Attending the commemoration ceremony were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities), Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Tan (Chairman of the Vietnam Sociological Association), Mr. Do Hoang Du (Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Social Work Professionals), Prof. Dr. Pham Tat Dong (General Secretary of the Vietnam Association for the Promotion of Learning), along with scientists and managers from universities, research institutes, and professional social organizations in Vietnam.
In his opening remarks, Professor Nguyen Van Khanh affirmed the role and contributions of Sociology and Social Work to the development of Vietnamese society today. With a population of 90 million, nearly one-third of whom require social intervention at various levels, Vietnam faces the challenge of maintaining economic growth while simultaneously addressing numerous emerging social issues. Without a thorough understanding of these emerging social phenomena and problems, no effective social intervention is possible. Therefore, the task of sociologists and social workers is to find satisfactory explanations and identify the most effective social interventions.
The Rector's speech also highlighted the remarkable achievements in training and research in these two fields at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. As a leading center in the country for training and research in the social sciences and humanities, the University has been training and researching in Sociology and Social Work since 1991. The University has trained nearly 5,000 undergraduate students across all programs, and 600 postgraduate and doctoral students in these two specialties, making it one of the first institutions to offer a Master's degree in Social Work. In 2005, the Faculty of Sociology (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) was admitted to the International Sociological Society. The Faculty also maintains extensive relationships with domestic and international training institutions and has implemented numerous research projects on Social Work with foreign universities.
Professor Nguyen Van Khanh emphasized: Close, practical, and effective cooperation is needed between training institutions, research institutes, organizations, and professional associations both domestically and internationally, so that sociology and social work can develop to meet new requirements, truly make useful contributions commensurate with their role in improving the quality of human life, and move towards a harmonious and balanced developed society.
From a practical perspective on the development of sociology and social work in Vietnam today, Professor Nguyen Dinh Tan (Chairman of the Vietnam Sociological Association) believes that: It is necessary to enhance the professionalism of those working in these fields, focusing on improving working methods, skills, and professional ethics. It is from the vibrant practical experience of the profession that researchers and those working in this field can generalize, enrich theories, and develop principles, thereby illuminating practical activities more effectively.
Immediately following the commemoration ceremony, delegates attended a workshop on "The Role of Sociology and Social Work in the Development of Contemporary Society." The workshop focused on the following main topics: Theoretical and practical issues in training and research in sociology and social work; and training and research activities in sociology and social work at universities and research institutes.
Immediately following the anniversary celebration was a seminar titled "The Role of Sociology and Social Work in the Development of Contemporary Society".
The discussions assessed the role of sociology and social work in development, identified research models, practical strategies, and solutions to promote these scientific disciplines in a direction consistent with the development of Vietnamese society. Based on an assessment of the contributions of these two disciplines, and highlighting the prospects and challenges facing sociology and social work in the future, the reports affirmed the importance of training and research in these fields, and suggested solutions to improve the quality of training at universities.