During their working visit to the United States, the delegation from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), led by Professor Nguyen Van Khanh (Rector), attended the Vietnam-US Dialogue Forum on Religious Freedom in Washington DC on June 19, 2013.
The forum was co-organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States, the Institute for Global Engagement, and Brigham Young University. The forum attracted a large number of international scholars and guests, religious organizations, non-governmental organizations, domestic and international news agencies, and staff from the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States. Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Cuong attended and delivered the opening remarks at the forum.
The delegates listened to and discussed two main reports on religion and religious freedom in Vietnam. In the report "Religion in Vietnam and State Policy on Religious Freedom," Professor Do Quang Hung (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) highlighted the significant changes in religious life and the considerable progress in institutionalizing the right to freedom of religion and belief in Vietnam. His presentation focused on analyzing various aspects of the requirements and the process of forming a public policy within the legal system on religion in Vietnam. This is considered one of the fundamental levers to promote the process of reforming religious policy to meet the increasing number of religious organizations and recognized followers. At the same time, the establishment of a public policy system on religion is also consistent with the guidelines and policies of the Vietnamese Party and State in addressing and resolving religious issues in Vietnam according to international practices and standards, while also being consistent with the characteristics and ensuring the fundamental principles of national interests and national culture. Professor Do Quang Hung particularly emphasized the importance of building a public policy system on religion for the development of a comprehensive rule of law state on this issue. According to him, "international experience shows that it will be very difficult to resolve the conflicts in the relationship between religion, civil society, and the state without the role of a rule of law state on religion."
Speaking at the forum, Professor Nguyen Van Khanh, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, highlighted the pioneering role of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities as one of Vietnam's leading academic centers in researching religious issues, promoting international cooperation and exchange of experience on religion with scientific institutions both domestically and abroad. In the presence of numerous international guests, Professor Nguyen Van Khanh affirmed that the leadership and staff of the University always pay attention to and support objective cooperation projects, with a sincere and open dialogue on religion, aiming towards the common goal of contributing to the overall economic, cultural, and social development and international integration, and the growth of training and research in the social sciences and humanities in Vietnam.
Within the framework of the forum, Professor Nguyen Van Khanh, representing the University, signed a cooperation agreement between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Brigham Young University, and the Institute for Global Engagement (USA) in the presence of the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States. Simultaneously, Professor Do Quang Hung and the other parties signed an addendum to the memorandum of understanding regarding comparative research on religion and the rule of law between Vietnam and the United States. Based on these documents, the parties expect to strengthen cooperative relations between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and its US partners, particularly in the field of religious studies, in the future.