The leading figure of the Department of History of Eastern Philosophy and Vietnamese Philosophical Thought.

In 1956, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Chinese Literature from the Nanning Campus, China. In 1962, he became a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He began teaching Chinese Literature at the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University, in 1965. He was passionate about teaching, research, and continuous learning. In 1979, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in Linguistics with the topic...Origin and structure of the Nôm scriptHe studied at Hanoi University. In 1984, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor by the State. From 1983, he also took on the responsibility of teaching at the university level at Hanoi University and the Institute of Han Nom Studies. He successfully supervised many doctoral and master's students in Han Nom Studies and Literature. In 2000, he was awarded the title of Professor.

Professor Le Van Quan is a role model of dedication to learning, research, and teaching, not only in his professional field but also in foreign languages. He is fluent in Chinese and has taught Chinese at the Hanoi University of Foreign Languages. In 1982, he participated in a specialized Russian language course at the same university. During his 10 months as an expert in France, he independently improved his French and collaborated on translation projects.Newly compiled collection of legendary tales, supplemented with explanations and commentary.Translate to French.

Professor, Doctor, Distinguished Educator Le Van Quan - Head of the Department of History of Eastern Philosophy and Vietnamese Philosophical Thought (1993-2002). He was one of the leading scholars in the fields of Sino-Vietnamese studies and Eastern philosophy.

Photo: Jackie Chan

In 1989, Hanoi University assigned him, along with several faculty members from the Philosophy Department, the task of establishing and developing the specialized field of Eastern Philosophy History within the Philosophy Department. He worked at the Philosophy Department from then until his retirement (in 2002). In 1993, the Department of Eastern Philosophy History and Vietnamese Thought was established, and he served as its Head. During his time there, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to teaching, writing textbooks, monographs, and reference books on Eastern and Vietnamese philosophy and culture. Professor Le Van Quan successfully supervised many doctoral and master's students in Philosophy.

Professor asserted that Vietnamese philosophy exists, but to discover and clarify it, one must explore Eastern philosophical thought, encompassing political thought, ethical thought, education, aesthetics, and more. He was the first to guide students and postgraduate researchers in philosophy (including myself) in their research on Chinese philosophy and Vietnamese thought. He taught courses such as *History of Chinese Philosophy*, *Introduction to the I Ching*, and *I Ching and Management Science* to undergraduate and postgraduate students in Philosophy and Social Management. His scientific works are of immense value, including:A Study on the Philosophy of the I Ching,I Ching – Worldview,An Overview of the History of Chinese Thought,I Ching and Management Science,Vietnamese prophets,Yin and Yang and the Five Elements in relation to human life.,Sources of Vietnamese traditional culture, History political ideologyButVietnamese societymThroughout the periods from prehistory to feudalism... The works and books he wrote formed the foundation for research on Eastern philosophical thought and Vietnamese political and social thought. They also served as a guiding principle for the development of the Department of History of Eastern Philosophy and Vietnamese Philosophical Thought within the Faculty of Philosophy.

When I was a third-year student in the Philosophy Department at Hanoi University, we were very excited to see the course "History of Ancient Chinese Philosophy" on the timetable. At that time, in the late 1980s, books and magazines were very limited. Professor Quan's lectures enlightened us about China, Chinese civilization, and the profound mysteries of Chinese philosophy… I was fascinated and decided to study and research Eastern philosophy from then on. I wanted to meet him to ask for his guidance, but I was hesitant because I heard that Professor Quan was strict. However, my determination to acquire knowledge gave me the courage to meet him and ask for his guidance. He enthusiastically supported and encouraged students to research Eastern philosophy, but he set a condition: "You must learn classical Chinese characters before I will agree to supervise you." Oh dear, a very difficult condition, and seemingly contrary to the trend at the time, when people were abandoning Russian studies to switch to English. But I saw it as a motivation to explore a new language. Together with Professor Hoang Van Lau (Institute of Han Nom Studies), he organized a class in classical Chinese for students and staff who wanted to learn. In this way, each Chinese character he passed on to us was like a brick building the foundation of knowledge about the culture, civilization, and philosophy of not only China but also the entire East Asian region influenced by Chinese civilization. The young student followed him through all levels of education, focusing on researching issues of philosophical thought in China, Vietnam, and Japan.

In 1993, I graduated from university, intending to work in a field unrelated to my studies, earning a salary in foreign currency – a dream for students at that time. My professor came to my house and spoke with my parents to encourage me to stay at the university and work as a lecturer in the Department of Eastern Philosophy and Vietnamese Thought. My parents were very excited and proud, considering me a great honor to be a lecturer at the University. That's how my career began. Today, as I write these lines, I sincerely thank my professor and my parents for advising me to choose this profession, which has allowed me to continue pursuing my dreams of exploring new horizons of knowledge and passing on my passion to future generations of students.

Throughout our time studying and working together, I've come to understand my professor better. He's not as strict as people say; he's straightforward, honest, but also quick-tempered, and of course, he has a strong personality. When we talk, he rarely talks about himself, but rather about human nature, his current work, and his future plans. He often says, "I will prepare (write) a set of textbooks and reference materials for the department on the history of Chinese philosophy and the history of Vietnamese political and social thought. If I can do that, I will have fulfilled my responsibility to the faculty, the department, and my colleagues." Although he retired in the 2000s, he hasn't stopped working. The image of him diligently sitting at his desk is something I often see whenever I visit him. This year, realizing his health is declining, he chose books to give to me and my colleagues in the Philosophy department to continue our research. I am deeply moved and also apprehensive because the teachings he imparted are too profound for someone with such limited intellect as mine... Our generation will always have to strive to improve ourselves and learn from our teachers to continue writing the path of development in the field of Eastern philosophy research and Vietnamese philosophical thought in the new era.