A talented teacher with a passion for philosophical research.

Books are our companions.

Professor Nguyen Huu Vui was born on November 28, 1937, in Hanoi, the thousand-year-old capital of Vietnam. Perhaps that's why he always embodied the beauty of the people of Hanoi: simple, kind, and approachable. He was born into a family of three brothers; his father was a worker, and his mother was a street vendor. In 1946, when the resistance war against the French broke out, he had to leave school and evacuate with his parents to Deo An, Bac Can. Although his family faced many difficulties, young Nguyen Huu Vui always harbored the dream of achieving academic success. In the early period of the resistance war, he only learned enough to read and write, but even though he couldn't continue his education due to wartime conditions, he was very passionate about self-study and could read at any time. Among all kinds of books, he had a special affection for literature. Nguyen Huu Vui was engrossed in every word, the soaring verses of poetry, and sometimes the short stories. That's why he always dreamed of pursuing a career in Literature. Besides reading, he and his brothers had to go to the forest every day to collect firewood to sell to help support the family. At the age of 13 – an age far too young for such strenuous work – young Nguyen Huu Vui bravely applied to work as a laborer at the Deo An lead mine in Bac Can. Because of his exceptional ability to read and write, he was promoted to secretary to the mine director. With his diligent and studious nature, in 1951, he was admitted directly to the 4th grade of a primary school, and then to the secondary school at the Hung Vuong branch in Phu Tho. During this period, amidst the general hardships of the country entering the most intense phase of the resistance war, food was scarce, so there were times when the young primary school student Nguyen Huu Vui had to eat boiled green bananas for months to attend school. In 1954, after the Geneva Accords were signed, the North joined in the joy of victory. Nguyen Huu Vui awaited his return to Hanoi – his beloved hometown – and attended the 7th grade at Viet Duc High School. However, due to the government's policy of integrating students from both resistance movements, Nguyen Huu Vui transferred to Nguyen Trai High School. During his high school years in Hanoi, after the peace treaty, almost every summer vacation, Nguyen Huu Vui and his group of poor classmates worked on construction sites or sold newspapers on trams to earn extra money for their studies. While studying at these prestigious schools, Nguyen Huu Vui achieved many excellent results, which paved the way for him to pass the entrance exam to Hanoi University of Education I, Faculty of Literature.

After a month of military training, he was selected to study in the Soviet Union. And after only eight months of intensive language study, he graduated with honors in Russian. The school decided to send him to study Philosophy at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Nguyen Huu Vui himself could not have imagined that he would be drawn to Philosophy, as his passion for Literature was still strong. But fate led him to this mysterious and philosophical field.

Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Nguyen Huu Vui was the Head of the Philosophy Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (1992-1996) / Photo: Thanh Long

In 1960, he and over 100 other Vietnamese students went to the Soviet Union to study. At this school, considered the cradle of education for many generations of Vietnamese students, Nguyen Huu Vui always felt a sense of responsibility and constantly strived to learn and pursue the ideals he had set for himself. Besides his regular classes, he also participated in extracurricular activities and attended lectures on theology. After four years of study, Nguyen Huu Vui returned to Vietnam with unforgettable memories of his time studying with friends and teachers in the Soviet Union. Before returning home, Nguyen Huu Vui did not give up his passion for reading, saving all his scholarship money from those four years to buy the books he loved.

In 1964, he was assigned to teach at the Department of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy, Hanoi University. He was appointed Head of the first Philosophy class at Hanoi University. It can be said that many generations of students in the Faculty have grown up thanks to the guidance of this respected teacher. With his easy-to-understand and humorous teaching style, he dispelled the anxieties about the subject in the minds of many students. In each lecture, besides foundational knowledge, he always provided practical examples to stimulate the students' thinking and creativity. One of the most unforgettable memories in the life of Professor Nguyen Huu Vui is the early days of establishing the Philosophy Faculty at Hanoi University in 1975. He was assigned by the Department of Marxist-Leninist Philosophy to organize the first Philosophy class along with two staff members from the Institute of Philosophy. The students had no place to stay, so he painstakingly gathered up bed frames so they could temporarily sleep on the second floor of the school library. Unfortunately, due to some problems, the Philosophy Department was disbanded (it was re-established in 1976). The first Philosophy class, which he headed, had to be transferred to the Economics Department and some other departments of the school.

