Belief in the power of tradition and unity

Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) answers an interview with the Vietnam National University, Hanoi Newsletter on the occasion of the New Year 2011. Professor, could you please highlight the school's outstanding achievements over the past year?- In 2010, the university's staff and students continued their efforts and achieved many proud accomplishments in various fields of activity, from training and scientific research to international cooperation and training partnerships. The university's training activities were carried out according to plan and achieved good quality. In 2010, after four years of implementing the credit-based training transition, the operational and management processes according to the new training method were basically implemented synchronously across all units in the university. Despite the limitations in infrastructure, the university has built a solid foundation for training, drawing valuable lessons for the university in particular and Hanoi National University in general. In addition to 18 standard programs, 4 high-quality programs, and 1 program meeting international standards currently being implemented, the university has completed the Southeast Asian Studies program and is continuing to develop programs in Public Relations and Policy Science; The university completed the adjustment of the training program and the acceptance of course syllabi; accepted 44 lectures and 15 translated documents for the learning materials program; continued to innovate teaching methods and content, and invested more in organizing and implementing practical and internship courses to improve their quality. To meet the training requirements and aspirations of many candidates nationwide, starting from the 2010 entrance exam, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities admitted candidates from Group A (Science and Technology) to 10 of its majors: Psychology, Management Science, Sociology, Philosophy, Political Science, Information and Library Science, Archival Studies and Office Administration, International Studies, Tourism Studies, and Anthropology. Also in the 2010 entrance exam, the university officially admitted a new major: Vietnamese Studies – a science that studies Vietnam from an interdisciplinary and regional studies perspective. Thanks to the aforementioned efforts, the quality of training at the school has improved, with the percentage of full-time students graduating with excellent and good grades reaching 26.5%, an increase of 10.6% compared to the previous year. Notably, the first five students of the Philosophy Faculty, class QH-2007-X – the first class to fully implement the credit-based training method – graduated one year earlier than usual. This result further affirms the advantages of the credit-based training method compared to the previous semester-based training method. Regarding postgraduate training, in 2010, enrollment in doctoral programs increased by 14.5%, raising the scale of postgraduate training at the school to 30% of the total number of full-time students. The school has implemented a Master's program in Science and Technology Management according to Project 165 of the Central Organization Committee; The university has developed and received approval from the Vietnam National University for master's programs in Management Science, doctoral programs in Archival Studies, and Sino-Vietnamese Studies. It continues to develop a doctoral program with international standards in Modern and Contemporary Vietnamese History, as well as doctoral programs in Religious Studies, Master's programs in Film Arts, and Master's programs in Anthropology. Regarding scientific research, in the past year, the university was assigned to lead 6 state-level research projects, 1 protocol project, 6 Group B projects, and 34 projects at the Vietnam National University level. Also in the past year, the university successfully organized 18 international scientific conferences/seminars and 12 domestic scientific conferences. Student scientific research activities also achieved high results. The methods of organizing student scientific research have been improved with more proactive and active participation from the Youth Union, Student Association, and specialized subject groups. External relations and international training cooperation have also yielded very positive results. The university continues to maintain and develop international cooperation relationships with over 100 partners, including universities, research institutes, and international organizations; and has signed 16 new cooperation agreements with universities in the UK, South Korea, Russia, China, and Hungary. Currently, the university has nearly 700 foreign students studying in various programs and majors such as Vietnamese Language and Culture, Vietnamese Linguistics, Public Administration, Tourism Management, Organizational Management, Hotel Management, etc. In 2010, the university chaired and directly organized three meetings and seminars of the rectors of nine universities from five countries: Thailand, China, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, on building an international Southeast Asian Studies program and organized a scientific conference. In particular, in September 2010, the faculty and students of the University were honored to welcome a high-level delegation from the government and education sector of Guangxi Province, China, led by the Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, who visited and presented gifts (including 100 computer sets and 2,000 books). Regarding financial activities and infrastructure, the university's total revenue in 2010 increased by 24% compared to 2009; the additional income coefficient for faculty and staff increased by 33%. Equipment in lecture halls serving training, especially for internationally accredited training programs, was upgraded. The internal network and internet speed were improved. The entire campus was covered by Wi-Fi. 2010 was the first year of the new Rector's term. The school has done well in preparing personnel and appointing leaders for departments and offices within the administrative block, organizing the nomination and appointment of personnel and consolidating personnel in several faculties/departments. The age of key personnel in the school has been rejuvenated. The school's Board of Directors has directed the strengthening of personnel training, especially for young staff, based on exploiting various