) shared: "The topic of sovereignty and the protection of sovereignty, especially the sovereignty of Vietnam's maritime territory, has always been a concern and a subject of extensive research by Professor Phan Huy Le. Besides thoroughly and carefully utilizing numerous ancient documents and maps in Vietnam and many other countries around the world, he always emphasized field research, regularly conducting fieldwork at research sites," Professor Nguyen Van Kim expressed his admiration for Professor Phan Huy Le's profound intellect, sharp scientific thinking, and meticulous approach.
Professor Phan Huy Le made immense contributions to Vietnamese historiography and the country's historical scholarship during his time as President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association. Under his leadership, the Association pioneered the reform of historiography, mobilizing historians nationwide to participate in national and international conferences, creating a significant impact. Alongside academic activities, Professor Phan Huy Le also led the Association in policy advisory work, contributing to improving the quality of many decisions made by the Party and State on historical issues.
Associate Professor Tran Duc Cuong (Chairman of the Vietnam Historical Science Association) emphasized: Without Professor Phan Huy Le, there certainly would not be a Historical Science Association that has developed and has such high scientific prestige as it does today.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Minh Tuong (Institute of History), with his elaborate report and very specific statistics, shows that Professor Phan Huy Le was an extremely erudite scientist whose research covered many fields: politics, economics, culture and society, military art, historical figures, etc. And in every area of his research, he achieved outstanding success, with excellent research works of very high scientific value, creating a new development in Vietnamese historiography, not only in understanding but also in research methods.
Associate Professor Tong Trung Tin (Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeological Association) enthusiastically and proudly shared touching stories of his direct participation with Professor Phan Huy Le in protecting the Thang Long Imperial Citadel exactly 20 years ago and subsequently preparing the dossier for UNESCO's recognition as a World Cultural Heritage site. "I still vividly remember Professor Le's words at that time: 'We must be determined to protect and preserve the relics. If we fail to protect them now, we will be guilty towards our ancestors and many future generations.' His teachings have been my guiding principle and the driving force that has helped me overcome many difficulties in my archaeological research," Associate Professor Tong Trung Tin emphasized.
Dr. Pham Duc Anh (Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science) expressed his deep gratitude for the immense contributions of Professor Phan Huy Le in establishing and developing the Institute, as well as in the birth of a new scientific discipline - Vietnamese Studies - in Vietnam.
Ms. Nguyen Thu Hoai (National Archives Center I) and Dr. Vu Thi Minh Huong (Vice Chairperson of the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific region) emphasized the significant contributions of Professor Phan Huy Le in preserving, protecting, and promoting the value of archival materials (especially the Nguyen Dynasty's imperial archives) in historical research.
As a brilliant, passionate, and highly responsible scientist, Professor Le has always been trusted and invited to participate in strategic advisory bodies such as the Central Theoretical Council, the National Science and Technology Policy Council, the State Academic Title Council, the National Cultural Heritage Council, the National Council for the Compilation of the Vietnamese Encyclopedia, the Council for the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize for Science and Technology, the National Science and Technology Development Fund, the Science and Training Council of Hanoi National University, etc.
For his immense contributions to scientific research and teaching, in 1980, he was awarded the title of Professor. He received prestigious honors in 1988 (Outstanding Teacher) and 1994 (People's Teacher). Following this, Professor Phan Huy Le was awarded by the State with prestigious honors such as the Third-Class Independence Medal, the Second-Class Resistance Medal, and the First, Second, and Third-Class Labor Medals.
In 2010, on the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi, Professor Phan Huy Le was awarded the title of Outstanding Citizen of the Capital by the city of Hanoi. Later, he received the title of Outstanding Intellectual in Science and Technology (in 2015). Since 2003, Professor Phan Huy Le has been appointed to the senior expert rank by the Party Central Committee.
In particular, in 2014, Professor Phan Huy Le was assigned to lead the research and compilation project of the History of Vietnam (National History). This comprehensive history, with him as the chief editor, comprises 25 volumes of general history and 5 volumes of chronological events, totaling tens of thousands of pages. This is the largest history of Vietnam ever compiled.
