The 40th anniversary celebration of the Han Nom Studies Department, Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, was solemnly held on November 17, 2012.Attending the anniversary ceremony were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Kim Son – Vice Director of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh - Rector of the University, along with representatives from various units, lecturers, and students of the University. Opening the ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Khoai – Head of the Department of Han Nom Studies – recalled the proud and challenging past of the early days of its establishment and outlined the goals and directions for the development of the department towards the establishment of the Faculty of Han Nom Studies. Reviewing the achievements of 40 years of development and growth, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh emphasized that in 1972, amidst the fierce resistance war against the US, the Han Nom Studies department of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University, opened its first training course. This event reflected the insightful vision and awareness of the scientists in the face of the threat of cultural isolation, and also demonstrated their fervent love for national culture and the Han Nom literary heritage of the country. Looking back over the past 40 years, the field of Sino-Vietnamese studies has affirmed its position in the national cultural life, creating a bridge for transmitting cultural values between the past, present, and future. Through tireless efforts and creative work, generations of teachers in Sino-Vietnamese studies have excellently fulfilled their research and training tasks and made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Vietnamese Sino-Vietnamese cultural values. The field has produced many renowned professors and leading educators known for their talent and virtue, such as Cao Xuan Huy, Dinh Gia Khanh, Hoang Xuan Nhi, Nguyen Tai Can, Bui Duy Tan, Nguyen Dinh Thac, Le Van Quan, etc. Among them are those who have become great cultural figures of Vietnam and a source of national intellectual pride. Over the past forty years, 36 undergraduate and more than 10 postgraduate cohorts in Sino-Vietnamese studies have graduated. Alumni are present in many fields of social life, in research institutes, universities, colleges, central and local news agencies, and cultural and artistic organizations. They have worked tirelessly with a sense of responsibility and professional conscience, driven by love and honor for the Faculty and the University, in collecting, compiling, and exploiting ancient documents to contribute to the preservation and promotion of Sino-Vietnamese heritage within the Vietnamese cultural treasury. Looking to the future, the Rector believes that, building on the achievements of the past 40 years, with their creative intellect, dedication, and high sense of responsibility, the faculty, students, and trainees of Sino-Vietnamese studies will certainly strive to excel in their mission of leading the country's Sino-Vietnamese training and research system, gradually approaching regional and international standards.
Speaking at the ceremony, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Son emphasized that the achievements of the Han Nom (Sino-Vietnamese) studies field over the past 40 years are the result of the tireless and extraordinary efforts of those who have overcome the storms of the market economy to sit beside the pages of books, understanding the values left behind by our ancestors. These achievements are immense, but it can also be said that the mission of the field is extremely heavy. It is to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity, to promote the finest values of the nation, to spread traditional values, and to create new humanistic values. Sharing his thoughts on the Han Nom studies field, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Kim Son suggested that the values in the books of our ancestors need to be brought into society more widely; Han Nom libraries should be unique and attractive to everyone; and Han Nom studies should transcend the academic confines of research institutes and universities. The Deputy Director pointed out that the most urgent issue currently facing the field of Sino-Vietnamese studies is the continued development of the teaching staff – a large force is needed to be capable of engaging in dialogue with the world in the era of globalization, an era in which the studies of Chinese and Japanese Sinology have developed far beyond.
