10 outstanding events of the 2015-2016 school year

1. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities receives the First-Class Labor Medal for the second time on the occasion of its 70th anniversary and 20th anniversary.

On October 6, 2015, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities held a ceremony at the National Convention Center to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Faculty of Literature and the 20th anniversary of the University's founding. On behalf of the Party and Government, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam presented the University with the Second Class Labor Order in recognition of its contributions to the development of the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam presents the First-Class Labor Medal to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Former Director of Hanoi National University, Phung Xuan Nha, presented flowers to express gratitude to the generations of leaders of the University at the anniversary ceremony.

Over the past 70 years, hundreds of groups and individuals within the School have received medals of various ranks, and thousands of groups and individuals have received emulation titles and awards from various sectors and levels, from the central government to the provinces, cities, and Hanoi National University. Ten teachers from the School have also been awarded.Ho Chi Minh Prize14 teachers received the award.State Award for Science and Technology25 teachers were awarded the title.People's Teacher56 teachers were awarded the title.Outstanding TeacherThe school was awarded.First-class Independence Order (2001)titleHeroic Labor Unit(2005);Ho Chi Minh Order(2010).

2. Appointing Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Minh as Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

On December 23, 2015, the Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) signed Decision No. 5168/QD-VNU appointing Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh, Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, to the position of Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities for the term 2016-2020.

Vice Rector of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Nguyen Huu Duc, presented the appointment decision for the Rector position to Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh.

Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh (born in 1962) holds a Bachelor's degree in World History from Kuban State University (formerly the Soviet Union), a Master's degree from Passau University, and a PhD in Southeast Asian History from Humboldt University, Germany. The University's goal for this term is to continue building itself into a leading research university among the top 100 universities in Asia, with liberal arts as its core value, and building a friendly, open, and service-oriented working environment as its central mission to maximize the potential of each individual. In that spirit, the University has also defined its motto as: “Cherish the past, embrace the future." (Honoring the Past, embracing the Future.

3. US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits and holds a dialogue with students at the university.

On April 21, 2016, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited and delivered a speech to faculty and students of the university. His speech highlighted the role of the younger generation; the importance of promoting innovation and creativity in each country; and affirmed the crucial values ​​of Vietnam-US cooperation. The visit of the US Deputy Secretary of State was part of the historic visit of US President Barack Obama to Vietnam in May 2016.

Following a speech by Deputy Secretary Antony Blinken, Tran My Linh, a third-year student in the Linguistics Department of the university, had the honor of being chosen to represent Vietnamese youth in presenting flowers to President Barack Obama at Noi Bai Airport upon his arrival during his official visit to Vietnam.

4. Five scientific works received awards at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi level.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Kim Son presents certificates of merit to scientists whose works won the Vietnam National University, Hanoi Science and Technology Award for the period 2011-2015 / Photo: Quoc Toan

Over the past year, five scientific works by faculty members of the University received the Outstanding Scientific Work Award of Vietnam National University, Hanoi for the period 2011-2015, including: "The Development of Vietnamese Vocabulary from 1945 to 2005" by Prof. Dr. Le Quang Thiem (Vietnam National University, Hanoi Publishing House, 2014); "Nguyen Hai Ke and Vietnamese History and Culture" compiled by the Department of Cultural Studies and Vietnamese Cultural History, Faculty of History; "Foreign Relations Activities in Thang Long - Hanoi" by a group of authors edited by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Xuan Hang (Hanoi Publishing House, 2010); "Religious Policy and the Rule of Law" by Prof. Dr. Do Quang Hung (Vietnam National University, Hanoi Publishing House, 2014); and a cluster of internationally published works from 2010-2014 on the topic "International Relations and Vietnam's Foreign Policy" by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh.

5. Establish the Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities

After years of preparation, on May 11, 2015, the Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities of the University was officially granted operating license No. 155/GP-BVHTT by the Ministry of Information and Communications, with the international standard ISSN 2354-1772. Currently, the Journal is permitted to publish 6 issues per year (including 2 issues in English) with a maximum of 200 pages. The Journal's Editorial Board consists of reputable domestic and international scientists, including 6 foreign scholars from Canada, the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, and Japan. The Journal serves as a platform for publishing the latest scientific research in the field of social sciences and humanities by scientists inside and outside the university, aiming to quickly reach the level of leading prestigious journals in the region and the world. The launch of the Journal will contribute to promoting scientific research and publication activities of the University in the future.

6. 09 scientific works published in journals belonging to the ISI and Scopus systems.

