International publications are closely tied to the scientific life of each individual.

Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Secretary of the Party Committee, Vice Rector of the University) chaired the conference.

Is publishing internationally in the social sciences and humanities easy or difficult? Why does the social sciences and humanities have so much potential, yet the results in international publications are not commensurate? What solutions can promote international publications among faculty members of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities? Scientists at the conference not only shared their personal experiences in international publications but also suggested solutions from a management and policy perspective.

At the conference, Dr. Pham Duc Anh (Deputy Head of the Science and Technology Department, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) stated: In its development strategy until 2020, Vietnam National University, Hanoi aims to achieve a minimum of 600 international publications listed in the ISI and Scopus databases each year, with 60 of those specifically in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Over the years, the number of international publications indexed in ISI and Scopus by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) has shown steady growth and an upward trend. In particular, in 2018, VNU's scientific team published 603 ISI and Scopus articles. International publications in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities account for approximately 1/10 of the total. Dr. Pham Duc Anh believes that the field of Social Sciences and Humanities has great potential and advantages, but the results of international publications are not commensurate with this potential. Therefore, in 2019, VNU proposed solutions to further promote international publications in this field.

Dr. Pham Duc Anh (Deputy Head of the Science and Technology Committee, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) believes that the field of social sciences and humanities still has much potential for international publications.

Sharing the experience of international publications from the strong research group at the Institute of Policy and Management, the group leader - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dao Thanh Truong - affirmed: The majority of the group's international publications are the result of research projects, and three-quarters of the publications are interdisciplinary in the field of policy and management science. Since 2017, the group has hired foreign experts to participate in carrying out the tasks of the research projects; thereby supporting and transferring experience and technology to members regarding the capacity to write, publish, and publish international articles.

Associate Professor Dr. Dao Thanh Truong highly appreciated the effective policies of the University in supporting and promoting international publications among its staff in the past, and also proposed some additional solutions: Firstly, the Vietnam National University, Hanoi and the University should assign tasks to strong research groups, along with allocating funding and international publication targets. These research groups should have financial and operational autonomy to maximize efficiency. The activities of these research groups should be considered and placed within the University's long-term strategy for developing international publications.

Associate Professor Dr. Dao Thanh Truong (Head of the Faculty of Management Science, Director of the Institute of Policy and Management) proposed allocating funding and international publication targets to each research group.

Secondly, the university is interested in recruiting research positions for its faculties, centers, and institutes. These research positions can be flexible according to the staffing of each research project. It is time for the university to strengthen the development of a culture of international publication, making international publication a regular task and a self-driven need for its staff.

Finally, in addition to international publications, a distinctive product of the social sciences and humanities that deserves special attention is policy advice and recommendations for Party and State agencies.

Regarding the fact that international publications in the social sciences and humanities are lower compared to other scientific fields – a common situation in many countries – Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Con (Faculty of Linguistics) provided the following information: survey data from the past 6 years shows that publications in the social sciences and humanities in Malaysia account for 4.7% of the total scientific publications; in Vietnam, this rate is 5.7%, equal to Singapore; the highest in Southeast Asia is the Philippines with a rate of 9.6%. If calculated by individual universities, Singapore has a rate of 15 international publications listed in ISI and Scopus databases per university per year; while this rate is low in other countries in the region, only 1-2 publications per university per year.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Con (Faculty of Linguistics) argues that the relatively low number of international publications in the social sciences and humanities compared to other scientific fields is a common situation in many countries.