Among hundreds of published works both domestically and internationally, the collection of works under the title "Searching for the Roots," printed in two volumes totaling 1,753 pages, was awarded the State Prize for Science and Technology in 2000. In 2016, Professor Phan Huy Le received the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the highest award in science, for his work "History and Culture of Vietnam - A Partial Approach," which is over 1,000 pages long. In 2017, the two-volume book "The Southern Region - The Process of Formation and Development," 1,502 pages long, edited by him, was awarded the Tran Van Giau Prize.
Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc (Vice President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association) highlighted the contributions of Professor Phan Huy Le as the "Commander-in-Chief" in the Research and Compilation Project of the History of Vietnam (National History).
Associate Professor Vu Van Quan (Head of the History Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities) shared many memorable experiences while implementing a research project on the Southern region of Vietnam.
Professor Phan Huy Le is not only renowned as one of the "four pillars" of Vietnamese historiography, but he is also highly regarded by the international scientific community. He has been invited to lecture at many prestigious universities in France, the Netherlands, Japan, and other countries, and has chaired major international conferences in many countries around the world. Currently, he has students in almost every continent, holding high positions in educational and research institutions. In 1996, he was honored to be the first Vietnamese person to receive the Fukuoka Asian Culture International Prize in Japan (an award with extremely rigorous selection criteria). He was also awarded the Order of the Academic Palms by the French Government in 2002, the title of Foreign Corresponding Member of the French Academy of Inscriptions and Fine Arts in 2011, and an Honorary Doctorate by the French Institute of Far Eastern Studies in 2016.
(2011) Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) congratulates Professor Phan Huy Le
Throughout his life of dedication, Professor Phan Huy Le always received the special respect of his students, colleagues, and partners. Every student, whether directly taught and mentored by him or simply having worked with him through seminars and research projects, received rigorous scientific guidance, yet also showed great care, thoughtfulness, and understanding of life. He respected both the abilities and personalities of each student, colleague, and partner, always encouraging even the smallest achievements. He was particularly a leader in bringing together many talented experts from various fields to successfully implement large-scale scientific projects. This not only demonstrates his profound intellect, exceptional scientific organizational skills, and the significant influence of an internationally renowned scientist, but also reflects the compassionate and virtuous heart of a teacher respected and honored by thousands of students both domestically and internationally.
The seminar lasted a full day, and although the sky in Hanoi was darkening, the memories of Professor Phan Huy Le seemed to linger on and on. For in the hearts of each person, these were unforgettable memories of a scientist, a teacher who dedicated his entire life to science and to the research of the nation's history and culture.
In a warm and contemplative atmosphere, Professor Vu Minh Giang summarized the seminar, emphasizing: With over 60 years of career, Professor Phan Huy Le left behind an immense legacy of hundreds of research works, an unparalleled creative force in the 20th century and for many centuries to come. Whether a journal article or a scientific work spanning tens of thousands of pages, all of his publications possess a very high scientific content, are exemplary in their rigor, accuracy, and logic, and contain bold and innovative proposals that paved the way for entire research trends. From works he wrote more than half a century ago to those completed just a few months before his passing, they still retain their scientific value today, becoming documents that all researchers in the fields of history and Vietnamese studies, both domestically and internationally, must consult. A single seminar, or even just a few sessions, would certainly not be able to fully honor the values and contributions of our teacher to science and education. The best way for us, his students, to remember and appreciate him is to preserve, develop, and build upon his legacy, continuing to successfully implement his unfinished plans and aspirations; regardless of our position, let us contribute our utmost to the national science in general and history in particular.
Professor of History, People's Teacher Phan Huy Le, with his great personality and illustrious career, has become an icon of modern Vietnamese historiography. He is a shining example and a source of pride for his colleagues and generations of students, not only domestically but also internationally. We are all proud to be his students - Professor, People's Teacher Phan Huy Le.
USSH Hanoi Forum 2026