The 101st State-level LATS (Latest Academic Award) of the Department of History

The topic of this dissertation is "The Youth Movement in North Vietnam by the Vietnam Labor Party (1965-1975)" conducted by PhD candidate Nguyen Quang Lieu, defended at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities on August 8, 2010.This thesis studies the Party's youth mobilization efforts in North Vietnam during the period 1965-1975. During this time, the Party issued many important directives on youth work, and the vibrant experiences of young people led to a high level of comprehensive development in youth mobilization, significantly impacting the revolutionary development. These research findings and dissertations contribute to further clarifying Ho Chi Minh's and the Vietnam Labor Party's views on the role of youth and youth mobilization in the anti-American war for national salvation during the years 1965-1975. At the same time, they further clarify the role and immense contributions of North Vietnamese youth in the anti-American war for national salvation from 1965 to 1975. Typical examples include the "Three Ready," "Three Capable," "Hammer in hand, gun in hand," and "Plow in hand, gun in hand" movements of North Vietnamese youth, which contributed to the widespread movement of nationwide emulation in labor and production, and readiness to fight against the US, liberate the South, and unify the country. According to Associate Professor Dr. Doan Ngoc Hai (reviewer 1), the thesis's highlight is its honest and objective portrayal of the Vietnamese Labor Party's youth movement in North Vietnam during the 1965-1975 period, a previously understudied topic. Associate Professor Dr. Pham Hong Tung commented that the thesis contributed to explaining one of the mysteries of the Vietnam War that many countries around the world are interested in, raising the question of why a small country like Vietnam could defeat a powerful superpower like the United States. The Party's youth mobilization policy was one of the important contributions to that great victory. However, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Hong Tung suggested that the thesis would be more insightful if it addressed and related to the international youth movement and considered foreign-language sources. He also emphasized the importance of the role of President Ho Chi Minh – a timeless role model. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Nhat (Reviewer 2) expressed concern about the inconsistent and unclear titles of some chapters in the dissertation. Therefore, the focus of the dissertation was not entirely clear: whether it focused on the Party's youth mobilization or the Party's leadership of youth work. Candidate Nguyen Quang Lieu answered many questions from the Council regarding the topic, affirming that the youth mobilization work in North Vietnam during the period 1965-1975 provided valuable lessons for current youth mobilization efforts. The open market mechanism has divided youth into different groups; some remain enthusiastic and dedicated, while others are driven by personal gain, and still others have fallen into social vices… Therefore, youth mobilization must understand the current youth's psychology: they are eager for challenges, willing to take risks, and determined to assert themselves. This understanding is crucial for launching youth movements that are for the benefit of the youth and the nation. As a result, 6 out of 7 members of the dissertation evaluation committee rated it as excellent. This is the 101st state-level doctoral dissertation of the History Department. The dissertation will be a useful reference for research and teaching on the revolutionary line of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh Thought, and a valuable resource for compiling the history of the Youth Union and Associations, and for educating the younger generation of Vietnam about revolutionary traditions.