International publications - A matter of survival for a university.

The seminar attracted a large number of delegates – scientists from universities and research institutes in the field of social sciences and humanities.

According to Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the issue of international publication of scientific works is considered vital for the sustainable development of a university.

"There are no forbidden zones for science," and "publish or die" are phrases Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh uses to emphasize the importance of promoting and improving the quality of research works and bringing those works to the international scientific community, affirming the potential and position of Vietnamese scientists.

Speaking at the seminar, Professor Nguyen Huu Duc, Vice Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, shared some experiences regarding international publications. He advised on journal selection – choosing a few "favorite" journals at different difficulty levels to regularly monitor and submit suitable works.

In addition, it is necessary to research and select specific topics for the school, building a topic bank for collaborative research. Simultaneously, a strong research team should be established, and based on the number of published works, the evaluation of staff should be raised to a higher level to gradually enhance the value of leading experts in their fields.

According to Dr. Tran Van Kham, Deputy Head of the Scientific Research Management Department (University of Social Sciences and Humanities), specific and clear solutions are needed to promote international publications.

Regarding mechanisms and policies: Continue implementing regulations on rewards, establishing a key investment fund, and promoting research results; build strong research groups and reorganize research centers; establish support groups to assist individuals or research projects in producing scientific research products; standardize research techniques and data analysis; gradually improve indicators of scientific task performance; and cooperate with publishers and foreign scholars to promote international publications.

Many delegates also engaged in lively discussions surrounding the issues of: Is international publication difficult, and how should it be done?

Dr. Do Tien Dung - Director of the Nafosted Foundation - believes that international publication is not as difficult as many people think. International publication should be considered a task for every scientist. The goal is not the number of papers but the quality and impact of each published work.

"To contribute to promoting international publications in general, the Nafosted Foundation has made international publication a strict condition for funding research projects. Along with the nine areas of support – as Deputy Director Mai Thế Bình mentioned – the foundation will work alongside Vietnamese scientists to improve the quality of their research, integrate internationally, and develop."

In his concluding remarks at the end of the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - stated that the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will incorporate and select the opinions to promptly implement them in order to promote scientific research and international publications by research groups and scientists in the field of social sciences and humanities.

At the same time, Associate Professor Pham Quang Minh expressed optimism about the number of internationally published works that can be achieved in the near future - from a starting point of only 7 works in 2010 to 54 works in 2015, and in the first 9 months of 2016, 40 works have already been published internationally.

"This is a positive sign and a step-by-step determination to improve the scientific standing of the social sciences and humanities in Vietnam in general and of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in particular," Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh emphasized.