"The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is a leading institution in the work of political and ideological education for students."

This was the comment of Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Thanh - Head of the Political and Student Affairs Department of Vietnam National University, Hanoi - at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi Student Affairs Conference 2009 held on June 20, 2009 in Do Son, Hai Phong.

The delegation from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, consisting of 10 members led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Ba Nam - Vice Rector - was one of 10 units of Vietnam National University, Hanoi participating in the conference. Attending and directing the conference were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Trong Quat – Secretary of the Party Committee, Vice Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc – Vice Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

The conference heard and discussed the report summarizing the student affairs work of Vietnam National University, Hanoi for the 2008-2009 academic year, and the direction and tasks for the 2009-2010 academic year. In particular, a key topic that occupied much of the delegates' discussion time was how to implement student affairs work in the current credit-based training context.

In her concluding report, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Viet Thanh stated that during the past academic year, "the work of disseminating political and ideological education to students has been regularly and effectively carried out. As a result, students' political awareness has undergone many positive changes." In particular, leveraging its unique identity, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is one of the leading units of Vietnam National University, Hanoi in organizing numerous widespread and effective activities to educate and raise students' political and ideological awareness.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/06/23/img_7794-1756.jpg" border="0" alt="Associate Professor, Dr. Lam Ba Nam" title="Associate Professor, Dr. Lam Ba Nam" width="240" height="161" align="left" ]

Next, as one of the three exemplary institutions selected to report on achievements at the conference, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities presented a detailed paper on the current state of student affairs at the university during the past academic year. Speaking at the conference, Associate Professor Dr. Lam Ba Nam stated that political and ideological education for students currently faces many challenges, the most difficult of which is how to implement it effectively so that it truly permeates students' lives, avoiding rigidity and empty slogans, while still ensuring the effectiveness of changing and adjusting their political awareness. In this context, the University has strived to leverage its unique strengths, closely coordinating with many units inside and outside the university to carry out widespread propaganda activities on major national anniversaries. Many of these activities have resonated strongly among students.

On April 22nd and 23rd, 2009, the Political and Student Affairs Department of the Veterans Association of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, in collaboration with the Vietnam Film Distribution Company, organized a free screening of the film "Don't Burn" – about the life of martyr Dang Thuy Tram, attracting over 3,500 viewers. From May 7th to 9th, 2009, the University, together with the Museum of Revolutionary Soldiers Captured and Imprisoned by the Enemy, organized an exhibition of images, artifacts, and documents about revolutionary soldiers imprisoned by the US-backed regime at Phu Quoc Prison. Over 4,500 students from across the university visited the exhibition. The touching entries in the museum's guestbook demonstrated the significant impact and emotional resonance of the exhibition on the students. Following this, on May 9th, a moving exchange event titled "Meeting the Unyielding and Loyal" took place at the university, between students and revolutionary soldiers. The large number of students participating in the exchange expressed their admiration for the war heroes, thereby gaining more pride and a deeper understanding of the nation's resistance against foreign invasion.

In many major youth activities nationwide, students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities always enthusiastically participate through various social activities combined with professional activities. Thanks to flexible organization and skillful application of political and ideological education in each specific activity, through these activities, students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities gradually mature, possessing firm political and ideological qualities, beautiful character and ideals, and always aspiring to contribute to the development of society and the country.

Besides the achievements, Associate Professor Dr. Lam Ba Nam pointed out the limitations that the University's student affairs work still faces, such as: the slow implementation of phase II of the campaign to study and follow the moral example of Ho Chi Minh; the "following" models are only at the pilot stage, small-scale rather than becoming a movement; professional support and skill development for union members and student associations are still on a small scale; student counseling activities are limited; and soft skills training courses have not yet attracted a large number of students. Finally, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities also proposed to the Vietnam National University, Hanoi several points related to the regulations on student affairs, scholarship work, and clarification of the support and guidance of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi in some activities of member units...