The seminar was attended by Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan - Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU; Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Tung - Former Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies; Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim - Former Director of the Center for Seas and Islands; Prof. Dr. Momoki Shiro - Vietnam - Japan University and Dr. Pham Duc Anh - Director of the Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Science, along with many scientists and postgraduates inside and outside the university.
At the seminar, Principal Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his deep gratitude for the contributions of Prof. Dr. Vincent Houben to the development of the school over the past decades.
Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan shared: During his time working at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Vincent Houben has contributed greatly to the development of the University through valuable research projects and organizing inspiring scientific seminars. The professor not only brings in-depth knowledge in many fields, but also acts as a cultural bridge, helping students and lecturers of VNU-USSH approach multi-dimensional international perspectives.
'A business trip is not a rest, but a change in the way of working and researching in a new way.'Rector Hoang Anh Tuan expressed his hope that in the future, Professor Vincent Houben will return to collaborate with the School in many international education and research projects.
Prof. Dr. Vincent Houben emotionally recalled his first visit to Vietnam 34 years ago, with a warm welcome from the late Professor Phan Huy Le and Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Kim.
Professor Vincent Houben shared about his attachment to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities as well as to the country and people of Vietnam: After becoming a professor at the University of Passau in 1997 and then at the Humboldt University in Berlin, he returned to Hanoi a total of 18 times until 2018. During that time, the professor had the opportunity to guide research and work with scientists from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities such as Prof. Dr. Pham Hong Tung, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Hung and Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh. In 2018, he and many other scientists organized a summer course with German and Vietnamese students on the topic of local globalization.
“Today, on this special occasion, I would like to have one last farewell to my colleagues, scientists and also my close friends.”In his presentation, Professor Vincent Houben emphasized the importance and practical application of regional studies through the ages: “Regional studies have always reflected the situation of the times – the colonial period, the Cold War, the years of globalization and the current period have all named regions in a way that is appropriate to that era, and regional studies have pursued this spatialization model to this day.”
Specifically, according to the professor, “region” is not a static space but a method or approach. Specifically, the region includes a specific, deliberately chosen configuration of locations and spatial scales, from the local to the global, that are meaningful for the study of a particular phenomenon or development. It combines both the general and the particular, and primarily seeks differences. Regional research is also a methodological challenge. It requires the application of a combination (triangulation) of methods from history, anthropology, sociology, political science, international relations, etc. through three approaches:
(1) Kaleidoscopic dialectics (searching for configurations based on viewing the area from all possible angles);
(2) Situational analysis, in which data are processed in situational space and reduced to larger contexts;
(3) Network analysis is based on flows and connections, focusing on actors and spatial differentiation.
During the discussion, scientists had specific discussions and raised many questions about the topic of future area studies. Professor Vincent Houben also wished to donate books to graduate students and scientists interested in research in many different fields.