In 1976, the Philosophy Department of the University was re-established, and Professor Nguyen Huu Vui was once again assigned to head the department's first class of students. In 1977, he was admitted to the Communist Party of Vietnam. In 1980, with the political situation improving, he returned to Lomonosov University as an intern to further his professional skills. After completing one year of internship, the Ministry of Higher Education allowed an extension of one year for doctoral students. This was a very difficult decision for him and the other doctoral students at the time, as the time was too short to write and defend a doctoral dissertation. But all these difficulties did not defeat Nguyen Huu Vui's strong spirit and determination. After only one year, he successfully completed and defended his dissertation on the topic:The social function of religion (through religious practice in South Vietnam), a specialized field of theory and history of atheism.To the admiration of his Russian teachers and friends, Nguyen Huu Vui achieved these accomplishments by fully utilizing his abilities and spirit of learning, which was inseparable from books. Books were like his closest and most trusted companions at all times. Every day, Nguyen Huu Vui dedicated all his time to visiting large libraries in Moscow, Russia, and reading excellent books on his chosen field. Professor Kotretov of the Moscow Pedagogical University, who had studied Buddhism in Vietnam since 1925, was the reviewer of one of Nguyen Huu Vui's dissertations and gave it a very positive evaluation. In mid-December of that year, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation. Nguyen Huu Vui was greatly loved by his supervising professor, who bestowed upon him glowing praise:"Soviet graduate students should emulate the spirit and attitude towards learning of Nguyen Huu Vui."

After a year of diligent research, Nguyen Huu Vui returned to Vietnam to continue his career in education. He was assigned to be the Head of the Department of Marxism-Leninism at Hanoi University. He was the first university to earn a PhD in Marxism-Leninism. In 1992, the Department merged with the Faculty of Philosophy. He was appointed Head of the Faculty of Philosophy until 1996. During this time, in addition to teaching, he also researched and wrote books on two main topics: "Religious Studies" and "History of Philosophy". In 2006, Nguyen Huu Vui retired, but he did not allow himself to rest. He was invited by Dong Do University to be the Head of the Faculty of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought (later renamed the Faculty of Theory and Politics according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training).

Bringing poetry into philosophy

Throughout his life, Professor Nguyen Huu Vui dedicated himself to the national education system. His image as a refined, dignified, yet benevolent teacher remains etched in the hearts of many generations of students at Hanoi University and Dong Do University. He taught numerous undergraduate and postgraduate courses; supervised 17 doctoral dissertations and approximately 20 master's theses, which were successfully defended; and participated in many state-level doctoral dissertation examination committees. Furthermore, he was frequently invited to Cambodia to teach students (from 1979 to 1989). Beyond his deep commitment to education, Professor Nguyen Huu Vui also devoted a significant portion of his time to scientific research. His two most prolific research areas were the History of Philosophy and Religious Studies. In addition, Professor Nguyen Huu Vui has written and published over 40 articles in specialized journals. He is the editor-in-chief and co-editor, and co-author of 7 books including textbooks, lecture notes, and reference books; and the project leader of a state-level research project on:Innovating teaching methods for Marxist-Leninist science and Ho Chi Minh Thought in Vietnam.(Completed in 2002); Led numerous projects at the ministerial and national university levels. Notable scientific works include:History of Philosophy(co-authored - 1994);Religion and morality – viewed from a philosophical perspective(Philosophy Journal – 1993); Philosophy (3 volumes) (a book for postgraduate and master's students not specializing in Philosophy) – co-editor and co-author (National Political Publishing House, Hanoi – 1999);Philosophy contributes to training human resources for industrialization and modernization.(From the book "Social Sciences and Humanities in the Cause of Industrialization and Modernization of the Country") National Political Publishing House, Hanoi 2000;Reforming the theoretical work on religion in our country today.(in the proceedings of the Scientific Conference commemorating the 55th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Resistance Day 2-9), Hanoi National University Publishing House, 2001;Marxist-Leninist Philosophy(Textbook for universities and colleges – co-editor, co-author), National Political Publishing House, Hanoi – 2002, etc…

