The 2013-2014 school year: a success with many highlights.

Opening ceremony of the 2013-2014 school year. (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

Training activities: Steady progress

One of the outstanding achievements of the University in the past academic year was the completion of the Training Program Planning Project for the period 2014-2020, under the guidance of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Accordingly, by 2020, the University will have 38 master's degree programs and 32 doctoral degree programs. Based on specific surveys of social needs and the training capacity of each unit, the Project outlines a roadmap for developing new training programs to ensure reasonable and sustainable development.

Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Rector) awards master's degrees to students, first batch of 2014. (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

In addition, many new training programs have been developed to meet the learning needs of students, such as: opening the Office Management major and enrolling undergraduate students for the first time in 2014; establishing the first high-quality Psychology program, bringing the total number of high-quality programs at the University to 5; and introducing two postgraduate programs for the first time: a PhD in International Relations and a PhD in Anthropology. Building on a strong foundation in basic sciences, the University has been and continues to demonstrate its pioneering role in opening new majors and specializations to serve societal needs as well as the self-development of its scientific and training fields. In the near future, the University will complete the development of two more doctoral programs in Religious Studies and Information Science - Library Science, and six master's programs in Vietnamese Cultural History, Vietnamese Studies, Public Policy, Human Resource Management, Office Management, and Clinical Psychology.

In the field of quality assurance, besides the fact that accreditation activities have become well-established and a culture of quality has become a criterion, a notable achievement this academic year is the completion of the evaluation of the Bachelor of Linguistics program according to the standards of the Association of Southeast Asian Universities (AUN), with positive assessments. With this event, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has taken a step towards integrating into the accreditation of training quality according to regional and international standards.

In postgraduate training, the enrollment in doctoral programs increased by 236%. With the policy of maintaining the scale of undergraduate training and expanding the scale of postgraduate training, the University is gradually approaching the criteria of a research-oriented university, increasing the research content in its activities, and strengthening the connection between scientific research and training activities, especially postgraduate training.

Scientific research: Expanding the range of research topics and strengthening research capabilities.

Continuing the achievements of previous academic years, this year saw a significant increase in the number of scientific research projects, with 14 state-level projects, 17 Nafosted Fund projects, 3 Hanoi City-level projects, and dozens of projects at the University and VNU levels. The University not only continues to hold a pivotal position in the key research program on sustainable development in the Northwest region but also begins implementing the VNU's key scientific program on "Research and evaluation of the current situation and proposed solutions for the development of social sciences and humanities to promote industrialization and modernization."

The international scientific conference "From Dien Bien Phu to the Geneva Accords: An International Perspective" was held on May 6, 2014. (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

Following the roadmap for building a research-oriented university according to the criteria issued by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), the University has implemented policies and solutions to encourage scientific research activities among its staff, especially encouraging international publications in the field of social sciences and humanities. The number of internationally published articles nearly doubled compared to the previous academic year, reaching 42 articles, including 6 published in journals listed in the ISI and Scopus databases. Three staff members' works received the VNU Outstanding Scientific Work Award, one work won the VNU Young Scientist Award, five published works received the Vietnam Publishers Association's Best Book Award, and two research groups were recognized as strong research groups at the VNU level. This not only affirms the University's strong scientific potential but also demonstrates the increasing flexibility and proactiveness of its staff in developing and bidding for research projects and seeking funding to support scientific research. In addition, these results also show that the University's policies to encourage and motivate scientific research and international publications have begun to yield positive results.

The 2013-2014 Conference of Young Scientists and Postgraduate Students was successfully organized with over 70 presentations, marking a highlight in the university's research activities. The conference served as a platform for announcing new research results by young scientists, exchanging academic knowledge and research experiences, and creating a network of connections between young researchers within and outside the university. This annual event, a new scientific platform, is expected to breathe new life into the scientific research movement for young scientists and postgraduate students.

International partners: Reaching the 200 mark

International cooperation has been expanded and strengthened by signing and renewing 20 cooperation agreements with reputable partners abroad such as Inha University (South Korea), National Taiwan University, University of Glasgow (UK), the Korea Legislative Research Institute, University of Adelaide, etc., bringing the total number of international cooperation agreements to 200. Based on this foundation, many international research programs and projects with major universities have been and are being effectively implemented, helping to increase development resources and enhance the university's international standing.

Master's Degree Award Ceremony in Sociology for Public and Business Policy Management (MAPE), June 26, 2014. This is a joint program with the University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès (France). (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

The international joint training programs in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology, Public Policy and Business Management maintain high training quality and are increasingly attracting students. These programs have their own unique identity and brand of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and are considered the most effective among the joint training programs of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, as well as the Francophone university bloc.

Last August, the Taiwan Education Center, a collaboration between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Wenzao University (Taiwan), was established with the following functions: Chinese language training, organizing Chinese language proficiency tests, thematic seminars, and Vietnamese-Taiwanese language and cultural activities. This event further affirms the University's international standing and prestige, as well as its efforts to diversify international cooperation activities in training and scientific research.

Opening ceremony of the Taiwan Education Center at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on August 5, 2014. (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

The quality of the staff has been improved significantly.

In the 2013-2014 academic year, the University had 17 staff members successfully defend their doctoral dissertations, 1 lecturer was appointed Professor, and 7 lecturers were appointed Associate Professor. The number of lecturers with postgraduate degrees was 329 out of 365 (over 90%), including 181 PhDs (50%), 6 Professors, and 84 Associate Professors (25%). This is a high percentage compared to other universities and compared to the standards of the Ministry of Education and Training. In addition, the Project for the Development of a High-Level Scientific and Management Team by 2020, with a vision to 2030, was also completed, providing a basis for building a qualified staff to meet the University's future development requirements.

During the past academic year, the leadership of many units was strengthened, including the appointment of leaders for the Faculty of Tourism Studies, the Faculty of History, the Faculty of Archival Studies and Office Management, the Faculty of Linguistics, the Faculty of Information and Library Science, the Museum of Anthropology, the Center for Information and Communication Studies, the Research Management Department, and the Inspection and Legal Affairs Department for the 2014-2019 term. The University completed the organizational and personnel integration of the Center for Training Lecturers in Political Theory and Women's Research under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi; established the Department of Specialized Archival Documentation under the Faculty of Archival Studies and Office Management; established the Department of Urban History under the Faculty of History; and completed the project to establish the Institute of Culture and Arts. These activities helped to consolidate and improve the organizational structure and enhance the potential of the staff to serve future development goals.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Vice Rector) presents the appointment decision for the position of Head of Department to Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong at the ceremony announcing the establishment of the Department of Specialized Archival Documentation, May 20, 2014. (Photo: Thanh Long/USSH)

The Fund for Supporting Faculty and Staff of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, abbreviated as the Humanities Fund, was first established with the aim of supporting faculty and staff of the University facing difficult circumstances or suffering from serious illnesses. This exemplary activity of the University's Trade Union practically demonstrates the spirit of mutual support and compassion, promptly encouraging faculty and staff to overcome difficulties and continue to live happily and contribute.

Entering the 2014-2015 academic year, with the theme "Continuing Innovation – Pioneering – Quality – Discipline," the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will continue to implement activities to promote the development of the University into a research university according to the standards of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, focusing on solutions to promote international publications, internationalization of training programs, etc.; maintaining its pioneering and pivotal role in the system of universities of basic sciences and social sciences and humanities through the quality of its training and scientific research products.