"Commemorating the 65th Anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Campaign: A Look from an International and Local Perspective"

Sixty-five years have passed, but the echoes and impact of the Dien Bien Phu victory still resonate in many parts of the world, across all fields from politics and military affairs to diplomacy and culture. This is one of the rare battles of the Indochina War that has received significant attention from the media and researchers worldwide, and is commemorated as an event of international significance on every anniversary. Domestically, Dien Bien Phu is considered a symbol of the Vietnamese people's determination to be self-reliant, strong, and to fight and win. Internationally, Dien Bien Phu is a symbol of courage, an endless source of inspiration for the aspirations of independence, freedom, and justice of colonized, oppressed, and exploited nations. After 65 years, from a bloody battlefield, Dien Bien Phu has become a meeting place for peace, friendship, and cooperation among nations.

The Presidium chairing the opening session (from left to right): Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Quang Dong (Vice Rector of the University of Foreign Languages, VNU Hanoi); Prof. Pierre Journoud (Paul-Valéry University of Montpellier 3); Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Vu Tung (Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam); Mr. Etienne Rolland Piegue (Cultural Counselor, Director of the French Institute, French Embassy in Vietnam)

Following the success of previous years, most recently the May 2014 conference entitled "From Dien Bien Phu to the Geneva Accords - Viewed from an International Perspective," this international scientific conference on Dien Bien Phu is organized to clarify the military developments and the relationship between political power and military strength during and after the war, which have been studied previously. The conference will clarify and analyze this event at the local, international, and transnational levels; and address prospects for promoting friendly relations, cooperation, and sustainable local development.

Professor Pham Quang Minh reiterated the principle of closing the past and looking towards the future between the Vietnamese and French peoples, citing the visit of French President Francois Mitterrand to Vietnam in 1993 – an event that helped open a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Ambassador Mohamed Berrah (Ambassador of the Algerian People's Democratic Republic to Vietnam) shared the Algerian people's sympathy and admiration for the Vietnamese people's spirit of struggle for independence during the war. He expressed his desire to promote cooperation with Vietnam and other Francophone countries in the era of peace.

At the opening session, representatives from the organizing committee expressed their honor in collaborating to create such a significant event as this conference. Each unit, each scholar, and each researcher contributed their own perspectives. However, all agreed that the conference was not only an opportunity to reflect on an event of global impact like the Dien Bien Phu victory, but also to open up new opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and France in general, as well as between Vietnamese and French educational institutions in particular. Especially, as the host, through this conference, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities continues to affirm its position as a forum for relevant parties to exchange academic ideas within a research-oriented university environment. Simultaneously, by reflecting on a chapter of history to open up sustainable cooperation and development between France and Vietnam in the future, the University continues to demonstrate its motto of "Respecting the past, embracing the future."

The delegates took a commemorative photo.

Following the opening session, the workshop will continue for two days, May 2-3, with five subcommittees:

• The subcommittee “Dien Bien Phu: Role in the Region and Internationally” included several presentations such as: “French prisoners of war in the hands of the Viet Minh in the Indochina War: Behind the traumas lies an international social experience at the boundary of norms” (Prof. Julien Mary – Montpellier Paul Valérie University, France), “Organization and operation of the front-line supply council, a unique innovation in supporting the strategic offensive of the 1953-1954 winter-spring campaign and the Dien Bien Phu campaign” (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngo Dang Tri, University of Social Sciences and Humanities).
• The subcommittee "Memories of Dien Bien Phu" presented several papers, including: "Dien Bien Phu in the Franco-Vietnamese relationship, between a community of suffering and a community of hope" (Prof. Pierre Journoud – Montpellier Paul Valérie University, France), "Writing the history of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in France" (Prof. Ivan Cadeau – French Ministry of Defence), and "Rediscovering a forgotten war" (Prof. Laurence Campa – University of Paris Nanterre, France).

• The subcommittee "French and International Alliances" included presentations such as: "The French and the Autonomous Federation of Thailand (1948-1954): 'An alliance of circumstances with controversial consequences in the Dien Bien Phu region'" (Prof. Philippe Le Failler - French Institute of Far Eastern Studies), "The Dien Bien Phu victory and the construction of Francophone identity" (Dr. Nguyen Hoang Nhu Thanh - Vietnam Diplomatic Academy); "Laos and the Battle of Dien Bien Phu" (Prof. Maya Akazaki, Montpellier Paul Valérie University, France).
• The subcommittee “Dien Bien Phu - Local Perspectives and Sustainable Development” included several presentations such as: “Economics with Many Changes: Labor and Struggle at Dien Bien Phu” (Prof. Christian C. Lentz – Yale University, USA), “Some Cultural Effects in Rural Vietnam After the Dien Bien Phu Event” (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Le, University of Social Sciences and Humanities),
• The subcommittee “Dien Bien Phu - Cultural and Educational Issues” included several presentations such as: “Dien Bien Phu: Perspectives from Cinema” (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Viet Nghia, University of Social Sciences and Humanities), “The Disruption of Education: Schools in Post-Colonial Vietnam, 1945-1954” (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Phuong Hoa, Institute of History – Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences), “The Symbol of Dien Bien Phu in Contemporary Vietnamese Culture and Education” (Dr. Truong Thi Bich Hanh, University of Social Sciences and Humanities).