Explain the reasons whycAccording to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Con, the lower number of international publications in Vietnam compared to other countries stems from the disparity in socio-economic development levels and investment in science. Compared to developed countries, Vietnam's investment in science is still far behind. In addition, there are other limitations arising from both subjective and objective factors, including the general context and the individual contributions of scientists. These include a disconnect in theoretical and methodological approaches from the rest of the world; a failure to keep up with current global scientific issues; poor foreign language skills; and the specific characteristics of social sciences and humanities in Vietnam. Therefore, gradually increasing the quantity and quality of international publications in social sciences and humanities requires a roadmap and time; it cannot be rushed.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Con also emphasized that the human factor is the most important element in the development strategy of universities. Therefore, the university needs to be meticulous in the personnel selection process to recruit individuals with the capacity and aptitude for research and international integration. In addition, the management mechanism needs to be flexible and open to fully unleash the creative abilities and dedication of the staff.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh (Faculty of Sociology) delivered a speech at the Conference.

Associate Professor Trinh Cam Lan (Department of Linguistics) shared the unit's experience, stating that if a research group has not yet been established, the focus should be on investing in and encouraging individuals to strongly develop their research capabilities in their respective specialized fields. This stems from the fact that international publications require very deep expertise in a particular field, and it is sometimes difficult to find people with similar research interests.

Regarding the experience of getting articles published in international journals, Associate Professor Dr. Trinh Cam Lan believes that foreign scientific journals are very interested in survey data from Vietnam – which is an advantage. In addition, authors need to have an up-to-date theoretical basis, an effective analytical framework, and research problems that are relevant to current trends and areas of interest… then the chances of the article being accepted will be high.

Responding to concerns that only formally trained scientists in English-speaking countries are likely to publish internationally, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Luot (Faculty of Psychology) cited the example of the Faculty of Psychology, where the majority of faculty members were trained in French and Russian-speaking countries, yet they have all published internationally in English-language journals. This is thanks to the unique nature of the field of Psychology, which has strong international connections, coupled with the open-mindedness, sharing, and individual efforts of the faculty members in this area, leading to significant results.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Luot (Department of Psychology) shared his personal experiences and efforts to publish articles in international journals.

From a psychological perspective, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Luot believes that scientists need to proactively explore and participate in international scientific forums and networks related to their research fields to learn and exchange expertise.

Sharing the same viewpoint, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Huyen (Institute of Journalism and Communication Training) believes that scientists need to always maintain their passion and enthusiasm, be ready to contribute to science, and consider international publications as a way to develop and demonstrate their scientific capabilities. In their specialized fields, Vietnamese scientists need to connect with leading scholars worldwide, confidently approach and "market" themselves to participate in international research projects, thereby gaining more experience and building credibility. Maintaining personal relationships is crucial for building scientific relationships within the international community.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Huyen (Institute of Journalism and Communication Training) delivered a speech at the Conference.

Offering a practical perspective, Associate Professor Hoang Anh Tuan (Vice Rector of the University) commented: research university status is no longer just a destination; the spirit of research must always be present in all activities of the staff and the university. Public universities, if not careful, will fall behind in the race for international publications. Intellectual capital is flowing rapidly from the public to the private system, and private universities are showing great effort and investment in international publications.

Whether international publication is easy or difficult, and whether the prospects are positive or negative, are still debated issues. However, it is undeniable that international publication can be significantly promoted by effectively utilizing the currently open policy mechanisms at all levels for this activity.

Concluding the conference, Professor Nguyen Van Kim (Vice Rector of the University) once again affirmed that international publications in social sciences and humanities are an inevitable trend and a policy being promoted at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Especially in the context of Vietnam's education system increasingly integrating deeply with the region and the world, leading to a stronger need for internationalization in various fields, from research and training to university administration. This context requires Vietnamese scientists to be dynamic and proactive in adapting to this trend.

Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Kim concluded the conference.

Over the past period, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has implemented many policies and solutions to promote international publications as well as develop the scientific research capacity of its staff. The university has a policy of rewarding and supporting international publications; inviting many international experts from both within and outside the country to share their publication experiences; organizing workshops and conferences on international publications; incorporating international publication targets into regular scientific tasks; and paying attention to strong research groups...

The university also calls for greater efforts from faculty members in research and international publications to affirm the position, role, and professional competence of the scientific staff. It is time for international publications to become an integral part of the scientific life of each individual and of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, both now and in the future.