Happy 70th birthday to Associate Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Teacher Le Sy Giao!

On Monday morning, October 17, 2016, at the Department of Anthropology on the 3rd floor of building A, the Department of Anthropology and the Department of History held a ceremony to celebrate the professor's milestone birthday and to express gratitude and honor his immense and tireless contributions to the Department of History and the Department of Anthropology. The ceremony took place in a solemn, joyful, and warm atmosphere filled with camaraderie between colleagues and students, with the participation of numerous faculty and students from the Department of Anthropology and the Department of History, representatives from the Board of Directors, and delegates, friends, and alumni from various organizations outside the university.

Opening the ceremony, on behalf of the Faculty of Anthropology, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Suu – Head of the Faculty – affirmed: In more than half a century of tradition and development of the Faculty of Anthropology, Professor Le Sy Giao is one of the veteran educators who has left many unforgettable imprints and deep feelings for generations of students, colleagues, and friends, because of his tireless and unique contributions to the Department, the Faculty, the field, and the country. Professor's comprehensive contributions in the fields of research, training, and management are clearly demonstrated by his publications of over one hundred scientific research papers, teaching numerous undergraduate and postgraduate courses, supervising over 20 doctoral candidates, over 20 master's students, over 100 graduation theses and student research reports, in addition to his 10 years as Party branch secretary, 8 years as Vice Dean of the Faculty, and many years participating in the Executive Committee and serving as General Secretary of the Vietnam Ethnology Association.

All those figures clearly show that he is one of the leading figures in Vietnamese ethnology and anthropology in the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.

His contributions and dedication, coupled with the unique qualities of a scientist, a teacher, and an educational administrator, have made him memorable and beloved by generations of students, respected by friends and colleagues, and honored by the Party and the State with numerous awards and prestigious titles.

Professor's joy at turning 70 is doubled, as the Department of Anthropology, where he spent over 40 years contributing to building the foundation and creating a prestigious field of Ethnology, and now a promising branch of Anthropology, has new facilities and a faculty where more than one-third are outstanding students he directly trained and mentored.

At the same time, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Suu also reported to the professor that the works he published and the lectures he gave to generations of students are the assets and pride of the Faculty. Although he has retired, his students are following in his footsteps, continuing to contribute to building and developing the Faculty of Anthropology into a prestigious academic center, training more and more outstanding and talented anthropologists who will make worthy contributions to society and the country.

On behalf of the Department of History, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Quan - Head of the Department - spoke sincerely and profoundly about Professor Le Sy Giao: Professor Le Sy Giao was an exemplary teacher, a serious scientist, and an easy-going and carefree friend. He emphasized that Professor Le Sy Giao had a deep connection with and made significant contributions to the Department of History. Throughout his decades of service in the Department of History, and later the Department of Anthropology, Professor Le Sy Giao always devoted himself wholeheartedly to his students, with a gentle yet captivating teaching style that endeared him to generations of students. In particular, in his scientific research, he was very serious, writing extensively but not carelessly... and in his life, he had a simple, sociable, witty, straightforward, and honest lifestyle.

On behalf of the University's Trade Union, Associate Professor Dr. Dang Xuan Khang recalled memories of guiding students during their internships in the northern border region before the war broke out in 1979 with Professor Le Sy Giao, while also affirming Professor Le Sy Giao's important contributions to the trade union work of the History Department in particular and the University's trade union in general.