Faculty of Philosophy: 35 Years of Establishment and Development

This article from the Department of Philosophy introduces the 35-year journey of building and developing the department, as demonstrated through the development of staff, curriculum development, textbook compilation, and scientific research.To meet the growing demand for researchers and lecturers in political theory after 1975, when the South was completely liberated and the whole country moved towards socialism, in September 1976, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Ministry of Higher Education and Vocational Training (now the Ministry of Education and Training) decided to establish the Faculty of Philosophy at Hanoi University, now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. From its inception, the basic mission of the Faculty of Philosophy was defined as: Training a team of Marxist-Leninist theoretical cadres; researching and developing Vietnamese philosophy to serve the national revolutionary cause during the period of nationwide progress towards socialism. This was a significant event not only for the Party's ideological and theoretical work in general, but also for the development of one of the country's most fundamental theoretical sciences – philosophy – in particular. This also marks the first time in the national education system that a unit specializing in philosophy and Marxist-Leninist philosophy has been established alongside the Party school system, which had played a leading role since 1975. Globally, philosophy has long been a subject of focused research and teaching. Prestigious universities with long histories have established philosophy departments and given due importance to the research and training of philosophy students. Compared to the rest of the world, philosophy in Vietnam is still relatively young. However, the establishment of the Philosophy Department at Hanoi University in 1976 – a leading and prestigious research university in basic sciences – marked a promising start, accelerating the modernization of research, education, and training in philosophy in Vietnam. Since then, over the past 35 years, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, has gradually matured, developed, and made significant contributions to the research, education, and training of political theory cadres in general, and to the research and teaching of Marxist-Leninist philosophy in particular, for the whole country. This is reflected in several aspects: Firstly, the organization, building, and development of the Faculty's staff. This was a particularly important and difficult task for the Faculty of Philosophy in its early stages. The Faculty of Philosophy did not have a ready-made team of professors, teachers, and researchers to contribute to its development in the beginning, unlike some other units in the University. The official staff of the Faculty initially consisted of only 3 members, including 2 teaching staff and 1 document office staff member. To overcome the initial difficulties regarding teaching staff, the Faculty of Philosophy primarily relied on the assistance of research and teaching staff from external units such as the Institute of Philosophy or the Party School to implement the Faculty's training program. The Central Party Committee's Science and Education Department assigned Professor Pham Nhu Cuong, then Director of the Institute of Philosophy under the Vietnam Social Science Committee (now the National Center for Social Sciences and Humanities), to concurrently serve as the first Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Hanoi University. The Faculty of Philosophy always remembers the immense contributions of those who laid the foundation and pioneered the building and development of the Faculty, namely passionate educators and reputable theoretical researchers with distinctive styles such as: Professor Pham Nhu Cuong, the first Dean; the late Associate Professor Nguyen Quang Thong; Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Vui; Associate Professor Bui Thanh Quat; Professor Nguyen Chi Hieu, the late Professor Nguyen Dinh Xuan, and several other lecturers from the Institute of Philosophy under the Vietnam Social Sciences Committee contributed to the Faculty's development. Thanks to persistent efforts in overcoming difficulties, the Faculty simultaneously carried out its training mission and built a team of lecturers from graduates retained as teaching staff, recruited from Party schools, or from research institutes. Within the first 10 years, the Faculty's staff increased from 3 to 25; its organizational structure comprised four specialized departments: Department of Dialectical Materialism; Department of Historical Materialism; Department of History of Philosophy; and Department of Psychology. The Faculty's training became more proactive. However, due to the volatile economic, political, and social situation of the country and the world: the collapse of the socialist regime in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries (1991); the newly initiated reforms in Vietnam under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam; and the expansion of Vietnam's international relations; The organizational structure of Hanoi University changed, with the establishment of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) in 1995. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) became a member institution of VNU. The education and training sector in general, and political theory and philosophy education and training in particular, also changed. This led to continuous fluctuations in the organizational structure and staff of the Faculty. At times, the number increased to 60, while at other times it decreased to around 30. In 1988, due to the merger of the Department of Marxism-Leninism of the University into the Faculty of Philosophy, the number of staff increased to 60. The Faculty's mission was not only to train students in philosophy but also to teach two general subjects: Marxist-Leninist philosophy and scientific socialism, to the faculties of the two universities: the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the University of Natural Sciences, both under Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Due to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities' need to expand its training programs, the Faculty of Philosophy laid the groundwork for the formation of new faculties. In 1994, the