40 years of the Han Nom Studies Department - Faculty of Literature

USSH – This year, 2012, the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies (Faculty of Literature - University of Social Sciences and Humanities) celebrates its 40th anniversary. To mark this special occasion, we would like to present an article by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Khoai – Head of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department – ​​to provide readers with information about a unique training program at the University. In 1972, amidst the fierce and historically pivotal stage of the resistance war against the US, the first class in Sino-Vietnamese studies was opened at the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University. Its mission was to train personnel to collect, preserve, research, translate, and exploit Sino-Vietnamese heritage, preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of the nation, serving the revolutionary cause at that time: liberating the South, building and protecting the socialist North, and ultimately unifying the country. Forty years have passed since that arduous beginning. Looking back today, it has been a long and arduous journey, full of hardships and difficulties, but also a source of pride due to the many achievements made. "Learning from the past to understand the present," the teachers and students of Sino-Vietnamese studies are proud of their achievements, but they also feel a great responsibility towards their political mission. They must strive even harder to live up to the legacy of their predecessors, those who established the field and laid the first bricks for Sino-Vietnamese studies – the field of classical Vietnamese literature. In this article, we will review the key aspects of Sino-Vietnamese studies and research. The article consists of two parts: - 40 years of Sino-Vietnamese studies – The first steps. - The current 10 years of the field (2002-2012)1. Forty Years of Sino-Vietnamese Studies Training – The First StepsIn the early days, the teaching staff for Sino-Vietnamese studies was organized into the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Group, according to the methods and names of the time. The main members of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Group at that time included Professor Le Van Quan, Professor Nguyen Dinh Thang, and Professor Tran Thuyet, with Professor Dinh Gia Khanh – Head of the Ancient and Modern Vietnamese Literature Group (Ancient, Modern, and Folk Vietnamese Literature) – also serving as the group leader. The teaching and thesis guidance team for Sino-Vietnamese studies included professors from the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Group and teachers from the Faculty of Literature and History of Hanoi University at that time, such as Professor Hoang Xuan Nhi, Professor Nguyen Tai Can, Bui Duy Tan, Tran Dinh Huou, Phan Huy Le, Ha Van Tan, Tran Quoc Vuong, as well as many renowned scholars of the time such as Professor Cao Xuan Huy, and the Sinologist Do Ngoc Toai… This team of highly respected and influential teachers served as a primary guarantee of the quality of the graduates. To date, most of our teachers have passed away. Remembering them fills us with deep emotion and profound respect, gratitude, and appreciation for their immense contributions to the training of Sino-Vietnamese studies during the arduous period of establishing the Department. We will never forget their sacrifices. We also express our gratitude to the faculty of the Department of Literature in particular, and Hanoi University in general, who actively contributed to training the workforce in Sino-Vietnamese studies under the then-current undergraduate Sino-Vietnamese program. This undergraduate Sino-Vietnamese program was designed in close connection with the two departments of the Department of Literature: Literature and Linguistics. Besides common subjects for all Vietnamese universities such as Philosophy, Political Economy, and Party History, all three majors (Classical Chinese and Vietnamese Studies, Literature, and Linguistics) share the same lecture halls, the same duration, the same curriculum, and the same teachers for a range of subjects including: Vietnamese Literature (folk, classical, modern, and contemporary); Literary Theory, Chinese Literature, Introduction to Linguistics, Vietnamese Phonetics, Vietnamese Grammar, Vietnamese Vocabulary, and Vietnamese Stylistics. This shared foundation in linguistics and literature is one of the reasons why the "Classical Chinese and Vietnamese Studies graduates" of Hanoi University are different from those of other institutions. The comprehensive knowledge of society and humanities in the Classical Chinese and Vietnamese Studies graduates of Hanoi University is one of the factors that has significantly contributed to the "brand" of Hanoi University's Classical Chinese and Vietnamese Studies over a long period. This brand has been recognized and affirmed by the organizations that employ Classical Chinese and Vietnamese Studies graduates, as well as by society. At the same time, this comprehensive knowledge is also an important foundation that helps graduates of Sino-Vietnamese studies adapt to job assignments and find employment in various fields of social life. They can work in fields that directly require the use of Sino-Vietnamese studies, such as the Institute of Sino-Vietnamese Studies, universities and colleges, archives and cultural agencies, as well as in other cultural and social fields. The broad capacity to exploit the values ​​of Sino-Vietnamese heritage that a person working in Sino-Vietnamese studies possesses is partly based on the very fundamental knowledge of social sciences and humanities that they