In the 2015-2016 academic year, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities awarded 40 authors for their scientific works published in international journals, including 9 works published in journals belonging to the ISI and Scopus systems. While in 2010 the University only had 7 international publications, in recent years the number of international publications has increased rapidly, showing a positive shift in awareness among the staff. The University's timely encouragement and reward policies have also contributed to making international publication a regular activity, promoting the University's integration with the region and the world.

7. Establish several new training and research units.

Ceremony announcing the decision to establish the Faculty of Anthropology

Recently, the University decided to establish several new faculties, departments, and centers, including: the Faculty of Anthropology; the Department of Religious Studies, which will be enrolling students in the Religious Studies undergraduate program for the first time; the Center for Marine and Island Studies, the Center for Applied Research and Development of Social Work under the Faculty of Sociology; and the Department of Public Policy under the Faculty of Management Science… These new units will contribute to diversifying the training and research fields of the University, better meeting the needs of society and the development requirements of the University in the new phase.

8. Promotetraining quality assessment

Closing session of the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) Program-level External Evaluation of the Bachelor of Oriental Studies program at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

From October 14th to 16th, 2015, the external evaluation team of the ASEAN University Network (AUN) conducted an assessment of the Bachelor of Oriental Studies program. This is the second program of the University (after the Linguistics program) to be accredited according to AUN standards. Subsequently, from December 1st to 4th, 2015, the University worked with the external evaluation team of the Center for Educational Quality Accreditation, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, to implement the institutional-level quality assessment program according to the Ministry of Education and Training's quality accreditation standards. In addition, during the past year, the University also organized peer-level quality assessments of the high-quality Bachelor's programs in Management Science, Philosophy, and Literature. With these activities, the quality accreditation of training at the University has made new progress, affirming the important role of this work in improving the quality of training at the University.

9. Awarding an Honorary Doctorate to Professor Gilbert de Terssac

Authorized by the Board of Directors of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, on March 3, 2016, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities held a ceremony to confer an Honorary Doctorate degree on Professor Gilbert de Terssac (French nationality) from Toulouse 2 – Jean-Jaurès University (Republic of France).

From left to right: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh, Prof. Gilbert de Terssac and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc - Head of Training Department, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Professor Gilbert de Terssac, former Director of the Center for Research on Management, Organization, Labor and Power (CERTOP) – a highly reputable research unit under the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) – is a leading figure in research supporting the transformation of Vietnamese society. He serves as a bridge between the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the University of Toulouse 2 – Jean Jaurès, the Francophone University Agency, and the University of Téluq, Canada, in identifying, designing, and implementing blended learning programs aimed at community development and publishing international publications related to Vietnamese studies. Two notable achievements include the construction of a cultural and tourism center in Moc Chau, Son La, inaugurated in June 2014, and the book...Vietnam in transitionHe was born in France. He was also the first person to design an applied-oriented Master's program in Sociology for Vietnam.

10.Humanities students shine at international events.

Last year, the university's youth participated in the Youth Parliament project. This project was organized by the National Assembly Office in collaboration with the British Embassy and the British Council in Vietnam. The project helped young people learn the necessary knowledge and skills to work in Parliament; it organized simulated parliamentary sessions for young people to exchange and discuss current policy issues. Outperforming hundreds of applicants from various universities, student Dang Trung Anh (K58CLC, Faculty of Management Science) was honored to be selected as one of the eight most outstanding students, and was chosen to visit and learn from the British Parliament for 10 days.

From November 23rd to November 29th, 2015, a delegation of 5 lecturers and 40 students from the University participated in the Chinese Language Camp organized by Guangxi University (China). Nguyen Thi Viet My (a student from the K59 cohort, majoring in Chinese Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies) excelled and won first prize in the Chinese language public speaking competition.

Student Nguyen Thi Viet My (K59 student majoring in Chinese Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies) won first prize in the Chinese language public speaking competition.

From August 14-21, 2016, Guangxi University (China) organized the Cooperation for the Advancement of the Mekong River Region (YICMG) competition, with the participation of 14 student teams from universities in the region such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Myanmar, etc. The team from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, consisting of three students from the Faculty of International Studies (Nguyen Tran Thai Nam - K58; Nguyen Thuy Linh and Nguyen Lam Chi - K59), was one of the three Vietnamese student teams participating in the competition. With their project "Building an ecotourism area in the Mekong River region," the team excellently won first prize in the project development section for the Mekong River region.