Sociology Department and the Psychology - Education - Methodology Department separated from the Faculty of Philosophy to form two faculties: the Faculty of Sociology and the Faculty of Psychology. In 2002, the Social Management major further separated from the Faculty of Philosophy to establish the Faculty of Management Science. In 2008, the Faculty of Philosophy also made a significant contribution to the establishment of the Center for Contemporary Religious Studies. The organizational structure and number of staff in the Faculty were disrupted each time a new unit was formed. The morale and ideology of the faculty members were also significantly affected. Difficulties constantly arose throughout the development of the Faculty of Philosophy. Nevertheless, under the close guidance of the Party Committee and the School's Board of Directors, with a correct understanding of the importance of personnel work and the striving spirit of the faculty and Party members of the Philosophy Department, despite difficult circumstances, they have consistently performed their teaching duties while simultaneously pursuing further professional development, continuously strengthening the organizational structure, and developing the faculty's staff. The organizational structure and staff of the Department have gradually matured. Currently, the Faculty's organizational structure includes: the Faculty Board headed by Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thuy Van and two Vice-Heads, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan and Ms. Tran Thi Hanh; six Departments: the Department of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy, the Department of History of Philosophy, the Department of Scientific Socialism, the Department of Logic, the Department of Ethics and Aesthetics, the Department of Religious Studies, and the Office and Documentation Unit. The Faculty currently has 36 full-time staff members, including 6 Associate Professors, 12 PhDs, and 12 Master's degree holders. Two staff members are pursuing Master's and PhD degrees abroad, and seven are doctoral candidates domestically. It is projected that by 2013, over 90% of the Faculty's staff will hold postgraduate degrees. In addition, the Faculty has a large team of experienced and highly qualified part-time lecturers from research institutes, Party schools, and universities in Hanoi and throughout the country. Besides the administrative and professional organizational structure, the Faculty of Philosophy has a Party branch with 28 members, a Faculty Trade Union, and a Faculty Youth Union. The Party, administration, and mass organizations of the Faculty always work together harmoniously, creating favorable conditions for the Faculty to fulfill its mission. Thus, over the past 35 years, the Faculty of Philosophy has built a team of highly qualified, capable, and responsible scientists who are always dedicated to the cause of philosophical research and training, firmly fulfilling the task of training theoretical cadres at all levels from bachelor's, master's to doctoral degrees entrusted by the Party, Government, and people. Secondly, the development of training programs and training results of the Faculty: Along with the development of the staff in both quantity and quality, meeting the requirements of education and training, the Faculty of Philosophy also prioritizes the development of training programs, ensuring scientific rigor, modernity, and relevance to the practical needs of our country. From initially only training at the bachelor's level, the Faculty now trains at the master's and doctoral levels; from initially having only two specializations, dialectical materialism and historical materialism, it now has many new specializations. Over 35 years of continuous effort and overcoming numerous difficulties and obstacles, the Faculty of Philosophy has developed and implemented the following training programs: At the undergraduate level, the Faculty has developed a standard full-time undergraduate program (standard-standard) and a high-quality full-time undergraduate program (standard-high quality). In the full-time undergraduate program (standard and high-quality), the Faculty has introduced specialized training in the fourth year (final year). Currently, the Faculty's undergraduate program has six specializations: Marxist-Leninist Philosophy, Scientific Socialism, History of Philosophy, Logic, Ethics-Aesthetics, and Religious Studies. In addition, the Faculty also offers part-time training programs. At the master's level, the Faculty has developed and implemented three training programs with three different majors: Master of Philosophy specializing in Philosophy; Master of Philosophy specializing in Scientific Socialism; and Master of Philosophy specializing in Religious Studies. Currently, at the doctoral level, the Faculty has developed and implemented two training programs with two different majors: Doctor of Philosophy specializing in Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism; and Doctor of Philosophy specializing in Scientific Socialism. In the near future, the Faculty will develop and offer two more majors: a doctorate in Religious Studies and a doctorate in the History of Philosophy. The scale and structure of the Faculty's training over the past 35 years have expanded significantly. From its first cohort of 61 students, the Faculty of Philosophy has now completed 32 full-time training courses with 2110 graduates and 2 part-time training courses with 1026 graduates. Currently, the Faculty of Philosophy is training 325 full-time students (including both standard and high-quality programs) and 132 part-time students. The Faculty of Philosophy has trained 351 Master's degree holders and 46 PhDs, and currently has 210 postgraduate students and 46 doctoral candidates studying at the Faculty. After graduation, most students, postgraduate students, and doctoral candidates from the Faculty of Philosophy participate in research and teaching of political theory subjects at universities, colleges, or research institutes, while some work in other fields of social life. Wherever they go, students and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Philosophy effectively apply the knowledge acquired during their studies at the Faculty, actively participating in the common cause of building and developing the country. These achievements of the Faculty of Philosophy staff have made a positive contribution