Attending the ceremony were Prof. Nicolas Maïnetti - Director of the Francophone University Organization in the Asia-Pacific region, Prof. Philippe Papin - Project Manager, Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan - Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Tuan Cuong - Former Director of the Institute of Han Nom Studies, along with specialists, students and postgraduates participating in the Project.
Vietnamica is the abbreviation of the European Project on the study of history and digitization of Vietnamese stele documents - one of the prestigious projects funded by the European Research Council (ERC) of the European Union for a period of 5 years, from 2019 to 2024. The project aims to research the history of Vietnamese offerings through stele inscriptions (focusing on Hau stele), digitize Vietnamese social science documents archived in Europe and Vietnam; participate in Master's and PhD training in epigraphy; establish an electronic library, translate and publish monographs and comprehensive research on the history of Vietnamese offerings from the first half of the 20th century and earlier. In September 2025, the Vietnamica Project Summary Conference was held at the French School of the Far East (EFEO) in Paris, France.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan emphasized the great academic value as well as the support for postgraduate training of the Project, especially for young researchers in Vietnam: “Although the Project started at the right time when the Covid-19 pandemic was complicated, with many difficulties and challenges, with the management of the Project Management Board, especially Prof. Philippe Papin, the responsible and dedicated participation of many scientists, PhD students, and students, up to this point, the Project has been successfully implemented: 20 in-depth research projects have been funded, dozens of PhD students and graduate students have received scholarships, many valuable scientific works have been published, many inscription heritages have been digitized into open data sources for many scientists in Vietnam as well as internationally to access and exploit. Not just stopping at a research project, Vietnamica has created an international academic forum, investing in Vietnamese research in many related fields. related to the history and digitization of Vietnamese stele documents using traditional and modern approaches, focusing on the study of Hau stele in the context of Vietnamese history and culture". With these great values, Rector Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his deep gratitude to the European Research Council (ERC) - the sponsor, the Francophone University Organization (AUF), the Project Management Board, domestic and foreign scientists, and expressed his wish that Vietnamica's activities will continue in the future in Vietnam. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is committed to continuing to pay attention to and develop research and training in ancient studies, literature studies and Han Nom - the fundamental values of Vietnamese academics.
Principal Hoang Anh Tuan speaks at the ceremony
Also at the ceremony, representing the Executive Board, Prof. Philippe Papin - Project Manager presented an overview of the goals and achievements: Over the past 5 years, Vietnamica has gathered 43 members, including 12 graduate students, 06 PhD students and 03 postdoctoral researchers, 22 experts from many universities and research institutes in Vietnam who have received scholarships from the Project to carry out theses, dissertations and in-depth research, of which the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has 07 students, 01 PhD student and 01 postdoctoral researcher.
One of the important activities of the Project is to organize in-depth research activities on stele inscriptions. The Project has organized a series of scientific activities (seminars, discussions, field research, reporting of research results) in localities of Vietnam and in France, and at the same time announced and published many valuable scientific publications: with 39 titles, including some important publications: An important monograph on Late Vietnam stele in French titled La chair des stèles:
Enquête sur les donors et les Épigones du Bouddha et des divinités, au Vietnam, des origines à la fin du XVIIe siècle(tentative translation: “Stele inscriptions: Historical research on offerings, god worship, and Buddha worship in Vietnam from the beginning to the end of the 17th century”) by Professor Philippe Papin;
Late Vietnamese Stele Collection(3 volumes);
Collection of Vietnamese Stele Inscriptions(7 volumes);
Directory of Vietnamese Han Nom inscriptions(11 episodes);
Collection and translation of Hau stele documents from the 17th to the 20th century(4 episodes),…
Some of the Project's products have been published.
Delegates took souvenir photos at the display table of some typical publications of the Project at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
In addition, the official website of the Project is at
https://vietnamica.online/has been officially operating since 2022. On the website, there are scanned copies of thousands of books about Vietnam, mainly in French and Vietnamese, published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; and there are full texts or excerpts of the Project's publications from 2020 onwards. These resources are currently being supplemented, updated and completed, all of which are provided free of charge for readers to access and use.
To acknowledge the responsible and effective participation of PhD students, master students and young researchers, at the ceremony, the Executive Board and Scientific Council of the Vietnamica Project awarded Certificates to PhD students and postgraduate students. With a passion for Vietnam's stele heritage and a spirit of diligent and serious scientific work, many PhD students and postgraduate students have excellently completed their theses and dissertations on time, and actively participated in collecting, translating and systematizing documents.
Professor Philippe Papin, Professor Nicolas Maïnetti, Professor Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan and Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong awarded certificates to PhD students and students
On behalf of the PhD students and HVCH students, Dr. Bui Quoc Linh (Institute for Preservation and Development of Traditional Culture) emotionally shared:
“Participating in the Vietnamica Project not only provided us with valuable financial support to complete our thesis, but also the opportunity to work with leading scientists and experts at home and abroad, stimulating our passion for exploring the values of Vietnam's monumental stele heritage. We are proud to have contributed our small part to the success of the Project. On behalf of the PhD students, postgraduate students, and young scientists who directly benefited from the achievements of the Vietnamica Project, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the sponsoring agencies, the Project organization, the Project Management Board, and the scientists who have accompanied, supported, and encouraged us throughout the implementation process.”
Dr. Bui Quoc Linh expressed his hope that young researchers in Vietnam will have more opportunities to participate in meaningful projects such as the Vietnamica Project.
Delegates attending the ceremony exchanged and discussed some orientations to continue the activities and results of the Vietnamica Project.
The ceremony is not only an opportunity to look back on the 5-year journey of efforts and successes of the Vietnamica Project, but also an important milestone in affirming the position of USSH in the field of Vietnamese epigraphy and archaeology, while opening up new opportunities and directions for international cooperation in the future.