acquire from their studies as well as from the team of respected masters. Of course, even with a broad background in the social sciences and humanities, the distinctiveness, nature, or uniqueness of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies program at Hanoi University cannot be achieved without specialized knowledge of Sino-Vietnamese studies, demonstrated through the ability to grasp the characters and translate and annotate Sino-Vietnamese texts. Without the ability to read and understand Sino-Vietnamese texts, it is impossible to discuss any analysis or explanation of their value. To read and translate Sino-Vietnamese texts, simply knowing the vocabulary is not enough; one must also understand the historical and cultural issues contained within those texts. It is these historical and cultural issues, which form the basis of the texts, that guide their creation. The Sino-Vietnamese studies curriculum, structured according to a four-and-a-half-year system, is spread evenly and appropriately across the course, progressing from easy to difficult, suitable for the students' level and consistent with the requirements of education and training in general. The specialized curriculum in Sino-Vietnamese studies is designed to follow the steps taken by the creators of Sino-Vietnamese texts themselves. In ancient times, students, starting at age six, began with elementary school books to acquire a certain level of literacy before moving on to the Four Books, Five Classics, Philosophers' Treatises, Histories, and essay writing. "As a student, there must be a beginning. After elementary school, one moves on to the Four Books…" "Understanding the Classics and mastering the Four Books, one can then read the Six Classics…" "Once the Classics are clear, one can read the Philosophers… Once the Classics and Histories are understood, one can read history. Examining generations, one knows the beginning and end…" – as summarized in the Three Character Classic. The first Chinese language lesson of the "establishment of the Department" resonated with the lecture of Professor Nguyen Dinh Thang as he recited a lesson recounting Confucius's words from the old Confucian school: "Sir, I, Qiu, have educated three thousand seventy students. These students are all capable of doing good deeds and are quite knowledgeable about propriety." The subjects of Elementary Chinese, the Four Books, and parts of the Five Classics were taught by the professors of the Han Nom Department. Professor Le Van Quan taught the Analects, Professor Tran Thuyet taught Mencius and the Book of Rites, and Professor Nguyen Dinh Thang taught the Doctrine of the Mean and the Great Learning. The Book of Documents was taught by Professor Cao Xuan Huy – a leading figure in Vietnamese Han studies, the teacher of many masters. The professor, with his profound knowledge and resonant voice, clearly articulated the difficult-to-understand words and phrases from the pages of the Book of Documents. Mr. Do Ngoc Toai, who once participated in the imperial examinations of the past, taught the Book of Poetry. He analyzed and searched for literary and poetic materials with allusions to the Book of Poetry for his students. Teacher Truong Dinh Nguyen, witty behind his thick glasses, provided in-depth explanations of the vocabulary in the lessons of the Historical Essays course, covering the period from the Han Dynasty to the Tang and Song Dynasties. The Vietnamese Classical Chinese section was taught by Mr. Tran Thuyet and Mr. Do Ngoc Toai. Mr. Tran Thuyet taught Classical Chinese during the Ly and Tran Dynasties, while Mr. Do Ngoc Toai taught Classical Chinese during the Le Dynasty. The Nom script section was taught by Mr. Le Van Quan. This subject was included in the first semester of the third year, with many excerpts from folk songs, Nom stories, and even the Tale of Kieu, and the vernacular poetry of Nguyen Trai and Nguyen Binh Khiem… Students majoring in Classical Chinese and Nom also listened to specialized topics on grammar and phonetics such as: Phonetics of the Chinese language taught by Mr. Le Van Quan; The origin and formation process of Sino-Vietnamese reading taught by Mr. Nguyen Tai Can; The textual studies were taught by Professor Ha Van Tan… Although the number of specialized topics was not large, it helped students a great deal in terms of methods and approaches to studying Sino-Vietnamese texts, as well as explaining some issues related to Sino-Vietnamese studies when writing theses or conducting research. The Sino-Vietnamese studies training program at the university level, as we have described above, has basically been oriented and overseen throughout the 40-year training process of the Department. Of course, over time, the structure of the Sino-Vietnamese studies training program at the university level and other levels has always been adjusted according to the training orientation of the University, of higher-level educational management agencies such as Hanoi National University, the Ministry of Education and Training, as well as the demands of life; however, we still recognize the inheritance of the training program from the early days of establishing the Department. The first cohort of Sino-Vietnamese students graduated in 1976, corresponding to the 17th cohort of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University. Over the years, successive generations of students from the Department have graduated. They are the main source of human resources for many research institutes, universities, colleges, high schools, archives, cultural management agencies, social organizations, and other agencies to undertake work related to Sino-Vietnamese studies and Vietnamese literature and culture. Among the research