A great teacher has passed away.

Late Professor, People's Teacher Ha Van Tan (1937-2019)

Prof. Ha Van Tan was born on August 16, 1937 in Tien Dien commune, Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province, a famous countryside with many cultural celebrities and scholarly families. Since childhood, the educational tradition of the family, the clan and the sacred atmosphere of Lam Giang and Hong mountain have shaped and shaped the qualities, personality and intelligence of a talented scientist.

In 1955, after graduating from grade 9 at Phan Dinh Phung School in Ha Tinh, with the aspiration of becoming a teacher and pedagogist, young Ha Van Tan entered the History - Geography Department of Hanoi Pedagogical University and soon became an excellent student, famous for his good study. Graduating with honors from university in 1957, he was retained as a lecturer in the Department of Ancient Vietnamese History, Pedagogical University and then Hanoi General University and was oriented by Professor Dao Duy Anh and professors: Tran Duc Thao, Tran Van Giau, Cao Xuan Huy..., imparting knowledge and scientific research methods.

Late Professor and Students

With the concept that language is the key to open up scientific horizons, and at the same time, language is also a source of historical data, to be able to access new scientific achievements and the treasure trove of human knowledge, with the passion to conquer the peaks of science, young lecturer Ha Van Tan has been determined and determined to learn many languages ​​of countries that are major academic centers and has in fact mastered many foreign languages ​​(including Chinese).Sancrit) in research. With the encouragement and motivation of the Enlightened Generation professors, with the ability to self-study, overcoming the numerous difficulties of the period when the country was at war, he equipped himself with a massive knowledge base, a broad and profound knowledge in many academic fields. Professor Ha Van Tan is the author of many typical research works on:Ancient and Medieval History of Vietnam,Vietnamese Archaeology,History of Buddhist thought and philosophyandHistorical theory… Wherever, in any academic field, he is a leading expert, holding a pioneering position, outlining the direction of the disciplines.

"Four pillars" of modern Vietnamese History and the couple Professor, People's Teacher Tran Van Giau

Prof. Ha Van Tan is a scientist with outstanding intelligence, a serious working spirit, always attaching importance to objectivity and the essential issues of science. Through more than 60 years of research and teaching, he has published over 300 research works, including monographs, reference books, scientific theses in many specialized academic fields and interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary works. Prof. Ha Van Tan has many famous scientific works, making outstanding contributions to the development of modern Vietnamese history, making great contributions to the country in affirming the values ​​of origin and development process of Vietnamese history; historical and cultural characteristics of ancient countries, ancient cultures and cultural eras formed on Vietnamese territory; similarities and differences of Vietnamese history and culture in comparison with Southeast Asian countries, with India, China and the world. His general and individual research works on:Geographical information(introduction, commentary, 1960),History of primitive communist regime in Vietnam(1960),History of Vietnamese feudal regime(1960),History of Vietnamese Buddhism(1988),Come to Vietnamese cultural history(2005), etc. are all famous works in the research community. In particular, the monographThe resistance against the Yuan-Mongol invasion in the 13th century(co-written with Associate Professor, PhD Pham Thi Tam, 1968), and the workFollowing the ancient cultures(1997) has established and made the leading name of a scholar. Those works are also the common pride, the masterpiece of the Vietnamese social sciences and humanities research community.

The funeral of Professor, People's Teacher Ha Van Tan took place on the morning of December 2 at Funeral Home No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong.

Professor Ha Van Tan is a pioneer and has made great contributions to the construction and establishment of a system of methods, approaches and theoretical foundations for teaching and researching history and historical sciences of Vietnam. His research works and lectures have raised the level of knowledge, theoretical foundations and methods for historical training and research centers of the country. There we can see the seriousness, role andprofessional authorityof disciplines. The research perspective combines traditional and modern methods, places historical events and developments in relation to the natural world, changes in the ecosystem and the multidimensional impacts of political, economic and social factors in the intra-regional and peripheral relationships; endogenous and exogenous factors, etc. have been honored and established as in-depth, standard research works. Those works, together with the scientific achievements of professors: Dinh Xuan Lam, Phan Huy Le, Tran Quoc Vuong and a number of other scientists, have created the reputation ofSchool of General History. The Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Institute of Archaeology - the heroic units could not have achieved the achievements and glory as today without the contributions of effort and intelligence of a generation of enlightened teachers.

Visiting delegation of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU

Professor Ha Van Tan is a great scientific personality, an intelligent intellectual, a giant of modern Vietnamese history. The professor is one of the people who has had the strongest and most profound influence on many generations of researchers and teachers of Vietnamese history and archaeology over the past half century. The role of a scientist, the responsibility and sacred mission of a teacher have created great attraction and influence on professionals and young intellectuals in the country.

