Scientific seminar: Hoang Xuan Han – life and career

On the morning of February 19, 2009, a scientific conference on the life and career of scholar Hoang Xuan Han took place at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. A small-scale conference with about 20 reports but profound in its analysis and evaluation from a scientific perspective on the value of Professor Hoang Xuan Han's research works; warmed by the admiration and love of many delegates for him.

Many leading scientists attended this conference such as Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tai Can, Prof. Dr. Phan Huy Le, Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Duc, Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Giang, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc... In addition, the conference also had the participation of many young cadres, graduate students, and researchers - people who have never met Prof. Hoang Xuan Han, but his research works have become classic books, nurturing their desire to explore and orient their research path.

In terms of education, MSc. Do Thi Huong Thao said: “With only three works "National Rhyme", "High School Program" and "Scientific Nouns" ... have highlighted the great contributions of Hoang Xuan Han to Vietnamese education in the early days of independence as well as throughout the development of Vietnamese education later.”. To prove this, the author presented his careful research in reality with very specific evidence with enthusiasm and deep love. All to show that Hoang Xuan Han's scientific research has entered real life effectively and sustainably until today. Particularly the bookScientific nounNot only is this professor's work a great contribution in terms of scientific thinking, but in particular, it also contributes to making Vietnamese a scientific language - something that not any language in the world can do.

Select "Lament of a Soldier's Wife"As a research work, lecturer Nguyen Hung Vy has pointed out many lessons from the way of thinking and research method of this famous Nom work of Professor Hoang Xuan Han. That is the lesson about the importance of documents related to the accuracy of each conclusion, the lesson about a rigorous and logical scientific research method, about dedication and patience in work, about honesty and gullibility in science...

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/02/24/pgs.ts%20pham%20hong%20tung.jpg" border="0" alt="PGS.TS Pham Hong Tung. Photo: Cong Khanh" title="PGS.TS Pham Hong Tung. Photo: Cong Khanh" width="280" height="188" align="left" ]

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Hong Tung, a modern history expert, placed Hoang Xuan Han's activities in Tran Trong Kim's cabinet at a major turning point in national history before the Japanese-French coup to analyze his actions and found that: "No matter which path they choose, they still maintain their enthusiasm and sincerity in serving the nation.". Author Ly Tuong Van researched about "Vietnam's international relations through the eyes of Professor Hoang Xuan Han”. The author expressed his respect for the Professor as a person who was always loyal to the future and destiny of the country and sympathized with his spirit of national pride and his aspiration to build a strong country to gain a solid position: “respected by neighbors, respected by powerful countries”.

Search from the book "Ly Thuong Kiet” (1949) to the last concerns of Hoang Xuan Han when he sent a letter to former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and General Vo Nguyen Giap about the issue of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, author Nguyen Bao Trang realized that in the 20th century he was the first Vietnamese researcher to research borders and national sovereignty from land borders to seas and islands. Master. Nguyen Hoai Phuong then researched “All plants" by Hoang Xuan Han to show his contribution in a rather "strange" research field: cuisine, although "Hoang Xuan Han translated and annotated The Book of Plants as a historian researching a valuable document, a culturalist wanting to preserve the cultural values ​​of his ancestors for future generations rather than as a study of Vietnamese cuisine.”. Author Hoang Thi Hong Nga commented on Professor Han’s contributions to the overseas Vietnamese community in France in two aspects: promoting patriotism and national pride; preserving and promoting national cultural traditions as well as promoting cultural exchange between the two cultures of East and West.

Speaking at the conference, Prof. Phan Huy Le said that the next generation can learn a lot from the scientific life of Prof. Han. He was a great personality of a great intellectual, always looking towards the Fatherland with a deep affection and always wishing to contribute to the country. Although he was a Vietnamese living in France, until his death he still held Vietnamese nationality - a very rare thing for intellectuals at that time. He was also a true, honest scientist, who valued the truth, and wanted to find the truth even if the truth presented caused many objections and doubts from public opinion. Another thing that the current scientific community admires about Prof. Hoang Xuan Han is that in his research, he always emphasized the issue of thinking methods and methodology. He once confided that the legacy left by our ancestors was very rich, but unfortunately there were not many worthy research works to bring those values ​​to the public, to the world simply because the research methods were too backward. Agreeing with the opinion of Prof. Phan Huy Le, Prof. Dr. Vu Minh Giang and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Ngoc also believe that the highly interdisciplinary research methodology, not too theoretical, and valuing documents have made the works of Prof. Hoang Xuan Han highly valuable in terms of academics, becoming a model for future generations.

Summarizing the workshop, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hai Ke - Head of the Department of History - commented: “Hoang Xuan Han belongs to the ranks of those who do not need honors, but must go through large or small scientific conferences to become famous, to discover the potential, great values ​​in his career... His research works have a lasting vitality and value for the country's scientific community, are the crystallization of the attitude, specific qualities of a Vietnamese son who always wishes and aspires to contribute to the country, to the nation. Although living and working in the 20th century, he belongs to those whose vitality and capacity are transmitted across centuries.”. As for Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Duc, he believes that with the stature and great contributions of Prof. Hoang Xuan Han in many fields, he deserves to be honored as one of the names that contributed to promoting the development of modern science in Vietnam. And his name deserves to be named after a major street in the capital.

It has been 13 years since Professor Hoang Xuan Han passed away. According to the incomplete bibliography, there have been 75 articles related to his life and career. This conference is a continuation and deeper study and evaluation of the classic values ​​of the scientific research works he left behind in the fields of history, language, culture, education, etc. What can the next generation learn from the precious heritage he left behind? How should those legacies be properly recognized and evaluated in the current context? These are questions that require more seminars and more in-depth studies to provide satisfactory answers.