40 Years of the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language

On the morning of November 17, 2008, the ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language (1968-2008) took place at the Nguy Nhu Kon Tum Hall (19 Le Thanh Tong Street). A large number of teachers and students from various generations gathered for the reunion.

At the anniversary ceremony, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Thi - Head of the Faculty of Literature and Television - reviewed the history of development and the achievements that the Faculty has attained over the past 40 years.

In 1956, the Vietnamese Language Department of Hanoi University was established with the mission of teaching Vietnamese language and culture to foreign students studying under agreements between the Vietnamese government and other countries. In 1968, the Faculty of Vietnamese Language was established on the basis of the Vietnamese Language Department.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/11/18/img_5800.jpg" border="0" alt="Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Thi speaking at the Anniversary Ceremony" title="Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Thi speaking at the Anniversary Ceremony" width="240" height="160" align="right" ]

In 1995, the Department of Vietnamese Language was renamed the Department of Vietnamese Language and Culture for Foreigners, with the main tasks of: training in Vietnamese language and culture for foreign students studying under cooperation agreements between the Vietnamese government and other countries; training in Vietnamese language and culture for other foreign nationals; and providing training and education in Vietnamese language and culture to enhance the understanding of Vietnam and its people for the children of overseas Vietnamese.

In 1999, the Ministry of Education and Training issued a decision allowing the Faculty to offer a Bachelor's degree in Vietnamese Language and Culture to foreigners. 2008 marked another significant development for the Faculty when Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) signed a decision to promulgate the undergraduate program in Vietnamese Studies, comprising two specializations: Vietnamese Studies for Vietnamese people and Vietnamese Studies for foreigners. Based on this, the Faculty officially changed its name to the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language.

Since its establishment, the Faculty has trained over 7,000 foreign students from 40 different nationalities, including 8 Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Hanoi. Currently, the Faculty has 22 lecturers, all with postgraduate qualifications, including 2 Associate Professors, 11 PhDs, and 9 Masters. The Faculty has 4 departments: Vietnamese Language and Language Teaching Methods; Cultural Studies; Literature and Arts; and Comparative Linguistics. Over the past 40 years, the Faculty has developed a system of textbooks and lectures to serve its training needs. The Faculty has compiled 25 textbooks, including language teaching textbooks and specialized textbooks, and 30 specialized lectures on Vietnamese language, culture, literature, and history. The Faculty has organized 4 international scientific conferences and numerous domestic scientific conferences on Vietnamese language and language teaching methods, Vietnamese culture, etc. The faculty has published over 400 articles and conducted 48 research projects at various levels. It has also established collaborative training programs with numerous universities and international organizations worldwide.

For these contributions, the Faculty has received numerous awards: a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister in 1978; the First Class ITXALA Medal from the Government of Laos in 1983; a Certificate of Merit from the Trade Union of Vietnam National University, Hanoi in 1997; the Third Class Labor Medal in 1998; a Certificate of Merit from Vietnam National University, Hanoi in 2007; a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister in 2008...

At the ceremony, Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh - Rector of the University - delivered a speech acknowledging the Faculty's contributions and also requested the Faculty to focus on effectively implementing key tasks in the coming period, including: quickly completing the necessary work to undertake and implement the training program in Vietnamese Studies; actively innovating the content of credit-based training; further enhancing the effectiveness of scientific research and international cooperation, especially focusing on developing and implementing several major projects with practical and theoretical significance.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2008/11/18/img_5839.jpg" border="0" alt="Prof. Dr. Hoang Trong Phien - former first Chairman of the Board of Directors" title="Prof. Dr. Hoang Trong Phien - former first Chairman of the Board of Directors" width="240" height="160" align="right" ]

Also at the commemoration ceremony, delegates heard the heartfelt words of Professor Hoang Trong Phien, the first head of the Faculty, about the initial difficulties during the Faculty's establishment. He said: “Looking back at the Faculty's journey from today's perspective, we can affirm that our scientific approach to teaching Vietnamese is correct and modern. It is about teaching a cultural tool with unique characteristics, teaching a set of habits used by Vietnamese people in communication, and using spoken language as the basis for conscious practical teaching methods and techniques. This scientific approach has been realized through the practical Vietnamese language textbooks and modern Vietnamese theory textbooks published between 1975 and 1984.” The professor also affirmed: We have accomplished many great things thanks to our ability to concentrate the combined strength of excellent professionals both inside and outside the university. In addition, the Faculty is a cohesive, selfless, and enthusiastic team.

The ceremony was also an opportunity for many generations of foreign students to express their gratitude to the teachers of the Department of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language. It is known that in the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year, the Department will enroll its first cohort of Vietnamese students in the Vietnamese Studies program.