institutes, the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department of the former Vietnam Social Sciences Committee – now the Institute of Sino-Vietnamese Studies of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences – is the place that receives the most Sino-Vietnamese graduates. In their positions, they have demonstrated the competence and qualities required for Sino-Vietnamese studies, such as diligence and seriousness in their work, respect for national cultural values, love for their profession and field, and the ability to read, understand, and exploit the cultural values ​​contained in Sino-Vietnamese texts. Over time, the teaching staff of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department has been supplemented with retained students as well as from other sources. Also, over time, a link and coordination has formed between training and research institutions, between training and recruitment. Scientists from research institutes (primarily the Institute of Sino-Vietnamese Studies) have participated in training here, both in teaching and in supervising theses, dissertations, and doctoral theses. On behalf of the faculty members of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department, Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, I would like to express my gratitude to all the esteemed professors who have contributed to our Sino-Vietnamese studies training. The progress of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies training program is fully reviewed every five years or so in reports commemorating the establishment of the Department as well as the founding anniversaries of the Faculty of Literature. Therefore, in this section of the report, I will only highlight the steps and actions taken during the arduous but memorable period of establishing the industry, which deserve to be mentioned on these anniversaries. In the second part below, we will review the main issues of the current 10 years (2002-2012).2. The current ten years of the Han Nom Studies training program.Ten years have passed since the last anniversary celebration of the Department of Han Nom Studies (2002 – 30th anniversary). These ten years have been marked by the following milestones in training under the University's direction: Opening an independent undergraduate program; transitioning the curriculum and methods to a credit-based system; providing undergraduate (Bachelor's) and postgraduate (Master's and Doctoral) training; improving the quality of training; and expanding international relations. The Department's staff has made significant efforts in fulfilling its political tasks. These efforts are demonstrated in the following areas:2.1. Carry out training tasks:-The independent admissions code (code 610) was opened for undergraduate programs (in 2004), admitting students from blocks C and D, with an annual enrollment quota of 30. This created greater autonomy in the admissions of students majoring in Sino-Vietnamese studies at the undergraduate level. Previously, the Sino-Vietnamese studies major was coded as Literature. Candidates wishing to enter the Sino-Vietnamese studies major had to first take the entrance exam for the Faculty of Literature. After about a year and a half of general study, they would then be assigned to a specific major. Therefore, the assignment process was very difficult. In some years, only 4-5 students were admitted. Since the introduction of independent admissions, Sino-Vietnamese studies training has become more proactive in selecting students. The 49th cohort was the first to have such a separate admissions process. To date, this proactive admissions process has been implemented for 8 years. -The conversion of the training program from a semester-based system to a credit-based system is a step aimed at creating greater autonomy for learners. The department completed the program transition in 2006, officially implementing the new credit-based system in 2007 (Cohort 52). This implementation coincided with the development of corresponding lectures and textbooks based on the course syllabi. The department also developed a doctoral program in Sino-Vietnamese studies and was assigned the task by the Director of Hanoi National University in 2010. The training programs (undergraduate, master's, and doctoral) based on learning outcomes were developed in 2012. This was a task involving every staff member in the department, both professionally and professionally, and was thoroughly discussed within the department. The programs were completed and received positive evaluations upon acceptance.2.2. Personnel management and team development:The past ten years have also seen significant changes in the department's staff structure. Four staff members retired under the state's labor policy (Professors Nguyen Quy Huu, Nguyen Van Thinh, Ta Doan Quyet, and Le Anh Tuan). Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Son assumed the position of Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (2009) and subsequently the position of Vice Director of Hanoi National University (2011); therefore, supplementing human resources for the Han Nom Studies field is an urgent requirement. Currently, the department only has 7 staff members, yet it is overwhelmed with the task of training Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral students. Most of the Han Nom staff are under 40 years old, still in the process of completing their training, such as doctoral studies and dissertations, as well as participating in assistant and support roles for leadership and management. Simultaneously, they have to perform many tasks and are at an age where they are busy with family responsibilities. It can be said that to complete the enormous workload currently, the six Sino-Vietnamese