He will always be in everyone's hearts!

The news of Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke's passing after more than 10 days in the hospital has shocked and saddened numerous faculty members, colleagues, friends, and students of all generations from the History Department. For nearly two weeks, friends, colleagues, and students took turns staying at the hospital, hoping to offer encouragement and support to Professor Ke and his family. However, the situation worsened too quickly. The overwhelming love and care of everyone, the dedication of the doctors and nurses, and the best medical advancements could not bring Professor Ke back to his family, friends, and colleagues.Visiting the Department of History – Professor's second home and family – at this time, the faculty and students of the Department still seem unable to believe the truth. The feeling of loss is immense! The sadness and sorrow are almost indescribable. The Department of History and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities have lost a scientist with an extraordinary intellect, a dedicated administrator; generations of students have lost a great teacher with a pure character and captivating and unique lectures on Vietnamese history and culture; colleagues have lost a friend and brother who was always warm, simple, and wholeheartedly devoted to everyone; and society has lost a person who was always dedicated, passionate, and full of love for life.

"Teacher Kế passed away surrounded by the love of everyone."

Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc (former Head of the History Department, former Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) was still shocked, saying, "Just this morning we were chatting, and by afternoon I heard that Ke had been hospitalized. I rushed there immediately... but we couldn't see each other again. It feels like a cruel joke!" Having known each other since childhood and later attending the same History department in university, Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc has many unforgettable memories and feelings from his more than 45 years of friendship with Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke: “I always saw Ke as a person who was vibrant, dynamic, and passionate about youth – that was very special. Even in high school, he started writing poetry very early; I remember one poem, ‘Earth Cannon,’ which won an award. He would confidently ride his bicycle to school, reciting poetry as he went. He might look a bit ‘old,’ but he was very youthful and energetic. From childhood to the present day, Ke has always been humorous and enthusiastic.” Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke was born into a family where his father was a talented and dedicated teacher, and his mother was also skilled in classical Chinese and poetry, so they early on guided their children towards a career in education, examinations, and teaching. Teacher Kế grew up in the land of Trạng Trình Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, surrounded by the lullabies of kite flutes and firecrackers.

Professor Ngoc recalled: “When I started studying at the History Department, I admired him greatly because he knew so much. He had just joined the department, and before even attending a single class, he could already speak fluently about historical texts, such as 'Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu' (Complete History of Dai Viet) and 'Viet Su Thong Giam Cuong Muc' (Comprehensive History of Vietnam)… He had a very good foundation, so he studied very well, and was guided early by excellent teachers, such as Professor Phan Huy Le, Professor Phan Dai Doan, and Ms. Pham Thi Tam… It can be said that Mr. Ke matured very early, becoming a very young, capable, and reputable lecturer, loved by the students. He had continuous learning opportunities and, especially, had the very valuable opportunity to study abroad, pursuing his PhD and doctoral degrees in Russia.” Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc shared that Mr. Ke had a vibrant youthful spirit, participated in Youth Union activities very early, and was very talented in organizing and mobilizing Youth Union work. Professor Kế served as the Secretary of the Faculty of History's Youth Union branch, the Secretary of the Youth Union of Hanoi University, was admitted to the Party early, and also joined the Party Committee of Hanoi University very early. He also participated in the work of the City Youth Union and the Central Youth Union, combining research on youth history and the history of the Youth Union with his teaching. “I have never seen anyone with such enthusiasm and dedication to youth, to youth activities, youth movements, and youth development as Professor Kế. It seems to be in his blood. When he stopped working with the Youth Union to pursue his doctoral studies in Russia, he was very sad, sometimes even crying,” Professor Ngọc said with emotion.

After Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke returned to the Department of History after successfully defending his doctoral thesis in Russia, Professor Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc was the Head of the Department. The Department of History possessed a valuable asset: leading experts in their respective fields, the legendary "four pillars" of Professors Dinh Xuan Lam, Ha Van Tan, Tran Quoc Vuong, and Phan Huy Le. The department discussed and assigned members to closely follow these "four pillars" to learn from them. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke was assigned to closely follow Professor Tran Quoc Vuong. The Department of Cultural History was established, with Professor Tran Quoc Vuong as its Head. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke was appointed as the Deputy Head of the Department to assist Professor Vuong. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke's greatest contributions were in the field of cultural history. His works and writings from the 1990s onwards have focused on cultural history and cultural studies. In 2004, when Professor Nguyen Quang Ngoc took over the leadership of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke was appointed Head of the History Department. Professor Ngoc observed: “Professor Ke is a dedicated individual who does his best in his work. Since becoming Head of the Department, he has organized the department's affairs very well. From 2004 to the present, despite very difficult conditions, the Department has made significant progress in training, research, and personnel organization. The Department has maintained its position as a leading unit in history training and research nationwide.”

