Remember your predecessor!

Having worked closely with Professor Nguyen Nhu Kontum for more than 20 years, Professor Phan Huu Dat (former Rector of Hanoi University of Science) still feels moved when recalling memories of his predecessor. In his memory, the first Rector of Hanoi University of Science was a great intellectual with a patriotic heart and devoted to the country's science and education. He made great contributions in building Hanoi University of Science into a basic, leading university with high prestige at home and abroad.

Professor Nguyen Nhu Kontum (May 3, 1913 - March 28, 1991)

Professor Nguy Nhu Kontum is originally from Hue. His father was a civil servant during the French colonial period in Kontum. Professor Nguy Nhu Kontum was very intelligent when he was young, a good student, famous in the country, was awarded a full scholarship to study at university in Paris, and was the first Vietnamese to have a master's degree in Physics in France. In Paris, he became a student and worked in the laboratory of Mrs. Mari Curie and Mr. Frédéric Joliot-Curie - two famous French atomic physicists who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Professor Nguy Nhu Kontum had such a promising start. But he chose a different path: returning to Vietnam and participating in the revolutionary movement. From then on, his work and scientific career were forever recognized in a turbulent period of the country's history.

In 1941, Professor Nguyỵ Như Kontum went to Hanoi to teach at Buoi School when the Viet Minh movement against the French was rising nationwide. The August Revolution of 1945 succeeded, many intellectuals, students, and young people organized rallies to support the revolution at the Indochina Campus. At this time, Professor Nguyỵ Như Kontum was the Director of the Indochina Campus. He and many other professors went to the forum to express their opinions in unison in support of the Viet Minh. On August 23, 1945, Professor Nguyỵ Như Kontum and other professors of Buoi School signed a telegram demanding Bao Dai to abdicate and hand over power to the Viet Minh to form a government. After the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born, President Ho had policies to care for, encourage, and unite intellectuals to participate in building the young government. Professor. At that time, Nguyen Nhu Kontum was a great intellectual with great prestige and supported the revolution. He followed Uncle Ho's call and devoted his life and career to building revolutionary science and education at that time.

On December 19, 1946, France invaded, and the resistance against the French took place nationwide. In Hanoi, the revolutionary base had to move to the North and, after a while, to the Nanning area in China. Among his senior intellectuals who were transferred to the Nanning commune to teach at the university level was Professor Nguy Nhu Kontum. Professor Kontum himself also held the position of Director of Secondary Education (under the Ministry of Education). He and many other intellectuals did not hesitate to carry their backpacks and leave Hanoi to travel to the mountains and forests of Viet Bac with the whole people to fight the French.

Jackie Chan/USSH

Professor Phan Huu Dat. Hanoi, 2012.

After the Dien Bien Phu victory, when Hanoi was liberated, the State restored the university system in the North, mainly in Hanoi. In 1956, President Ho, on behalf of the Government, signed the Decision to establish the first four universities of Vietnam: Hanoi University of Science, National Economics University, Pedagogical University, and Medical University. Hanoi National University of Education was identified as a university of basic sciences, leading and key. The question was, who would be the Rector of Hanoi National University of Education?

At that time, the professors of the University of Science and Technology were all very famous and prestigious names in the scientific community such as: in the Social Sciences there were Prof. Dang Thai Mai, Prof. Tran Duc Thao, Prof. Dao Duy Anh, Prof. Tran Van Giau..., in the Natural Sciences there were names such as Prof. Le Van Thiem and Prof. Nguyen Nhu Kontum... Finally, Prof. Nguyen Nhu Kontum, who was not a Party member, was chosen as the Principal, Prof. Le Van Thiem as the Vice Principal. That was a "popular" decision of President Ho at that time. And "holding the reins" among a group of outstanding scientists but also many personalities, right in the first period of building the foundation of the University of Science and Technology, with his prestige and capacity, Prof. Kontum gathered and united those great intellectuals to join hands to build a leading key university with great prestige at home and abroad. In the highest leadership position, having been with the School for nearly 25 years from the most difficult days, until the first foundations for the sustainable and right development of the School were laid, and then reaping the later achievements, the contribution of Professor Kontum is enormous. In the history of Vietnamese education, the Professor is the Principal with the longest term, and is also the Principal of a leading basic university, holding a very important position in the revolutionary education of Vietnam. Professor Kontum was also the person chosen by Uncle Ho and signed the appointment decision. Just that alone is enough to see the intelligence and stature of Professor Kontum!

