Inauguration Ceremony of the Department of Religious Studies

[Photo Gallery] Launch Ceremony of the Family Religion Departmentc

At the beginning of the ceremony, Dr. Ngo Thi Kieu Oanh – Head of the Personnel Department of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – announced the decision to establish the Department of Religious Studies and the decision to appoint Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Kim Oanh as Head of the Department of Religious Studies, and Dr. Nguyen Thi To Uyen as Deputy Head of the Department of Religious Studies.

Professor Pham Quang Minh, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, delivered a speech at the ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Pham Quang Minh, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, emphasized: “The establishment of the Department of Religious Studies demonstrates the pioneering and leading role of the university. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is ready to venture into new fields, undertake practical scientific issues, and serve the cause of industrialization, modernization, innovation, and international integration of the country.”

Considering the practical needs of Vietnam, a country with a rich religious life and the presence of many forms of religion imported from outside, such as Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam, religion has a significant influence on many aspects of economic, cultural, and social life. Therefore, studying religion in Vietnam is truly necessary, strategically important, and a crucial factor in ensuring the stability, development, and prosperity of the country.

Professor Pham Quang Minh, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, presented the appointment decisions to Associate Professor Tran Thi Kim Oanh (left) - Head of the Department of Religious Studies, and Dr. Nguyen Thi To Uyen (right) - Deputy Head of the Department of Religious Studies.

During the ceremony, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Kim Oanh also affirmed that from now on, Religious Studies in Vietnam will be taught comprehensively and systematically at a leading, prestigious, and high-quality university in Vietnam.

The Department of Religious Studies, affiliated with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, developed from the Department of Atheism Studies within the Faculty of Philosophy, established in the 1980s. After several decades of development, the department officially separated and became an independent department under the university on July 26, 2016.

The University of Social Sciences and Humanities is the first institution in Vietnam to offer a Religious Studies program at three levels: bachelor's, master's, and doctoral. The program has a total of 139 credits. To date, the university has completed its first cohort of 50 students.

Venerable Thich Gia Quang, PhD – Vice Chairman of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Association, delivered a congratulatory speech.

The establishment and growth of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has opened a new chapter in the development of religious studies training and research in Vietnam, marking the significant maturity of religious studies training and the pioneering mission of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in promptly and effectively grasping the practical needs of political, economic, and social life, as well as the cultural and spiritual needs of each Vietnamese person.

The delegates took a commemorative photo at the ceremony.