funding sources and scholarships both domestically and internationally. Notably, in 2010, 4 teachers were awarded the title of People's Teacher, 6 teachers were awarded the title of Excellent Teacher, and 11 lecturers were recognized with the titles of Professor and Associate Professor. In 2010, the school also had many important events, including the successful organization of the 26th Party Congress for the 2010-2015 term. With the action slogan "Effective Innovation and Comprehensive Development," the Party Congress issued many important resolutions, creating conditions for the school to enter a new phase of development. In late September 2010, Comrade Nguyen Thien Nhan, Member of the Central Committee of the Party and Deputy Prime Minister, visited, observed classes, and worked with key officials of the university. Particularly, in November 2010, generations of teachers and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities were delighted and solemnly celebrated the 65th anniversary of the university's tradition and received the Ho Chi Minh Order – a highly prestigious award bestowed by the Party and State. This is a great honor and source of pride for generations of staff, students, and trainees of the university, demonstrating a worthy continuation of its leading and core role in training high-quality human resources to serve the construction and development of the country. Many collectives and individuals within the university also had the honor of receiving the Labor Order and Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister. On the occasion of the 65th anniversary of our tradition, the staff and students of the School are extremely pleased and honored to welcome Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and a former student of the School, on his visit. On the occasion of the end of 2010 and the beginning of the new year 2011, on behalf of the school's leadership, I would like to warmly congratulate and thank all the staff and students of the School for their continuous efforts and enthusiastic contributions of intellect and strength throughout the past year to successfully complete the assigned tasks. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the leaders, Party and State agencies, the Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi National University, universities, research institutes, agencies, organizations at the central and Hanoi levels, international organizations, scientists, and management staff both inside and outside the university who have shown great interest and support, making a significant contribution to the very proud achievements of the university in 2010.- How have these achievements contributed positively to the development of Vietnam National University, Hanoi?- I believe that the success and development of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is closely linked to the overall development and success of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Therefore, the achievements the university has made in 2010 have contributed significantly to further affirming and enhancing the position, prestige, and brand of Vietnam National University, Hanoi both domestically and internationally.- What are your thoughts and opinions, Professor, on the development of Hanoi National University – a new, advanced university model?- Essentially, Vietnam National University, Hanoi has developed quite successfully and leveraged the strengths of a multidisciplinary, multi-field research university model with high autonomy and interconnectedness, suitable for Vietnam's current management and administration mechanisms. This is demonstrated in several key aspects: Firstly, Vietnam National University, Hanoi has inherited the achievements of its member universities and, based on its advantage of autonomy and self-responsibility, has mobilized and shared common resources, strengthening interconnectedness to facilitate rapid development. Secondly, Vietnam National University, Hanoi is a training and research center with the highest number of lecturers and staff holding doctoral degrees, professorships, and associate professorships in the country. Based on its highly qualified faculty, Hanoi National University has taken the lead in establishing high-quality, talent-based training programs, developing several internationally standardized majors and specializations, and offering dual degree and dual-major programs. This has gradually affirmed its reputation in training high-quality, highly skilled human resources and nurturing talent for the country. The quality of Hanoi National University's training is also among the best in Vietnam, with some of its talent-based, high-quality training programs meeting Southeast Asian and global standards and being recognized by prestigious universities worldwide. Thirdly, Hanoi National University is the agency that proposes and leads the implementation of many important and large-scale national science and technology projects. The quality and effectiveness of its science and technology activities are constantly improving, with some results reaching international standards and being used or published in prestigious international journals and publications. Some research results from the social sciences, humanities, and economics directly propose and provide theoretical and practical foundations for building scientific arguments for the Party and State's policy decisions, actively contributing to the industrialization and modernization of the country and the capital city. Fourthly, the international position and prestige of Hanoi National University have been affirmed, and its academic level is highly appreciated by the regional and international higher education community. Hanoi National University has attracted many highly qualified and prestigious scientists from both within and outside the country to participate in teaching and scientific research. With its position as a leading university in the country, Hanoi National University is the only member representing Vietnam in the East Asian Key Universities Network (BESETOHA); He is the chairman and participates in the executive board of the ASEAN University Network (AUN)... Fifth, the equipment serving training and scientific research at Hanoi National University is gradually being modernized. Hanoi National University has successfully built several strong research groups as the backbone to form and develop centers of excellence and laboratories of international standards... It can be said that building