Inspirational teacher

Those are the comments of colleagues and students when talking about Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh, Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH), Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

From a boy who learned by rote...

In 1967, in the countryside of Ninh Giang (Hai Duong), there was a boy named Pham Quang Minh who had just turned 5. Every day, he didn't know who to play with because his father was in the army and his mother was busy working. So Minh followed his older brother to class in the La Khe village pagoda. Without any books or pens, Minh obediently sat next to his older brother, his arms folded neatly on the table. Teacher Dac saw the tiny boy and immediately asked him what was going on... only to realize that he was going to study for free. Then the teacher took the notebooks and papers, gave him a fountain pen pinned to his breast pocket and let him "enroll" right away... 10 years later, the small student who always sat at the front desk passed the entrance exam to Hanoi University, becoming a freshman in the 23rd class, Faculty of History. Minh's father - who was a soldier - rewarded his son with a worn-out backpack and a lieutenant's felt hat as a gift for entering university. During his first year of study, the young student always studied hard, after class he went back to the library, so engrossed in studying that he forgot about mealtimes that by the time he got back to the cafeteria he often ran out of rice. Back then, students’ breakfast was usually bread given out the night before, but because they were hungry and studied late at night, the bread kept getting smaller and smaller, so before they could go to bed, breakfast was gone…

Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh. Photo: NGOC TUNG

6 years of studying in the Soviet Union, in a socialist environment with dedicated teachers; Russian foster parents who treated him like their own son; working summers in the countryside, Pham Quang Minh considered himself a "cultural ambassador" in exchange sessions to introduce Vietnamese songs, customs, and culture to international friends. Actively participating in union activities and then being admitted to the Party helped the young student to improve his knowledge, learning awareness, and strong political will. In 1986, returning home with a red diploma, Pham Quang Minh was assigned to work at the Faculty of History, Hanoi University of Science. In the memory of the young lecturer, the image of Professor Tran Quoc Vuong fluent in 4 foreign languages ​​with the teaching in the first lesson "university is self-study" is still like yesterday. Therefore, in addition to his professional work, Pham Quang Minh took the opportunity to study English with the thought that knowing a foreign language would help him access the vast knowledge of the world and open up new opportunities for himself. Entering his second year of school, one day, while studying military in Phung Khoang village, Pham Quang Minh and 4 other students with the best academic achievements in the first year were ordered to return to school to receive a new mission - to study in the Soviet Union...

In 1991, Pham Quang Minh won a scholarship to study for a master's degree in Germany, then a doctorate, with a major in Southeast Asian studies and two minors in political science and European history at Passau University in Bavaria and Humboldt University, the most prestigious university in Germany. In 2002, Dr. Pham Quang Minh returned to work in Vietnam and was assigned to the Faculty of International Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities as Vice Dean, Dean, and Vice Rector in 2012, and has been Rector since 2016.

The dedicated "captain"

Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh is known as an expert in the field of international relations research and foreign information. He is also a familiar face in international commentary programs with sharp explanations, connecting domestic and international situations in an engaging and easy-to-understand way...

Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh sends necessities to students in the dormitory. Photo: THANH HA
From that thought, in his position as a lecturer or principal, Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh always encourages and motivates students and lecturers of the school to improve their knowledge and skills, and do a good job of "people's diplomacy". The professor also has many outstanding contributions in the field of international cooperation of the school. It can be said that the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is currently in the top of Vietnam in terms of international cooperation when it has signed more than 500 cooperation documents with prestigious universities and research institutes in the world; each year, about 1,000 students and lecturers go abroad to study, teach and research; the number of international publications increases every year. In his position as principal, Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh has advocated organizing foreign language classes, training in skills, research methods and international publications. School staff who have scientific reports presented at international conferences are supported with 500 USD; They are also rewarded 5 to 15 million VND for works published in international journals. Recently, the school has also supported lecturers from 100 to 150 million VND if they propose ideas and organize seminars. Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh also established a free lunch club "Lunch Box" to help staff practice, improve skills, and overcome obstacles in practicing English after work. Many people call him the "captain" who is trying to bring the "ship" of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to integrate with the world. In mid-2019, Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh was awarded the third prize of the National Award for Foreign Information with the book "Vietnam's Innovative Foreign Policy (1986-2015)". In the field of foreign affairs and international relations, he has also published dozens of books, textbooks, nearly 100 research articles published domestically, and more than 30 articles in prestigious international journals. The professor believes that if the world wants to understand Vietnam, each person must first deeply understand the national culture, the policies of the Party and the State. And if we understand it simply, foreign information is to promote the beauty of the people and culture of the country to the world, then each of us can do it.

The Story of LQ

“An average teacher only knows how to tell, a good teacher knows how to explain, an excellent teacher knows how to demonstrate, but a great teacher is the one who knows how to inspire”. That is what Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh always believes. In research and teaching, he always works with all his heart, imparting knowledge to students in the most natural and gentle way. But not only does he inspire students in their studies, he also teaches them how to live humanely.

During the days when the whole country implemented Directive 16 of the Prime Minister on social isolation, many out-of-town students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities had to stay in Hanoi and faced many difficulties, especially students in dormitories. Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh directed the trade union, youth union, and student association to inform students to know who needed support. In the spirit of teachers supporting and contributing, thousands of students facing difficulties were sent necessities by teachers and students volunteering to hand them during the days of social isolation. Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh also directly gave gifts to students in Me Tri dormitory, including many foreign students, which made them very emotional.

I still remember, in August 2019, when reading the newspaper about Tran Thi Hong Ngoc (Nghe An) who passed the entrance exam to the school but her family was in financial difficulty and could not enroll, in his position as principal, Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh decided to waive all tuition fees for Ngoc, contacted the dormitory to waive accommodation fees, and sent staff to Ngoc's house to pick her up to enroll in school. Spreading that humanitarian gesture, many individuals and organizations continued to support Ngoc and her family so that she could study with peace of mind.

In the opening ceremony of the 2019-2020 school year of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the message of compassion and humanity from the speech of Principal Pham Quang Minh was conveyed to thousands of students in the school and spread to society: "The more digitalized and developed society is, the more humanity people need, otherwise we are just machines. In addition to IQ and EQ, you also need LQ - the index of compassion, knowing how to put yourself in the shoes of others to sympathize...". The LQ index and the teacher's message were not only passed on by students and alumni but also remembered by teachers in the school: Good training and integration, but if the school does not teach students compassion, it will no longer have the meaning of HUMANITY.

Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh often considers himself lucky to have met great teachers in his life. That is teacher Dac in the class in the temple in the remote countryside who kindly asked and gave him a valuable fountain pen; that is the image of teacher Nguy Nhu Kon Tum like a "fairy" on the first day of entering the general school; that is teacher Tran Quoc Vuong with his introductory Archeology classes; that is the gentle Russian teacher Anna, who passed on the love of Russian culture and art to Vietnamese students; that is the German teachers who passed on to students the spirit of "critical thinking" in scientific research... Perhaps all of these gradually shaped the Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh of today. And now he also finds himself inspired by the lecturers and students themselves, to always see that the path he is taking is truly meaningful.

According to QĐND