studies staff members in the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department have had to exert themselves to the fullest. The young staff members of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department are currently mostly in the process of completing their doctoral programs. In June 2012, Nguyen Tuan Cuong successfully defended his doctoral dissertation; Nguyen Phuc Anh is a doctoral student in Japan; and Dinh Thanh Hieu and Pham Van Dung are doctoral students in Vietnam. In the work of improving staff capacity, our Department pays special attention to enhancing foreign language skills, information technology skills, scientific exchange and international cooperation, and international collaboration and support. Most of the young Sino-Vietnamese studies staff members possess these capabilities, and this represents a tremendous effort. We hope they will go even further and achieve even more accomplishments.2.3. Scientific research activities and research directions:Scientific research is one of the highlights among the Department's achievements. Department members have successfully carried out scientific activities according to the University's standards and targets. Research topics are all linked to the training mission, and their results are used in lectures, textbooks, theses, and dissertations. Even basic-level projects with limited funding have resulted in publications in specialized journals. Over the past 10 years, Department staff have completed numerous scientific research projects at various levels, such as: - "Preservation and Promotion of Hue's Han Nom Heritage" (a State-level Science and Technology project led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Thinh). - "Vietnamese Han Nom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the transition of Vietnamese culture from tradition to modernity" (a key project at Hanoi National University led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Khoai). Young faculty members of the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies, such as Dinh Thanh Hieu, Pham Van Dung, Phan Thu Hien, and Nguyen Phuc Anh, have all had their research projects at various levels successfully completed. Most of these projects, upon completion, have also resulted in publications in scientific journals. Most of these young Sino-Vietnamese faculty members participate in the compilation of lectures and textbooks. The research of the department's faculty members is oriented towards the following: - Issues concerning Sinology, Sino-Vietnamese literature, Vietnamese Sino-Vietnamese literature, Sino-Vietnamese contact, East Asian co-literature through Chinese characters, and the use of Chinese characters. - Issues concerning Nom characters, Nom texts, Nom national literature, the history of the Vietnamese language through Nom characters, and Sino-Vietnamese bilingualism. - Issues concerning Sino-Vietnamese heritage in relation to the structure of traditional Vietnamese culture, and ways to ensure cultural continuity between tradition and modernity as seen from Sino-Vietnamese heritage. - Issues concerning Confucianism, classical studies, and the reception of Confucianism through Sino-Vietnamese heritage. - Issues related to Buddhist studies and the reception of Buddhism through the Sino-Vietnamese heritage. - Issues concerning the methodology of approaching Sino-Vietnamese texts, research techniques and operations in Sino-Vietnamese studies, decoding and analyzing Sino-Vietnamese texts, and exploiting the textual and cultural value of the Sino-Vietnamese heritage. - Issues concerning authors, works, and types of Sino-Vietnamese texts. - Issues concerning Sino-Vietnamese textual studies. These orientations are both narrowly specialized and broadly applicable to the research subject: the Sino-Vietnamese heritage of Vietnam – a heritage bearing the characteristics of medieval culture.2.4. Domestic and international cooperation:Domestic and international cooperation aims to define the position of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in relation to centers and units undertaking Sino-Vietnamese studies. Domestic cooperation has been well implemented between the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department of the Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and Sino-Vietnamese research and training institutions such as: the Institute of Sino-Vietnamese Studies; the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department of the Faculty of Linguistics and Literature, Hanoi Pedagogical University; the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Department of the Faculty of Linguistics and Literature, Hue University of Science… Many staff members of the Department have actively participated in and contributed to major state tasks such as the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long, participating in the compilation and publication of many publications for this occasion. The past ten years have also been marked by international cooperation. The Department has organized dozens of presentations by international scientists on specific issues related to Sino-Vietnamese studies. In just the last five years (2008-2012), the Department has invited professors from the University of Tokyo, Nishigakusha University, Waseda University, and Osaka University to present a series of specialized topics on: Kanbun Kundoku (Chinese language instruction); History of Chinese language and Confucian education in Japan; Dictionaries of ancient Japanese texts; Chinese literature studies from a bibliographic perspective; Humanity and society from a literary perspective; Chinese language education and Japanese Chinese; Research on Annamese translation; Reconstruction of Vietnamese phonetics in