From University of Arts to University of Social Sciences and Humanities

With the spirit of a thousand years of Thang Long - Hanoi and 935 years of Quoc Tu Giam - the cradle of the first university of literature in Vietnam, generations of teachers and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) proudly and solemnly celebrate the 65th anniversary of the day President Ho Chi Minh signed the decree to establish the University of Literature - the predecessor of today's University of Social Sciences and Humanities and receive the Ho Chi Minh Medal, a noble award bestowed by the Party and the State.Just over a month after the success of the August Revolution, on October 10, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree 45, establishing the University of Literature in Hanoi with the purpose of training high school literature professors and improving the humanities to be worthy of an independent country and keeping up with the advanced countries in the world. To prepare for the new school year, the first school year under the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, in early November 1945, the Minister of National Education signed a series of Decrees announcing the training program for the team of professors, the examination regulations of the University of Literature and appointed Professor Dang Thai Mai as Director, and at the same time opened a political and social college class 'temporarily located in the University of Literature and supervised by a General Secretary'. Based on the opinion of the Government Council, the Minister of National Education signed a Decree to appoint 25 professors to teach at the University of Literature, including professors and officials such as: Dang Thai Mai, Dao Duy Anh, Cao Xuan Huy, Ho Huu Tuong, Nguyen Duc Nguyen, Nguyen Van Huyen, Nguyen Manh Tuong, Nguyen Huy Bao, Cu Huy Can, Ngo Xuan Dieu, Tran Van Giap, Tran Khanh Giu, Pham Duy Khiem, Bui Ky, Nguyen Dinh Thi, Doan Phu Tu. In particular, participating in teaching the socio-political class were President Ho Chi Minh and comrade Pham Van Dong teaching the Constitutional Faculty, comrade Vo Nguyen Giap teaching the Economics Faculty. On November 15, 1945, the University of Literature, along with the Universities of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Science, Fine Arts, Public Works, and Veterinary Medicine in Hanoi, participated in the opening ceremony of the first new school year of the Vietnamese university system under the new regime. President Ho Chi Minh came to preside over this opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony of the new school year, Professor Nguyen Van Huyen said: The Vietnamese people, in addition to the bloody struggle on the battlefield, also strive to participate in the progress of humanity. We want this new university to be a strong force among the fighting forces of the Vietnamese people. We want it to be a stronghold for the long-term resistance to completely restore the territory and liberate the spirit of the nation. We are a nation with a thousand years of independent history and have created a unique civilization on the Pacific coast. This was a declaration to the world about the role of the new Vietnamese university in the sacred mission of protecting the newly won national independence. In the first academic year of 1945-1946, universities and colleges in Hanoi had 1,149 officially registered students and 270 auditors (i.e., auditors). The majors taught at that time at the University of Letters were: Oriental Philosophy, Vietnamese Literature, Chinese Literature, Western Literature, History, Geography and Russian, with 253 official students and 81 auditors. In December 1946, the nationwide resistance war broke out, all universities left Hanoi to the liberated zone, continuing training on a smaller scale or temporarily suspending training for a while. In October 1951, the Ministry of National Education issued a Decree to open an additional University Preparatory Department in Thanh Hoa, in which the Social Sciences Department was directed by Professor Tran Van Giau. Under the roof of the University of Letters, scientists and outstanding, talented teachers devoted all their hearts and minds to nurturing this university throughout the long resistance war. In the early 1950s, they trained a generation of excellent students, including professors of the later General University, the present-day University of Social Sciences and Humanities, such as Professors Dinh Xuan Lam, Phan Huy Le, Ha Van Tan, Tran Quoc Vuong, Nguyen Tai Can, Cao Xuan Hao, Dang Thi Hanh, Phan Cu De, Ha Minh Duc and many other teachers. In 1956, the Government established Hanoi University on the basis of its predecessors: University of Science, University of Literature, University of Basic Sciences and University Preparatory in Zone 4. The teachers who laid the foundation for the University of Literature such as Professors Dang Thai Mai, Dao Duy Anh, Tran Duc Thao, Tran Van Giau, Cao Xuan Huy, Nguyen Manh Tuong, Nguyen Duc Nguyen... together with their excellent students came to build Hanoi University and continued to organize training in the two majors of Literature and History. A number of scientists were mobilized from other agencies to supplement the Faculty of Literature, such as Professors Hoang Xuan Nhi, Hoang Nhu Mai, Dinh Gia Khanh, Le Dinh Ky, Phan Ngoc and other scientists. The above talented team of teachers are the ones who laid the foundation for the school's achievements in research and training in the social sciences and humanities of Vietnam over the past half century. During the resistance war against the US, to save the country, many teachers and students of the school set out to 'cut through Truong Son to save the country' and among them, there were those who never returned. They