Hanoi National University of Education developed in difficult circumstances due to the destructive war of the American invaders. The school had to evacuate to Bac Thai, Dai Tu, Thai Nguyen. When evacuated, all facilities, including the library and laboratories, had to be taken away. At the evacuation site, the school had to rely on the people to have facilities for its training mission. Lecturers and students of the school also joined the local militia and guerrillas to capture American pilots... Then, when returning to Hanoi, the teaching and learning conditions were also extremely difficult. In 1979, China mobilized 600,000 troops to invade 6 border provinces of Vietnam. At that time, the entire Hanoi National University of Education was equipped and militarized into a regiment, called the Self-Defense Regiment. The entire regiment moved up to build the Cau River defense line - a defense line that existed since the time of Ly Thuong Kiet against the Song army to protect Thang Long - to block China's advance from 6 border provinces to the capital Hanoi... During the period of Prof. Kontum was the Principal, the School also organized to improve the quality of enrollment during the war. The Hanoi National University was assigned to supervise and grade exams in Nghe An. Due to bombs and bullets, the journey was very difficult, sometimes on the national highway, sometimes along the mountain roads from Hanoi, Hoa Binh to Nghe An. Once, when he went with him to Thanh Hoa, there was a high tide, everything was flooded, all the people in the examination group had to get off and push the cart... Professor Nguyen Nhu Kontum also personally experienced those hardships like all other cadres. Then, after a while, a phenomenon of internal disunity occurred that lasted for a long time within the School, causing difficulties for the leaders... Holding a great responsibility in such a difficult and complicated situation, Professor Kontum never lost heart but still persevered in following the Party, completing all assigned tasks with all his dedication and effort.

Professor Kontum also played a very important role in establishing a scientific research discipline, helping Hanoi National University of Science and Technology become the leading scientific research institution in the country. Not only for lecturers but also for students, the scientific research movement has developed very strongly. Therefore, in wartime or peacetime, Hanoi National University of Science and Technology has maintained its strength and unique identity thanks to that scientific "quality". The prestige and reputation of Hanoi National University of Science and Technology also lies in that academic influence.

In addition to being the Principal, Professor Kontum is also the Chairman of the Education Trade Union of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Universities and Vocational Secondary Schools, and a member of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. He is also the President of the Vietnam Physics Association and a member of the leadership of the Vietnam World Peace Committee. His social influence is also very wide.

In terms of personality, Professor Kontum is a shining example with a moral, clean, and simple lifestyle. He is especially supportive of the youth, always ready to create conditions to support talented young people. For students, the Professor is also a legend of erudition and great personality of a scientist. The first Principal inspired many generations of students of the School to live, study and fight, contributing to the revolutionary ideal, for the independence and unification of the country. When he retired, he always paid attention to the sick lecturers of the University of Science and Technology, whether teachers or employees.

At the end of his life, his life was very difficult. One time I visited him, when he was having lunch, the Professor pointed to the fish plate and said to me: "Look, Mr. Dat, I eat cat fish." I heard and cried. The second time I visited him, the Professor held an eggplant and said: "I'm thinking whether to eat half or the whole fruit!". The life of a great scientist, a patriot with revolutionary contributions, a great teacher, a monument to many generations of students also had such difficult and deprived times.

In 1991, at a meeting of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front held in Ho Chi Minh City, Professor Kontum was appointed to attend. Before the meeting ended, he fell ill. He flew to the North and went straight to the hospital. Shortly after, he passed away. His funeral was held at 18 Le Thanh Tong. The lecture hall of the former Indochina University was named after Professor Nguy Nhu Kontum. His bust was also placed in this lecture hall as a recognition: "Professor Nguy Nhu Kontum will forever remain with Hanoi University of Science".