the 15th century through Nôm script data from the Buddhist text "Great Sutra on the Great Gratitude to Parents"; Sino-Vietnamese reading and the issue of repetition in the "Thiết vận" (Rhyming Pronunciation)... (Note: The specific content of these presentations can be found in the summary in the Proceedings of the Conference on 40 Years of Training and Research in Sino-Vietnamese Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - the conference was held on the morning of November 16, 2012). The Department has also collaborated with the American Society for the Preservation of Nom Script; several of its staff members have conducted research, studied, and exchanged scientific ideas in Japan. It can be said that the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies' international relations have yielded many positive results in recent years. However, the past ten years have also been a period of significant shortcomings in Sino-Vietnamese studies, especially in terms of personnel and organization. We must confront this reality to take the necessary steps to address the current situation. First and foremost, we need to improve the capacity of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies staff, both in quantity and quality. The recruitment of personnel for the Department of Sino-Vietnamese Studies should be considered from a different perspective – it should be viewed as a training program with three levels of study, rather than simply as one of many departments within the Faculty of Literature as it is currently. The understanding of Sino-Vietnamese Studies from a professional perspective also needs necessary advancements to better suit the target audience. The Sino-Vietnamese (Hán Nôm) heritage is a legacy of medieval culture. While an interdisciplinary approach is necessary, a specialized approach cannot be neglected. There are aspects within the internal sphere of Sino-Vietnamese studies and those outside of it, and the relationship between these two spheres also needs further consideration. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Sino-Vietnamese studies training at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, looking back, we, those working in Sino-Vietnamese studies, are very proud of our mission and responsibilities. We believe that all achievements in Sino-Vietnamese studies are inseparable from the guidance of the University leadership and the Faculty of Literature. The term "Sino-Vietnamese" clearly shows the nature of our work. It evokes the written heritage of the nation, yet it also gives it the character of a museum or library. Retaining that designation is necessary, but we should also broaden our perspective by viewing it as a crucial part of Vietnamese classical literature, where the term "literature" must embody the spirit and content as used in the Analects or the Proclamation of Victory over the Wu. Vietnam is a land of culture, and the Sino-Vietnamese heritage is one of the most concrete "symbols" of Vietnamese classical literature. The interdisciplinary aspects of Sino-Vietnamese studies must be built and expressed in that spirit. At the same time, Sino-Vietnamese studies must step up and shoulder the responsibility of building Vietnamese classical literature on the foundation of what has been achieved in Sino-Vietnamese studies training. First, the training programs of the department need to develop a course on classical Vietnamese literature, establishing content related to the archiving, organization, publication, and socialization of national cultural heritage, clarifying its role in modern cultural life so that the dissemination of Sino-Vietnamese studies to society can be even broader and more far-reaching. Taking Sino-Vietnamese studies as the foundation, striving for a training program in classical Vietnamese literature is the task and the ultimate goal of Sino-Vietnamese studies training. Furthermore, as a country renowned for its cultural heritage and nation-building for thousands of years, Vietnam needs its own department for classical literature training, and this department already has the experience and achievements of 40 years of training and research in Sino-Vietnamese studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Forty years later, at the age of "forty, when one is no longer mistaken," we look back and see that our career in training and researching Sino-Vietnamese studies, while still requiring much effort, has achieved some success. This success is reflected in the achievements of generations of former students and in the positive evaluations from society. I have a couplet for the 40th anniversary of the Sino-Vietnamese Studies Training Program, put together as follows:For the past forty years, Taoism has followed the path of cultivating freedom from delusion. The remaining scholars and masters have successfully passed on their knowledge to each other.(For the past forty years, the path has been clearly laid out, so we haven't missed out. Over a thousand scholars, teachers and students have passed on knowledge to achieve success.) Allow me to explain a little. The phrase "forty, without doubt" is taken from the Analects. The words "Dao, teaching, manifest" are taken from the Doctrine of the Mean, but here they refer to the fact that under the guidance of the Party, specifically under the direction of the Party Committee and the School's Board of Directors, our department has not made any mistakes. The latter part is taken from phrases commonly recited at the opening of Confucian schools in the past: "The great man, the sage, has transformed three thousand seventy scholars. The humble students all act as people and can understand etiquette." These lengthy explanations also serve as the conclusion to my article.