Religion - cultural and social resources: Behavior of some countries and experiences for Vietnam

There were more than 40 scientific reports by Vietnamese and international researchers presented at 3 subcommittees: Subcommittee I - "Religion - cultural and social resources: common issues and responses of some countries"; Subcommittee II - "Religion - cultural and social resources: the case of Buddhism and other religions"; Subcommittee III "Religion - cultural and social resources: the case of Christianity and other religions".

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lai Quoc Khanh (Vice Rector of University of Social Sciences and Humanities) delivered the opening speech of the Workshop.

The workshop focused on clarifying the professional issue: From a cultural and social perspective, what resources does religion have and what needs to be done to cultivate, exploit and promote those resources to serve the cause of national development? Based on scientific arguments, domestic and international experiences, the workshop aims to propose solutions and recommendations to relevant authorities and other social entities in order to form a common awareness, and join hands to create the most favorable conditions to effectively promote religious resources.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quang Hung (Deputy Director of the Center for Contemporary Religious Studies),University of Social Sciences and Humanities) speaking at the Opening session

In his opening speech at the workshop, Vice Principal Lai Quoc Khanh mentioned the important role of religious resources from the perspective of social development: “It is the whole of material resources and spiritual resources; of tangible resources and intangible resources; of intellectual resources, moral resources, human resources, financial resources, material resources... Wherever religion exists, religious resources play an important role in the existence and development of the community there.”

Prof. Tran Van Doan (National Taiwan University - China) presented the opening report of the Conference.

The speech also mentioned the unique features in the religious and belief life of the Vietnamese people as a component part of history and culture, creating the "soft power" of the nation. That is, the Vietnamese people, no matter how powerful foreign invaders they face, are determined to fight for the independence and freedom of the nation, but "do not reject" the quintessential cultural and religious assets of humanity. "Not rejecting" but the cultural assimilation of the Vietnamese people is extremely strong. Foreign religions, after being "received" into Vietnam, all have to "transform" to adapt, becoming significantly different from the original, becoming the spiritual assets of the Vietnamese people, contributing significantly to the creation of a Vietnamese nation with a thousand years of civilization. “Promoting good cultural and ethical values ​​and resources of religions for the cause of national development” is also the orientation affirmed at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

The workshop is held in a combination of live and online formats.

Appreciating the scientific significance and spirit of international academic cooperation reflected through the conference, Vice President Lai Quoc Khanh expressed his thanks to the scientists who enthusiastically contributed their wisdom to the conference; especially thanked Professor Tran Van Doan (National Taiwan University - China) for his active contributions to international cooperation activities in the fields of Philosophy and Religious Studies with many Philosophy research and training institutions in Vietnam, including the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

In addition, the Institute for Religious Studies (Missionswissenschaftliches Institut Missio e. V) has also been a trusted partner of the School for many years. The Institute has sponsored scholarships for training human resources in Religious Studies as well as academic activities of the School related to the field of religion. Many international conferences with high professional quality have been organized with the cooperation of the two units such as: "Religious culture in the context of globalization" (2009), "Religion and ethics in public life" (2014), "Christian thinkers in Vietnam and the region: some comparative studies" (2017), "Religion and Western science in the region: comparative approaches" (2018)... This conference is a continuation of the above successful scientific activities.