to the training of Vietnamese intellectuals, especially the basic theoretical cadres of the nation. Thirdly, regarding the results in curriculum development, lectures, scientific research, and international cooperation: To improve the quality of training and effectively implement training programs, the Faculty of Philosophy consistently prioritizes the development of curricula and lectures, and promotes scientific research activities among faculty members and students. In the early years, when the Faculty was first established, the staff was small, resulting in a limited number of curricula, lectures, and scientific research works. In subsequent years, as the Faculty's staff matured, the number of published curricula, lectures, reference books, and scientific articles increased annually. From 2006 to the present, following the University and National University's policy of transitioning from a semester-based to a credit-based system, the Faculty of Philosophy has had 9 curricula and lectures approved and put into teaching. Faculty members have written and published 50 monographs and reference books (including 4 published in Germany); led 18 university-level scientific research projects, 25 national-level projects, 1 key project, and 1 state-level project; and published 350 scientific articles in specialized journals and conference proceedings. In the 2010-2011 academic year alone, 5 textbooks were compiled and approved, 3 of which were published. Student scientific research activities have been promoted. Since 2000, the Faculty has organized annual student scientific conferences and participated in university-level conferences. Many student research projects have won awards at the Ministry, National University, and University levels. Student scientific research activities have made a positive contribution to the innovation of learning methods and the improvement of training quality at the Faculty and the University. In line with the country's integration and opening-up trend, the Faculty's international cooperation activities have also been strengthened and expanded. Currently, the Faculty of Philosophy has established relationships in various forms with 20 international partners, including: Passau University, Humboldt University, Achen Missionary Research Institute (Germany), Fu Jen University, National Taipei University, Open Society Institute (Taiwan), several universities in France, the Russian Federation, the People's Republic of China, the United States, the Federation of International Philosophical Societies (FISP), the German Academic Exchange Foundation (DAAD), UNESCO, etc. From 2005 to the present, dozens of lecturers from Germany, France, Russia, China, the United States, Taiwan, India, South Korea, etc., have come to lecture and exchange academic ideas on contemporary philosophical issues with faculty members, undergraduates, graduate students, and doctoral candidates of the Faculty of Philosophy. Some faculty members have also participated in research and scientific exchanges with foreign partners. The Faculty of Philosophy's position on the international stage is increasingly affirmed. With continuous efforts over many years, and with the achievements in training and scientific research, in 1997 the Faculty of Philosophy was honored to receive the Third-Class Labor Medal from the State; subsequently, in 2001, the Faculty received the Second-Class Labor Medal from the State. Within the Faculty, one staff member was awarded the title of People's Teacher and four staff members were awarded the title of Excellent Teacher, and many staff members received Certificates of Merit from the Government and the Ministry of Education and Training. For the past 35 years, the Faculty of Philosophy has consistently performed its duties well, achieving the title of outstanding advanced labor collective for many consecutive years.Lessons learned and future development directionsLooking back on 35 years of development, the faculty and leadership of the Philosophy Department have seriously assessed the achievements and limitations of the Department, drawing some lessons learned for its future development: Firstly, continuously building unity and consensus within the Department, with the core being the building of a strong Party Branch in terms of politics, ideology, and organization; promoting the leadership role of the Party Branch, effectively implementing democratic regulations, and coordinating the activities of mass organizations within the Department. Secondly, prioritizing the quality of training and scientific research to develop human resources for basic theoretical research for the country as the central task. Continuously improving the quality of training and scientific research, linking training and scientific research with social practice. Considering the quality of training and scientific research as two wings to enhance the position of the Philosophy Department domestically and internationally. Thirdly, continuously strengthening the faculty, planning for the training and development of successor and young faculty members, and developing leading faculty members are considered key tasks to improve the quality of training human resources for basic theoretical research in the country. Combining the development of the Faculty's faculty's capabilities with expanding cooperation with domestic and international research and training units will enhance and modernize the Faculty's training and scientific research capacity. With pride in the achievements of the Faculty over 35 years of development, based on lessons learned and the demands of current social realities, the faculty, students, and trainees of the Philosophy Faculty have set the following common goals for the coming years: To uphold the tradition of unity, democracy, discipline, and intelligence; to improve efficiency in all Faculty activities; and to create a significant transformation in the quality of training and scientific research. Successfully fulfilling assigned political tasks, training philosophy research and teaching staff with good moral character, firm political stance, modern knowledge of philosophical sciences, theoretical thinking capacity, good research methods, pedagogical methods, social work capacity, good foreign language and computer skills; proactively integrating into the international community, meeting the increasingly high demands for human resources for the cause of national construction.