VNU-USSH and Australian National University achieve many results in archaeological research in Vietnam

In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) emphasized the importance of international cooperation in social sciences and humanities research, especially with prestigious partners such as the Australian National University. The Rector expressed his belief and hope for the continued development and expansion of the good cooperative relationship between the two universities in the future. Professor Peter Bellwood is an internationally renowned scientist with groundbreaking research on migration processes, agricultural formation and cultural-linguistic diffusion in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He is renowned for his ability to combine Archaeology with Anthropology, Biology, Linguistics and Genetics to develop profound interdisciplinary theories on ancient population development and distribution. His typical works such as First Farmers - The origins of agricultural societies, First Migrants, Prehistory of the Indo-Malaysian Archipelago and The Five-Million-Year Odyssey - The Human Journey from Ape to Agriculture... have become valuable reference materials for researchers worldwide.
At the talk, Professor Bellwood summarized in detail the journey of more than 10 years of effective cooperation between the Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU) and the Australian National University (ANU) in the period 2015-2025. The cooperation program has implemented many large-scale research, survey and excavation projects at important archaeological sites across Vietnam, including Thach Lac, Ru Diep, Cai Beo, Con Dat and Quynh Van... These collaborative efforts have yielded invaluable results, contributing to the elucidation of key cultural phases from the Late Paleolithic to the early agricultural settlement period in Vietnam. Archaeological finds have revealed complex transitions between indigenous hunter-gatherer communities (such as the Hoa Binh and Da But cultures) and new populations that brought agriculture, pottery, and possibly precursor languages ​​to the Austroasiatic and Kra-Dai families.
In particular, sites such as Quynh Van, Thach Lac and Ru Diep have provided valuable data on the absolute age of archaeological sites, types of stone tools, ancient tombs and the residential model of ancient people. Thanks to that, researchers have been able to reconstruct in more detail the process of forming early society in Vietnam in the broader context of the Southeast Asian region.
The clear evidence of the success of this cooperation program is the high-quality scientific articles published in prestigious international journals, with the contributions of researchers from both schools. These are proud results, affirming the research capacity and increasingly high academic position of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on the world science map.
The symposium attracted a large number of lecturers, researchers, graduate students and students from inside and outside the university. The event created a vibrant academic forum where scientists and interested people had the opportunity to exchange knowledge, share the latest findings and discuss potential future research directions. The success of this symposium not only marked an important milestone in the cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Australian National University, but also opened up new and promising prospects for further cooperation in the field of prehistoric and archaeological research in Vietnam. The University believes that, with the solid foundation that has been built, the cooperation between the two universities will continue to achieve even greater success in the coming years, making an important contribution to the development of social sciences and humanities in Vietnam and the world.