Photo: Jackie Chan

Professor Nguyen Huu Vui was most impressed with this book.History of PhilosophyThe book, edited and authored by Professor Nguyen Huu Vui, was published in mid-1990. This book was something he had long cherished and wrote over a long period. It is written concisely and succinctly, with sharp reasoning but without being dry. According to Professor Nguyen Huu Vui, the lack of a history of philosophy in university teaching makes it very difficult to effectively disseminate Marxist-Leninist thought (including Marxist philosophy). Marxism has a long history of formation, so a thorough understanding is needed to clarify its historical origins and development. Marx and Engels were the successors who developed it to the pinnacle of human philosophical history. Therefore, if students only learn the principles, they will not see the profound theoretical and practical foundations of philosophy. That is why including a history of philosophy in the curriculum of Marxist-Leninist philosophy will affirm the scientific and practical value of Marxist philosophy in particular and Marxism in general. Professor Nguyen Huu Vui was also a person with bold and innovative ideas in teaching philosophy in response to the demands of the times. For example, during his time as Head of the Faculty, in the face of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European socialist countries, he and the Faculty leadership team found solutions to stabilize the ideology of the faculty members and set out directions for the Faculty's development in the new situation. He and the leadership team regularly conducted political and ideological work for the faculty members, combined with opening up several new departments and disciplines such as: establishing the Social Management major, separating the Department of Religious Studies, strengthening the role of the Department of History of Philosophy, and innovating teaching in the subjects of Scientific Socialism and Marxist-Leninist Philosophy. To this day, the Faculty continues to develop sustainably.

Professor Nguyen Huu Vui had an unforgettable experience during a visit to a Soviet "Foreign Language" bookstore on Gorky Street in Moscow, where he was fortunate enough to find a book.Capitalby Karl Marx. Years ago, former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong hand-copied this book and brought it to prison, where the French imprisoned revolutionary fighters, to propagate Marxism-Leninism. Professor Nguyen Huu Vui was deeply moved and composed a poem titled after it.Read CapitalRight on Lenin Hill, in front of the gates of Moscow State University (where he was in his second year of Philosophy in 1961):

On a park bench

One sunny spring morning

I turned a new page in the book.

The ink color is still vibrant.

Like a miracle from a fairy tale

Every word, every line

Seeing flowers bloom in my heart.

I was engrossed in reading.

But then his hand stopped.

I'm halfway through reading this.

A fleeting thought crossed my mind.

It touched my heart.

This very book

Several decades ago

In a French prison

Uncle Dong copied it by hand.

How vicious the enemy is!

Flying dungeons are thick

But how can you stop a revolution?

Marxism keeps flying.

The Party gave me what I have today.

Birds fly in the spring garden.

I am reading Capital.

And drink in every word.

The poem expresses a feeling of joy and happiness at holding a precious book in one's hands. This happiness can be compared to the experience of the poet To Huu when he encountered the "sun of truth" of the revolution. Nguyen Huu Vui has brought a new and unique color to philosophy, and he always views issues not only through the eyes of a philosophical researcher but also through the eyes of an artist with a poetic soul and a keen political intellect.

Professor Nguyen Huu Vui shared that he is always content with his current life because he has a truly happy family with his kind wife and two successful daughters. His wife – a high school teacher – possesses the pure beauty of a Hanoi woman from the past, and is deeply devoted to her husband and children. During the years of fierce bombing of North Vietnam by the American invaders, or during the difficult period of the subsidy system, as well as when he had to evacuate with the school to Viet Bac, and even when he was a postgraduate student abroad or working as an education expert in Cambodia, his wife almost single-handedly raised their two young daughters (the eldest daughter is now a PhD in economics working at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; the second daughter is a PhD and teaches at a university in Hanoi). Every step of Professor Nguyen Huu Vui's career path has been accompanied and supported by his wife and daughters. It can be said that Professor Nguyen Huu Vui's family supported him throughout his life in the noble profession of "nurturing people."

In recognition of his contributions to the national education and science sector, Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Vui has been awarded many prestigious honors by the State: the Third-Class Labor Medal; the Third-Class Resistance Medal; the Medal for the Cause of Education; the Medal for the Younger Generation; and the Badge for International Service (for assisting the Cambodian revolution during the period 1979-1989). Notably, in 1996, he was awarded the title of Excellent Teacher, and in 2008, the title of People's Teacher. But perhaps the most precious reward, without a crown, is the love and respect he has earned from his students and the trust and affection of his colleagues. Professor Dr. Nguyen Huu Vui is a respected teacher, a shining example of virtue and selfless dedication to the national education and science sector.