On March 27, 2013, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities organized a scientific seminar on the topic: "Draft amendments to the 1992 Constitution, amendments concerning the political system and the organizational structure of the State apparatus of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam."Attending the event were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh - Vice Rector of the University, and Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao - Director of the Institute for Legislative Research of the National Assembly. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly held discussions with faculty, lecturers, and students from the departments of International Studies, Oriental Studies, Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language, and Political Science. Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao presented the new features in the Draft Amendment to the 1992 Constitution, such as the relationship between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; the political system and the reform of the state apparatus… Particularly concerning the organization of power, Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao emphasized that the fundamental new point of this constitutional amendment is the clear establishment of the three powers: legislative, executive, and judicial. This also forms the basis for controlling power, a completely new issue not addressed in previous constitutions. Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao also highlighted another new point in the Draft Amendment to the 1992 Constitution. Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao mentioned that Chapter 2 of the draft regulations on human rights, fundamental rights and obligations of citizens has added the concept of "human rights," meaning that in addition to Vietnamese citizens, it also includes foreigners living in Vietnam who are respected and protected according to the Constitution and laws. This reflects Vietnam's integration with the international community. In addition, other amendments related to economic, scientific, cultural, educational, technological, and environmental issues were also mentioned in his presentation. Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao stated that a review of 20 years of implementing the current Constitution shows that the 1992 Constitution is still valid, valuable, and relevant. However, there are also issues that are no longer appropriate, and some content is still lacking, therefore requiring amendment and supplementation. Many students raised questions and concerns related to issues such as: Should the country's name be changed to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam? What are the roles, positions, and powers of the President? Should the age of criminal responsibility for minors be lowered?
Dr. Dinh Xuan Thao had a detailed discussion on issues of concern to the students. At the end of the talk, Dr. Thao expressed his hope that the students – the future scientists and intellectuals of the country – would make positive contributions to the draft amendment of the 1992 Constitution.