were teachers: Le Anh Xuan, Ngo Van So, Pham Van Phong, and students like Chu Cam Phong, Nguyen Trong Dinh, Dang Luan, Nguyen Hong and dozens of other students. Their names have been engraved in the heroic history of the nation and have made the school's tradition famous. On December 10, 1993, the Government issued a Decree to establish the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and as a member university of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities was established on the basis of the social sciences departments of the Hanoi University of Science. Following the history of the past 65 years, from the four departments of Philosophy, Vietnamese Studies, Sinology, History - Geography of the University of Literature, then the two departments of Literature and History of the University of Science, up to now, the training structure of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has expanded to many new training majors, meeting the needs of social practice. Currently, 14 faculties and two affiliated departments are training bachelor, master and doctoral majors. In addition, 11 research centers and a museum are facilities serving research and study for staff and students. Operating within the structure of VNU-Hanoi over the past 15 years, the school's leaders have proactively identified key orientations and implemented them according to a specific roadmap in the areas of team building; innovation of program content and training methods; linking scientific research with training; strengthening international cooperation through joint training programs with foreign universities and jointly implementing research projects, scientific seminars, etc. The staff is increasingly focused on planning, training, and education. Currently, the number of lecturers with postgraduate qualifications accounts for 83.52% of the total number of teaching staff. There are 173 lecturers aged 35 and under (accounting for 50% of the total number of lecturers in the whole school). In the past half century alone, the school's teaching staff has had 27 People's Teachers, 65 Excellent Teachers, 43 professors, and 104 associate professors. The teachers are prestigious educators, culturalists, and scientists who have devoted all their heart and mind to the cause of "cultivating people", creating the position and scientific prestige of the school. To date, the school has trained more than 40,000 bachelors of all systems (including hundreds of foreigners), more than 500 doctors, and more than 1,400 masters (including foreigners). Many former students of the school have been and are being entrusted by the Party and the people with important responsibilities in Party and State agencies at the central and local levels. Among the more than five thousand foreigners who have studied Vietnamese at the school, eight have been and are Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Vietnam, and dozens of other diplomatic officials. Regarding scientific research, in the past 10 years, school staff have chaired and participated in dozens of state-level projects and nearly a thousand ministerial-level and grassroots-level projects. Many of these topics have directly or indirectly contributed to solving major issues in the country's academic, cultural, educational and political life such as: Vietnam's political system in history, Traditional values ​​of Vietnamese people, President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of great national unity, Sovereignty over the two archipelagos of Truong Sa and Hoang Sa, Southwest border, Preservation and promotion of Hue's Han-Nom heritage, Vietnamese literature in the 20th century, Vietnamese language in the 20th century, Vietnamese history, History of the Communist Party of Vietnam, History of the Vietnamese National Assembly, History of the Vietnamese Government (1945-1955) and the values ​​of Thang Long thousand years... The school's strengths in basic research are still maintained and sustained, the applicability of research projects is enhanced and improved so that research results are quickly put into teaching and serve social life. In recognition of the school's contributions, the Party and the State have awarded the Independence Medal of various ranks, more than 100 medals of various types and ranks, and hundreds of certificates of merit to groups and individuals. In 2005, the State awarded the title of Heroic Unit of Labor in the Renewal Period. Notably, among the teachers who have worked and are working at the school, eight have received the Ho Chi Minh Prize, and 11 have received the State Prize. Born when the democratic government and the people were in their infancy, the University of Literature is truly the embodiment of President Ho Chi Minh's far-sighted vision of the position and role of social sciences and humanities in the cause of nation building and in preserving and promoting the cultural values ​​of the nation. That high level of Uncle Ho's ideology is the torch that lights the way throughout the 65-year continuous training and research process from the University of Literature to Hanoi University of Science, and then the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU) today. Working and studying under the roof of the school founded by Uncle Ho is an honor and pride for every teacher of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. With a tradition of 65 years, the school is determined to promote all intellectual and humanistic potential to build this school forever as a gathering place for teachers and students who know how to preserve and multiply the humanistic values ​​of the nation, worthy of the trust of the Party and the people, worthy of an independent country and keeping up with the steps of advanced countries in the world, as Uncle Ho always wished.