The latest achievement and source of pride for the Department of History, to which Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke made a significant contribution, is the four-volume "History of Vietnam." Prior to this, during the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke also co-authored and edited many books, primarily on culture and education. He also led a state-level scientific research project on education in Thang Long-Hanoi. In addition, Professor Ke has many other valuable contributions, such as the book "Vietnamese Village Culture," which focuses on Duc Tu village – a very thorough and meticulous study highly regarded by experts in the field. But above all, Professor... Nguyen Quang Ngoc said: “This was a person who wholeheartedly devoted himself to others, and was loved by everyone in a rare way. Teacher Ke passed away surrounded by the utmost care and affection of everyone. That love stemmed from the love that he himself had for others. That was the most human quality of him, the most special thing about him.”

"A true teacher is always dedicated to their work and their students!"

In a state of deep emotion, seemingly unable to recover from the sudden passing of his teacher, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Quan (Deputy Head of the History Department) choked up, saying, "This is a great loss for the History Department, the History major, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities." Sharing his thoughts about his teacher, mentor, and colleague with whom he had worked for over 30 years, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Quan said, "From the perspective of a scientist, our Teacher Ke was a shining example of passion for science. Throughout his life, he was devoted to the field of history, specializing in ancient and medieval times, later expanding to the field of cultural studies, and especially Vietnamese cultural history. His passion and efforts, combined with his innate intelligence, created a rich and insightful body of knowledge about Vietnamese cultural history." Teacher Ke may not have written as much as other teachers of his generation, but his writings have left a lasting impression. Professor's writings are never superficial but always based on new and unique ideas, which is why his scientific output is often remembered. Academically, his influence on generations of students, within the field, and in society at large is very impressive.

Professor Nguyen Hai Ke's social influence was also immense. Instead of appearing on television with the clichés of a mere knowledge transmitter, he often addressed pressing issues of history and culture. From a teacher's perspective, Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke was a teacher in the fullest sense of the word: a provider of knowledge, teaching students how to learn independently, explore, research, delve deeper, and create. From a very early age, especially after returning from the former Soviet Union, Professor Ke adopted a very innovative teaching method. He didn't speak much, but he knew how to stimulate students to raise their own questions and think critically about their learning, rather than simply copying his lectures. Professor Ke never created a distance between teacher and student. He was very strict, even sometimes shouting when angry, but certainly no student truly feared Professor Ke in the literal sense, nor did any student resent him after being reprimanded. Professor Kế is one of the professors with the most students, and the teacher-student relationship is very sincere. Regarding his leadership role in the History Department, Professor Kế possesses all the necessary qualities in terms of competence and professional prestige to lead a leading department in basic science training and research at the University, within the field of social sciences and humanities, and in society as a whole. When people mention the History Department and Professor Kế – the Head of the Department – ​​they immediately recognize a department of leading stature and prestige in history training and research nationwide. “He is like a nucleus of unity within the Department; this is a very precious and proud tradition of the History Department. The members of the Department live in harmony and affection, and Professor Kế is the one who connects this tradition of unity within the Department,” shared Associate Professor Dr. Vũ Văn Quân. “He is a person who always gives his all for his work and for others, without self-interest or self-serving motives.”

"The young faculty members and students of the Department have lost a great source of support."

Ms. Do Thi Huong Thao, a student of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke since 1996 and his colleague at the History Department since 2001, was moved when mentioning the teacher she deeply respected and loved: “Only when he passed away did I understand how important he was to me, as a teacher, as a colleague, and perhaps even as a great friend. In everyone's hearts, he was not only a profound scholar but also someone who always shone brightly.”

Within the Faculty, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke is renowned as a teacher who always inspires students to grasp ideas and view Vietnamese culture – not just what they see on the surface, but to understand Vietnamese culture from its traditions, to decipher cultural issues in depth in order to truly understand Vietnamese culture, society, and people. “After Professor Vuong passed away, the Department of Cultural Studies lost an extremely great pillar, but there was another teacher for future generations to rely on, Professor Nguyen Hai Ke. But now, generations of students have lost a support, a great tree to lean on both professionally and spiritually,” said Ms. Do Thi Huong Thao. She added that the most wonderful thing about Professor Ke was his compassionate nature. He showed the most care for his students who were facing the most difficulties. Perhaps he is the only leader whose annual report specifically counted how many young staff members were still unmarried, unmarried, or whose salaries were insufficient to live on. He shared even the smallest details with his staff, showing concern for their children's behavior and whether they were attending school. It wasn't just his students who liked him; his daughters-in-law and sons-in-law in the Department also admired him, as did the students in the Faculty. There were stories that students might find difficult to share with other professors, but when they met Professor Kế, they could easily confide in him without him having to ask. His simple and approachable nature, his honesty with himself and others, was the common sentiment of everyone who had worked with him: “Even when he appeared in the media, he remained simple, unpretentious, and maintained that same heartfelt style. In the social sciences, great teachers play a crucial role in the growth of each student, and the younger generation of students and staff always need a great teacher like Professor Nguyễn Hải Kế.”