Prof. Ha Van Tan is the direct participant, chief editor and editor-in-chief of many key national science and technology projects and programs such as:Archaeological research program on Truong Sa - Tay Nguyen - Nam Bo, Book seriesCollection of Vietnamese Archaeology, 3 episodes;Dong Son culture... The research works of the Professor and the scientific community have made an important contribution to affirming the cultural identity of Vietnam; the sovereignty and the struggle to protect the sovereignty of the territory and territorial waters of the Fatherland of Vietnam. The Professor is honored as a leading expert on the history of resistance against foreign invaders and the history of ideology and traditional culture with profound and unique summaries of Vietnamese history and culture. With great prestige and influence, Professor Ha Van Tan has given many consultations to the Party and State on policies for developing science, education and preserving and promoting the value of national cultural heritage.

Prof. Ha Van Tan is one of the first people to lay the foundation for the formation of Vietnamese Archaeology. During his years of teaching at the Faculty of History, University of General Sciences, as well as when he assumed the responsibility of Director of the Institute of Archaeology, he organized many professional activities on a large scale, built a training program at the doctoral level, and promoted exchange and cooperation activities with many famous archaeologists and scientific centers in the world. He made great contributions to creating a theoretical and methodological foundation for Vietnamese Archaeology and raising the level of a field of study to the regional level in the direction of specialization combined with interdisciplinary and integration. With his qualifications and academic reputation, he was invited by prestigious universities in developed countries such as: Paris VII University (France), Amsterdam University (Netherlands), Tokyo University (Japan)... to lecture and exchange science. His research works and teaching activities are respected and highly appreciated by leading international scientific organizations and experts.

During his working years, Prof. Ha Van Tan has held many positions: Head of the Department of Historical Methodology, Faculty of History, University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Vice President of the Vietnam Historical Science Association; Deputy Director of the Vietnam Buddhist Research Institute in Hanoi; Member of the Interdisciplinary Academic Council of History - Ethnology - Archeology; Director of the Institute of Archeology; Editor-in-Chief of the Archeology Journal of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences...

With his outstanding scientific contributions, Professor and People's Teacher Ha Van Tan was awarded academic titles and many noble titles by the Party and State:Professor of History(1980),Excellent Teacher(1990),People's Teacher(1997);Senior Expert(2002);Second Class Medal of Resistance Against America(1985),Third Class Labor Medal(1992),First Class Labor Medal(1997),Ho Chi Minh Prize for Science and Technology(2000),... The Professor is a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam, with a 30-year Party membership badge. The name, talent, and personality of the Professor and the other Professors in the "Four Pillars" have become legends, priceless spiritual values ​​of the world of History, Archaeology, and many other fields of Social Sciences and Humanities in the country.

Prof. Ha Van Tan has made many important contributions to the development of Hanoi University of Science and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU; to the Institute of Archaeology and many research institutes under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences; participated in building and contributing many major scientific policies and orientations for the fields of social sciences and humanities of the country. In educational activities, he is a famous teacher. Prof. Ha Van Tan has not only passed on to generations of students his passion and desire for science but also taught them theories, methods and ways to deploy and implement ideas and research projects. In him, there is a combination of the character of a traditional teacher with the qualities of an outstanding modern scientist. Many students taught by him have become famous, have held important positions in universities, scientific and management agencies in the country and internationally.

Professor Ha Van Tan is a person with great love for his profession, family, homeland and clan. The height of his career that he achieved certainly had the support and protection of a warm family. Professor Ha Van Tan always cared about the great cause of the country and was ready to devote his intelligence and efforts to the people and the country. During his years of illness, as a great, talented and emotional scientist, he still longed to write and complete scientific works and projects. The professor also always cared and shared with his students and colleagues about the joys and research achievements they had achieved. The passing of Professor Ha Van Tan is a great loss to the world of History, Archaeology, many fields of Social Sciences and Humanities of the country, his family and generations of students.

In many research works, he wrote about Asian spiritual values ​​and considered them as jade, agate, and as vehicles and boats on the thousand-mile journeys of the universe and time. He has “Meditating under the roof of a Vietnamese temple", commentary on the characteristics of the streamMeditationIn Vietnam there is always a blending of beliefs.TantricandMeditation,Pure,Honeyare the three basic elements of Vietnamese Buddhism. The teacher also thought about the word "Leisure"In the human world, philosophy about rivers and dugout canoes carrying human souls fromharbor of lovearrivewharf... Please accept from generations of students the respect, condolences and gratitude for everything that you have brought to this life. You have passed away, but your career and kindness will last forever. As students who were loved and directly taught by you when you were students of the Faculty of History, Hanoi University of Science and during your years as a graduate student,... we respectfully bid you farewell and wish you peace.