Speech by Professor Vu Duong Ninh at the opening ceremony.

First, allow me to extend my congratulations to all delegates, the Board of Directors, the teachers, and all students on the occasion of the opening of the 61st academic year of our school. I wish the entire school excellent teaching and learning, and a successful academic year and a highly successful course.

Now, I would like to say a few words to the new students of the 61st cohort.

Professor Vu Duong Ninh, People's Teacher, delivered a speech at the school's opening ceremony.

Dear children,

Exactly 60 years ago, on those beautiful autumn days in Hanoi, young men and women in their late teens and early twenties, bewildered and hesitant, stepped onto the steps of the magnificent university building at 19 Le Thanh Tong Street. This was the main campus of Hanoi University, one of the five universities newly established after the resistance war against French colonialism. It was the first graduating class of our university, and those students are now in their eighties or so.

I am fortunate to be one of them. After graduating from university, I stayed on at the History Department as a lecturer and retired at the age of 70. Thus, I have been associated with the university for exactly half a century, and after retirement, I have continued to be involved with the university for another 10 years, and hopefully for many more years to come. Therefore, I am very proud of our university, now the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi. And on this occasion, I would like to briefly outline the university's traditions so that you, the new students of the 61st cohort, understand that you have become members of a long-standing university with a rich and proud history. I would like to mention the following five points:

1.A prominent and consistent feature throughout the existence and development of our school is...patriotic tradition,Ready to sacrifice for independence and unity, to protect the sacred territorial and maritime sovereignty of the Fatherland. The first generation of professors at our school were patriotic intellectuals who, following the call of the Fatherland and inspired by President Ho Chi Minh, dedicated their entire lives to education and scientific research during the two arduous and perilous wars of national liberation. Following in the footsteps of their predecessors, many generations of cadres and students in the 1960s and 1970s enthusiastically set out on the front lines.Crossing the Truong Son mountain range to save the country."...contributing to the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. The dedication and sacrifice, exemplified by heroic martyrs such as Le Anh Xuan, Chu Cam Phong, and many other lecturers and students, have built eternal monuments and are the pride of generations of staff, officials, and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities today."

2.As a major scientific institution of the country,A tradition of enduring progress towards scientific excellence.The spirit of scholarship has deeply permeated the thoughts and aspirations of generations of teachers and students, leaving a strong mark on the academic spirit of the School. The leading professors and subsequent scientific staff have devoted their intellect and efforts to researching social and humanistic issues, leaving behind many famous works of theoretical and practical significance. It can be said that in every stage of the School's development, significant works have emerged, addressing issues related to national traditions as well as solving problems that have arisen and continue to arise in the country's development process. These scientific products are valuable assets contributing to the nation's knowledge base, leaving lasting values ​​for today and tomorrow.

3.Achieving these two things is the result ofTraditions are inherited and continuously connected.Between generations of teachers and students, for the past 70 years, students, researchers, and young lecturers have diligently studied the work of previous generations of scientists, both absorbing and continuing their work, while also supplementing and enhancing many scientific arguments to form "wave of knowledge"Continuity and continuous development. The development of many faculties and departments within the University is a concrete result of the spirit of continuous inheritance and continuity, without interruption or stagnation, creating the very basic conditions for the long, almost endless scientific journey of our University."

4.From its inception, the university prioritized foreign relations, primarily with major universities in socialist countries such as Lomonosov University, Peking University, and Humboldt University. With the Doi Moi (Renovation) period, the doors to foreign relations opened wider, and the university's international relations developed strongly. In addition to socialist partners, the university and its faculties quickly established connections with universities in France, Germany, the United States, Japan, Australia, China, and many universities in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and other continents. To date, the number of countries and universities with which the university has relations has increased dramatically. Students from many countries have come to study at our university, and our students and staff have received training from many countries. This creates a unique characteristic of the university.tradition of international integration,This has yielded results in many areas of training, research, and scientific exchange… Clearly, today, international integration is an essential requirement for creating a crucial intellectual resource for the development of social sciences and humanities in Vietnam.

5Finallyhumanist traditionAs the name of the University suggests, 70 years of construction and development have left a profound mark on the human relationships between teachers and students, between generations, and between the University and society. Therefore, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities...They have earned the trust of society, not only in academic content but also in lifestyle and conduct in communication and all aspects of life. It can be affirmed that the humanistic tradition has created a healthy and pure educational environment, and through that, has led to success in promoting the aforementioned traditions.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, and dear children,

In general, the traditions of our School today are the inheritance and crystallization of the glorious traditions of the Party and the entire nation. In turn, as an institution for training and research in social sciences and humanities, we must continuously develop and spread these traditions in society, propagate and nurture them in the hearts of future generations, creating an invaluable and inexhaustible resource to build the future of the country, contributing to bringing freedom and happiness to our people as President Ho Chi Minh hoped.

Recalling the fine traditions of the University, we express our gratitude to the generations of senior teachers who laid the foundation stones for today's university; we are grateful to the soldiers and compatriots, including many lecturers and students of our University, who contributed their blood and lives to the struggle to protect the independence and territorial integrity of our country so that we can teach and study peacefully in the lecture halls, integrate into social life, and join universities around the world.

With deep gratitude to our predecessors and a heavy responsibility towards the future, all of us students of Class 61 pledge to continuously strive for excellence together.Humanistic Will,Humanistic Spirit and Humanistic TraditionIn just four more years, you will complete your course, proudly and deservedly knowing that you have studied and grown here, and will continue the glorious tradition of our university, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – VNU Hanoi.

Thank you very much.