General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a student at the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University, from 1963 to 1967, under the supervision of Professor Ha Minh Duc. In 1967, under the guidance of Professor Dinh Gia Khanh, the fourth-year student successfully defended his graduation thesis on the topic: "Folk poetry and the poet To Huu." He was the only one to achieve the highest possible score.
In that same academic year, the General Secretary had the honor of being admitted into the ranks of the Party, a very rare, sacred, and proud achievement for students at that time.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's special affection for the university where he spent his college years is evident in the deeply moving impressions he expresses whenever he speaks about the school, his teachers, and his classmates; in his sincere words of encouragement and insightful guidance for the school's development strategy...
In 2010, during a visit to the school, meeting with teachers, friends, and subsequent generations of students, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, as an alumnus of the Faculty of Literature, emotionally shared: "I have grown up in this school and will forever be proud of the traditions and reputation that the school has built."
The General Secretary's simplicity and sincerity always made a strong impression on generations of teachers and students whenever he returned to visit the school. Having studied seven years after the General Secretary, Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Long, former Party Secretary and former Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, and lecturer in the Faculty of Literature, shared his deeply moving thoughts about the esteemed leader.
"For several decades, few national leaders have demonstrated such profound consistency in thought, morality, and lifestyle as the General Secretary. Such a person possesses a very far-sighted vision, and only with such qualities could he fulfill his responsibilities. There is pride and admiration, but one thing is certain: his cultural character was immense, and his passing has left a huge void in society and in people's hearts," said Associate Professor Dr. Pham Quang Long.
Associate Professor Pham Quang Long, former Party Secretary and former Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
According to Professor Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is an outstanding leader, a great thinker, a brilliant intellect and character, and a great moral personality who lived a simple yet noble life for the country and its people.
According to Professor Hoang Anh Tuan, the General Secretary was an outstanding former student of the Literature Department. During his years as a leader at the Communist Magazine, the Hanoi City Party Committee, the National Assembly, and the Central Committee of the Party, he always paid special attention to the university, sharing many insights and advice with successive generations of leaders on the direction of development.
Professor Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
Proud of the General Secretary's example, Associate Professor Dr. Trinh Cam Lan, Head of the Linguistics Department, sent meaningful words of encouragement to the students: "Students, in any period or circumstance of history, as well as in each person's life, should strive to live life to the fullest and dedicate themselves fully to the common good of their small community, the larger community of society, and ultimately, their own careers."
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Cam Lan, Head of the Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
A humble leaderFor many students who have studied or are currently studying at the school, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong remains a very close former student, a great role model who encourages them to constantly study, strive, and build their lives and careers.
Upon hearing that his school was flying flags at half-mast to commemorate General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Tran Duc Long, a student of the 63rd cohort of the Journalism Faculty, arrived at 7 a.m. with all his respect and emotion.
“At this very moment, not only I but the entire nation is immersed in immeasurable grief at the passing of Uncle Ho, a brilliant leader, an exemplary figure of morality, integrity, and dedication. As a journalist, he once said: 'Journalism is a noble and sacred profession. Revolutionary journalists must have a revolutionary spirit, a spirit of attack, of fighting to eliminate what is wrong and bad, protecting what is right and good, for the common cause of the country and the people.' That was also the guiding principle for me when I began my career.”
Tran Duc Long, a student of the 63rd cohort, Faculty of Journalism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
With similar feelings of nostalgia and emotion, student Nguyen Thi Nhung, from the 65th cohort of the Faculty of Literature, shared: “General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is a great example of morality and lifestyle. In his speeches, he always emphasized character and honor. He stressed that we should live lives of dedication and give our all so that this life has meaning. That is also what I have learned from him…”
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to meet you at the event welcoming the President of China. You were warm and approachable, noble yet simple and humble. I will try to learn from and emulate the moral qualities you taught and exemplified: We must live in such a way that we do not feel regret or remorse for the years we have lived in vain and wasted.”
Standing quietly in a corner of the schoolyard, gazing at the lowered flag with sorrow, Le Hai An, a student of the 67th cohort of the Faculty of Political Science, said emotionally: “General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once said: ‘If you are a flower, be a sunflower; if you are a bird, be a white dove; if you are a stone, be a diamond; if you are a person, be a communist.’ I feel fortunate to be a student and a young Party member at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, where he once studied.”
The General Secretary was a great personality, a banner of discipline, and a role model for the Party, always devoted to the revolutionary cause of the nation. The noble ideals he left behind have inspired me to constantly strive and make continuous efforts in my studies and training to develop comprehensively, to become a talented and virtuous person, and to contribute to building a stronger and more prosperous country in the future.”
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has passed away, but for the faculty and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, he will always be with them and remain a source of pride and immense encouragement for the university to continuously develop and grow, making worthy contributions to the cause of protecting, building, and developing the country as he always hoped and entrusted.
