"Teacher Ke - A respected teacher"

Around this time last year, the faculty and all the students of the University of Humanities had to say goodbye to a teacher whom, in my opinion, is irreplaceable. It's been almost a year, Teacher. The campus is still the same, the teachers and we are still the same, but it feels so empty and incomplete without your presence. I was fortunate to be one of the students who took your course on the Fundamentals of Vietnamese Culture, but for me, it's not just about being your student; I had heard of you before, not only at the University of Humanities but also on forums for those who love Vietnamese history. My teacher was so simple, with a high forehead and a face that always gave the impression that he was deep in thought, pondering something far removed from reality. The most genuine and humorous moment I can never forget was during a lecture on the Fundamentals of Vietnamese Culture. Referring to the "unique" characteristics of Vietnamese people, the professor reached into his pocket and pulled out a pile of cigarette butts. Before the class could even react, he said, "That's how simple Vietnamese people are. After smoking, they just shove them back into their pockets. That's it, no need for a trash can." Then he began humming melodies from songs like "The Girl Who Opened the Way" and "Truong Son East, Truong Son West." The class started whispering and gossiping, saying, "He must have been in a performing arts troupe before," because he sang so well. But we didn't know that he was teaching us – the younger generation born after the war, who knew little about the songs that had accompanied the years, the footsteps of countless soldiers, female guerrillas, and all our compatriots who overcame hardships to bring about the country's present day. The poems the teacher recited and the songs he sang during each lesson gave us a completely different feeling compared to other typical lectures.

It seems that Professor Kế is trying to inspire us with a love for folk songs, proverbs, and sayings imbued with love for our homeland and nation. As a history lecturer who also worked in the Youth Union, it's easy to understand how much he loves the arts. Further research into his biography reveals that he was a renowned Youth Union activist at the former Hanoi University. For many years, he played a key role in organizing and leading the Youth Union activities of the History Department, then the Youth Union movement at Hanoi University, and the Hanoi City Youth Union. While teaching and researching, Professor Kế also held positions as Secretary of the History Department's Youth Union, Deputy Secretary and then Secretary of the Hanoi University Youth Union, a member of the Party Committee of Hanoi University, and a member of the Hanoi City Youth Union Executive Committee. Amidst the countless difficulties facing the country at that time, overcoming immense challenges, the movement of learning, research, and political and social activities of the youth at Hanoi University remains a cherished memory. While we only had the opportunity to study his subjects for one semester, it was truly a fascinating experience for us, a group of students just starting out at university. A person's character isn't expressed in words; it radiates from within. Indeed, my teacher was simple and humble. In a society where money dominates emotions and overshadows human character, I suddenly realized that within that society, there was a character that, in my opinion, was truly extraordinary. It's not by chance that I'm bringing this up; it's a truly touching memory between our class and our teacher on Vietnamese Teachers' Day, November 20th. I was one of the class officers in the K57 Oriental Studies class, and naturally, as was the tradition in previous years, we would gather together and plan a celebration for our teachers, offering small gifts as a token of our gratitude for their contributions to education. That year, our class president bought each teacher a tie and a bouquet of flowers. We all waited until class to present these small gifts to our teachers. We didn't really think much about the value of the gifts, as they were insignificant compared to everything our teachers had given us. But we were wrong. That very afternoon, a late Friday afternoon, after the last class, my class stayed behind. The class president, on behalf of the class, presented flowers and gifts to the professor. After heartfelt wishes and applause in a warm and joyful atmosphere, the professor gently placed the bouquet down and picked up the gift box containing the tie, saying, "I don't usually accept gifts from students. I know you were very thoughtful to bring me these flowers and gifts, but please accept the greeting card on the gift box and the flowers. As for the gifts, I'll return them to you." While my class was still bewildered, the professor continued, "I don't know how much this gift box is worth, but I'm sure it was bought with your contributions—money your parents worked hard to earn for your education. So, please return this gift to the class, and give it to the male student with the highest overall grade in this subject." "Okay, and if it's a woman, she can give it to her boyfriend or the man she loves." My class fell silent upon hearing the teacher's words. It wasn't just words; it was a profound lesson emanating from the great character of a teacher. Life flows relentlessly, but in my teacher, I saw the slowness and stillness of time, not overly hurried. Day by day, hour by hour, he instilled in us students a love for life, for our homeland, and for our nation. When people think of history teachers, they often picture those who exude the profoundness of a historical researcher, both in appearance and personality. But my teacher was completely different. He was cheerful and possessed a soul always full of youthful enthusiasm. Perhaps it was a soul that remained young, always wholeheartedly dedicated to his research or simply to his lectures. As a teacher, he was also once a student at the Faculty of Humanities like us, and his own teachers were also highly respected educators whom he always admired and was grateful to. That's why, in every lecture on the Fundamentals of Vietnamese Culture, when mentioning the late Professor Tran Quoc Vuong, he always addressed us students with the words "My teacher" with deep respect and gratitude. Yes, it's as simple as that. Teachers in any era are always respected by their students, and Professor Ke was no exception. He imparted many valuable lessons to us, and this is one such lesson: the lesson of "respecting teachers and valuing education" in the profession of nurturing future generations. This spirit has been passed down from generation to generation, and he hopes that we will continue to uphold it in this era, when the teacher-student relationship sometimes becomes blurred, distorted, and forgotten.

It can be said that stepping into the university lecture halls was a dream for each of us students, and once that dream was realized, it was our teachers who gave us wings, empowered us, and were always there for us whenever we stumbled or lost our way in life. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities gave us all of that. This institution provided us with dedicated teachers who always carried within them a love for youth and the noble profession of educating people. Moreover, in this environment, we not only learned about general knowledge but also about morality, and the beauty in the beloved folk songs of our homeland and nation. It has been a year since our teacher passed away, but his image remains here in the lecture halls, in every branch and blade of grass, and moreover, his image is always present in the hearts of countless generations of lecturers and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The above are heartfelt words stemming from the special affection I, a student who had the honor of being your pupil, feel, like an incense stick, a fragrant flower offered in respect to you, Teacher.