and developing Hanoi National University is a correct policy, reflecting the strategic vision of education and training of our Party and State. By leveraging the advantages of a multidisciplinary, research-oriented university model, exploiting the specialization of each unit, and leveraging its traditional strengths in basic science (the foundation for high-quality, advanced training, development, technology transfer, and scientific services), while simultaneously building and implementing highly interdisciplinary and unique projects, Hanoi National University will certainly fulfill its mission of training high-quality, advanced human resources, nurturing talent based on creativity, scientific research, and cutting-edge technological development, playing a pivotal and leading role in innovation within the Vietnamese higher education system, and effectively serving the cause of national revitalization in the 21st century. However, several issues remain that require further research and resolution in the future, such as determining the administrative status of Hanoi National University, the government's special investment policy to develop Hanoi National University into a world-class university, and the relationship and hierarchical structure between Hanoi National University and its member universities, etc. It is hoped that, after the 11th Party Congress, with the decisive guidance of Party organs and the attention of the Government and relevant ministries and agencies, these issues will be gradually resolved, creating favorable conditions for Hanoi National University and its member universities – which are prestigious training and research institutions of the country – to continue developing.- As a member unit of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, what are the school's orientations and tasks, and how does it coordinate with the efforts of all other units to build Vietnam National University, Hanoi to develop to a level comparable to the region and gradually assert its position on the international stage?- As a leading, prestigious, and long-standing university, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, has the mission of being a pioneer and a cornerstone in training, creating, and disseminating new knowledge, and developing high-quality human resources for the country. The University's development orientation is to become a research university, striving to be among the top 200 universities in Asia by the end of this decade. To achieve this orientation, in the coming period, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will focus on implementing the following specific goals: 1. Rapidly standardize the staff with doctoral degrees or higher, striving to have 90% of lecturers with postgraduate qualifications by 2015, including 25% holding the titles of Professor or Associate Professor and 60% holding doctoral degrees. 2. Rapidly improve the quality of training, increasing the proportion of postgraduate training to 30% of the total regular training scale; expand the scale of international joint training and training for foreign students. 3. Continue to improve the effectiveness of scientific research and international cooperation, focusing on building a number of majors and specializations to international standards (currently there are 3 and 4 joint programs with foreign countries; 1-2 more new majors/specializations are being developed). 4. Continue to expand the area of ​​working spaces and lecture halls, modernize equipment serving training, scientific research, and international cooperation at Thuong Dinh. 5. Comprehensively reform university management, strengthen discipline and order in teaching and learning. Strengthen the internationalization of the School's brand and the Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Four important areas that are decisive in achieving the school's goals are personnel organization, training, scientific research, and university management. The school considers improving the professional qualifications and skills of its faculty and staff as a breakthrough; it views the implementation of internationally-standardized training programs, the innovation of content, and the application of credit-based training methods as the most important solutions to improve the quality of education and international integration.- As the school's leader, what message would the Professor like to convey for the year 2011?- Entering 2011, to achieve the academic year's goals, it is necessary to continue to more extensively implement the credit-based training method, focusing all resources on developing a faculty that meets international standards, effectively expanding internationally-standardized training programs (under the 16+23 strategic task), and expanding international training partnerships to rapidly improve the quality of education. Continue to build and implement large-scale, highly interdisciplinary science and technology projects; improve the effectiveness of scientific research activities. Strengthen international cooperation, prioritizing collaboration and partnerships with highly reputable universities to learn from experience, access knowledge, and improve the quality of education and the reputation of the university. Create a real transformation in the implementation of discipline and order in learning and working; build a community culture and a culture of quality to ensure the rapid, sustainable development of the University and Hanoi National University and successful international integration. I am confident that, with the strength of our rich tradition and achievements, with the spirit of unity and high determination, and with the concerted efforts of all generations of staff and students; and with the support and assistance of individuals, agencies, and organizations both domestically and internationally, we will certainly achieve even greater successes, worthy of the glorious tradition and the trust and affection of the Party and the people for a leading training and research center in the country. On the occasion of the upcoming New Year 2011 and the Year of the Rabbit, on behalf of the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, I would like to wish all teachers, staff, and students studying and working at Hanoi National University a new year filled with good health, joy, happiness, and many new successes in their work and lives! May the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, continue to shine with ever-increasing intellectual prowess!