Farewell to the dedicated educator and renowned scientist Nguyen Hai Ke.

Excerpt from the eulogy of the Party Committee and Board of Directors of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, read by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh – Secretary of the Party Committee and Rector of the University – at the funeral ceremony of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke at the Military Funeral Home, 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi, on March 24, 2013.

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Associate Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Hai Ke, Head of the History Department of the University, our dear and close comrade and colleague, is no longer with us! A sudden tragedy has taken him away from this world forever. During his critical illness, despite the dedicated efforts of doctors and medical experts, and the devoted care of his family, friends, and colleagues, Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke passed away at 7:56 PM on March 19, 2013, which is the 8th day of the 2nd lunar month of the Year of the Snake. Today, in this moment of sorrow, the Party Committee, the Board of Directors, the Trade Union Executive Committee, and all the departments and units of the History Department and other departments and units of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Scientific institutions, colleagues, neighbors, and generations of students of Professor Nguyen Hai Ke gathered here to express their sorrow and bid farewell to a dedicated educator and talented scientist who devoted his entire life to scientific research and the cause of educating people. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke was born on March 10, 1954, in Cao Hai village, Tan Lien commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city, into a family of educators with a tradition of patriotism and revolution. After completing his secondary education in Hai Phong, in 1970, Nguyen Hai Ke passed the university entrance exam and became a student of the History Faculty, Hanoi University. Due to his outstanding academic achievements, after graduating in 1975, he was assigned by the University and the History Faculty to remain as a lecturer in the Department of Ancient and Medieval Vietnamese History. From there, in addition to his professional work, he also actively participated in social and organizational activities. For many years, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Mr. Nguyen Hai Ke headed the Youth Union branch of the History Faculty, then served as the Secretary of the Youth Union of Hanoi University, participated in the Executive Committee of the City Youth Union, and was the youngest Party Committee member of Hanoi University. Thanks to his dynamic, creative nature and leadership role, the movement for learning, research, and social activities of the youth at Hanoi University always led the way among universities and colleges in the city and the country at that time. Many cadres of the Hanoi University Youth Union whom he directly led later became core scientific cadres, making significant contributions to the national education and science cause. In 1987, after much hardship and dedication, Mr. Nguyen Hai Ke left his university studies and vibrant youth union activities, and was sent by Hanoi University to study as a postgraduate student in the Soviet Union. After many years of studying and researching at the Soviet Academy of Sciences, thanks to the guidance and assistance of many leading Soviet and Russian Vietnam studies scholars, including Professor Dega Deopik, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertations and then his doctorate in historical sciences. In 1996, Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke returned to his alma mater, continuing to work with his teachers and colleagues to build and develop the Department of History. He taught classical history while, together with the late Professor Tran Quoc Vuong and several leading experts of the Department, gradually building and establishing a new training specialization: Vietnamese Cultural History, to meet the demands of society. In this new field of science, his passion and creative scientific abilities were further amplified and shone brightly. In his lectures for students and trainees of the Department of History and many other departments inside and outside the university, Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke always made new discoveries, deeply reflecting his personal mark. From the historical and cultural heritage of Vietnam, the transformations of the modern era, and the current challenges on the path to building a modern Vietnamese culture rich in national identity, he has always pondered deeply about inheriting and promoting the fundamental values ​​of national culture, with cultural exchange and interaction, with the Mother principle, and the diverse nuances of cultural layers, regions, and spaces of a Vietnamese culture rich in humanistic values ​​and unity. With over one hundred scientific works published domestically and internationally, including nearly a dozen books that he authored or edited, Associate Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Hai Ke has left a profound mark on the study of ancient history and modern Vietnamese cultural history. His mark is evident in his meticulous research on plant species in Le Quy Don's Van Dai Loai Ngu, on the Hong Duc dike and the land reclamation efforts in the coastal areas of Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh in the late 15th century, and on a Vietnamese village in the Northern Delta. His contribution is also reflected in his summarization of the history of education in Thang Long - Hanoi, from which he proposed feasible solutions to overcome current weaknesses and shortcomings and improve the quality of the national education system. Furthermore, his footprints are deeply imprinted in his research trips to many regions of the country, from Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, to Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Da Nang, Quang Nam, and even the far reaches of the South… All of this has established Nguyen Hai Ke's reputation as a leading expert on modern Vietnamese history and culture, along with his unique and unmistakable personality reflected in his published works. Not only is Associate Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Hai Ke an excellent educator and scientist, but he is also a passionate and highly responsible administrator. Throughout his nine years as Head of the History Department, concurrently serving as Head of the Cultural History Department and Vice President of the Hanoi Historical Society, he has consistently demonstrated strong character, honesty, integrity, and a spirit of creativity, always excelling in his assigned tasks. Through his efforts as the head of the History Department for many years, Professor Nguyen Hai Ke has made significant contributions to the development of the Department and the field of Vietnamese history, particularly in maintaining the academic tradition of the History Department – ​​the only department in the University to be awarded the title of Hero of Labor by the Party and the State. As a dedicated educator, scientist, and social activist, Professor Nguyen Hai Ke has left a profound and lasting impression on generations of students and colleagues with his simple, warm, sincere, approachable, and deeply loving lifestyle. Many students, graduate students, and doctoral candidates whom he mentored have now matured; some have become excellent researchers, teachers, and administrators in central and local government agencies. Due to his outstanding contributions, Associate Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Hai Ke has received numerous prestigious awards from the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the Hanoi People's Committee, and the Ministry of Education and Training. Notably, in 2007 and 2008, he was awarded the title of Outstanding Educator, the Third-Class Labor Medal, and the 30-Year Party Membership Badge by the Party and the State. At 59 years old and with 37 years of professional experience, Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the study of Vietnamese history and culture. His profound knowledge of Chinese studies and rich historical knowledge became a solid foundation for his creative thinking in the research of Vietnamese culture and cultural history. In the minds of his friends and colleagues, Associate Professor Nguyen Hai Ke was always a sincere and approachable person, frank and compassionate, open and willing to share his thoughts, both happy and sad, with everyone. He was deeply loving, caring, and responsible towards his family and relatives. He frequently visited and showed concern for his fellow villagers and neighbors whenever possible, always living harmoniously and with loyalty and gratitude. He passed away while his work and life were still full of unfinished tasks. Many projects and scientific research topics under his direction remained incomplete. With his passing, the History Department has lost an outstanding scientist; his family and relatives have lost a filial son and brother; his wife and children have lost their support at the very moment they needed him most; his friends and colleagues have lost a loyal and devoted brother; and his students and colleagues will no longer see his figure in the lecture halls, in the History Department, or on the Nguyen Trai campus of the University. His passing means the University has lost a highly experienced and influential head of department, a dedicated educator. His friends, colleagues, and students are deeply saddened and heartbroken to learn of his sudden illness and passing away. In this time of grief, all of us – the staff and employees of the History Department and other units in the University, along with his family, relatives, friends, colleagues, and students – would like to express our deepest respect and boundless sorrow for him. With utmost respect, we bid farewell to our teacher and pray that his soul may rest peacefully in eternal peace.