General introduction

The Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language (VNH&TV) of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (formerly Hanoi National University) has gone through 55 years of formation and development, more than 60 years of tradition with the original mission:Teaching Vietnamese to foreign students, developing methods for teaching Vietnamese to foreigners, training interpreters.
From the political mission identified by the Ministry of Universities and Vocational Secondary Schools (in 1968) to focus on teaching languages ​​to foreigners in Vietnam (mainly strategic partners in diplomacy), the Faculty has now become a leading unit in professional trends in language teaching methods - applied Vietnamese linguistics in particular, contributing to positioning the quality of training in Vietnamese studies in general in the country and in the world.
Throughout the historical journey of disseminating, protecting and honoring Vietnamese language and culture, the Faculty of VNH&TV has firmly consolidated its professional position, political tasks and policy advice for the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam for many decades from the middle of the last century to the present. The Faculty of VNH&TV has accumulated a wealth of contributions and academic achievements of lasting value. The Faculty is not only the place where many famous teachers and scientists who have retired or are holding important positions in the university, postgraduate and scientific research system in the country work and grow up, but also a prestigious training institution for hundreds of Vietnamese bachelors and thousands of foreign students in VNH&TV. The Faculty has trained more than 15 ambassadors and charge d'affaires of countries in Vietnam.
Based on the educational philosophy, mission and vision of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Faculty of VNH&TV defines a system of viewpoints on educational philosophy, mission, vision and development orientation as follows:
-Mission: The Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Culture, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, has the mission of training high-quality, highly qualified human resources in Vietnamese studies, creatively disseminating knowledge of Vietnamese language and culture at home and abroad, serving the cause of building and innovating a prosperous, peaceful, and democratic Vietnam.
-Vision: To build the Faculty of VNH&TV into a highly interdisciplinary faculty, with teaching and research quality that is qualified to integrate well into the international academic environment, effectively serving the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.
-Educational philosophy:Humanity - Creativity - Connection - Integration
The educational philosophy of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Culture is formed on the basis of the educational philosophy of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU and the faculty's consistent mission, focusing on building a humane academic and working environment, promoting the spirit of innovation and creativity, constantly connecting and spreading Vietnamese language and culture to the world, creating a good position and integration posture for the Vietnamese Studies industry in the world academic community.
The basic research and service activities of the faculty are interdisciplinary with the aim of applying the achievements of the Social Sciences and Humanities to real life, orienting the application to serve the cause of sustainable development. On the other hand, the Faculty of VNH&TV is also the focal point for connection, cooperation and academic exchange between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU with localities and domestic and foreign partners.
History of formation
• In 1956, the Vietnamese Language Department under Hanoi University was established with the function and mission of training Vietnamese language and culture for foreign students coming to study under the agreement between the Vietnamese government and other countries.
• In 1968, the Vietnamese Language Department, Hanoi University of Science, was established on the basis of the Vietnamese Language Group, affirming the position and importance of training Vietnamese language and culture for foreigners in the Vietnamese university education system.
• In 1995, the Vietnamese Language Department was renamed the Department of Vietnamese Language and Culture for Foreigners.
• In 1999, the Ministry of Education and Training signed Decision No. 826/QD-BGD&DT-DH, allowing the Faculty to train bachelor's degrees in Vietnamese language and Vietnamese culture for foreign students. Once again, the Faculty's training system was expanded.
• In 2008, Hanoi National University signed a decision to promulgate the training program of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, including 2 majors: Vietnamese Studies for Vietnamese people and Vietnamese Studies for foreigners.
• In 2008: Hanoi National University signed a decision to change the name of the Faculty of Vietnamese Language and Culture for Foreigners to the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language.
Outstanding achievements
* Contributions and prospects of the VNH&TV department in the government's policy on overseas Vietnamese
In recent years, the faculty has been the main unit in designing the program.Training Vietnamese teachers for Vietnamese people abroadfor the government, well meeting the need to train Vietnamese teachers for overseas Vietnamese in accordance with the spirit of Resolution 36 of the Politburo.
Since 2015, the Faculty has initiated the presentation of the Project "Enhancing online Vietnamese language teaching for overseas Vietnamese" and by 2020, the Faculty officially received the task from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to successfully complete this project (Decision No. 1382/QD-TTg, dated July 12, 2016).
Faculty successfully organized compilationFramework for teaching Vietnamese to overseas Vietnameseaccording to the Vietnamese Language Proficiency Framework for Foreigners (under the project)Improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning Vietnamese for Vietnamese people abroad, Decision No. 14/QD-TTg, dated January 6, 2017).
With its professional potential, the faculty was invited by the Ministry of Education and Training to carry out two important projects:
- Project "Developing bilingual Vietnamese teaching materials (Vietnamese - English) for Vietnamese children abroadi”, Decision No. 2623/QD-BGDDT signed on September 14, 2020, Ministerial-level Project, chaired.
- Project "Bilingual document set guides grandparents, parents, and grandparents to teach Vietnamese to their children and grandchildren in the family in accordance with common languages ​​and the host country's language.", Project of the Ministry of Education and Training in 2023, presiding over Volume 2 - level 2.
In addition, the faculty plays a leading professional role in building the "Vietnamese language teaching channel for overseas Vietnamese", a regular task assigned by the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in 2022 and 2023, and is being actively implemented, bringing many positive effects to overseas Vietnamese communities around the world.
In 2023, the faculty made a major turning point in participating in the processes of connecting, spreading and developing Vietnamese language teaching in European countries. Within the framework of the working program of the Ministry of Education and Training in Northern Europe, under the direction of the Board of Directors of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-USSH), the faculty participated in exchanges and agreed to support overseas Vietnamese in Sweden to improve their Vietnamese language skills and preserve Vietnamese culture in the coming time. This is the first large-scale set of learning materials in Vietnam for overseas Vietnamese, including: teaching materials, teaching method guides, phonetic correction materials and a set of high-quality supplementary materials covering the following areas: social sciences and humanities, science and technology, Vietnamese cultural and artistic forms, tourism, cuisine, commerce, a handbook for common Vietnamese communication and teaching Vietnamese through a collection of Vietnamese fairy tales. In addition, the faculty has compiled sets of primary, intermediate and advanced assessment documents, along with a test bank to assess the 6-level competency framework of Vietnamese for overseas Vietnamese. Of the 35 completed manuscripts, language teaching experts from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU, have devoted more than 2,000 pages to a total of 6 books that provide guidance to parents and teachers on how to teach children in overseas Vietnamese families and multicultural families with Vietnamese fathers and/or mothers.
The Faculty is facing good prospects for cooperation with Nordic countries with three key trends: organizing advanced Vietnamese language teaching training courses for Vietnamese language teachers in Sweden; periodically providing - through the Embassy - a system of Vietnamese language teaching and learning materials as well as documents on Vietnamese culture; sending school staff to educational institutions in Sweden to develop programs and teach Vietnamese language and subjects about Vietnam under the direction of superior agencies. In the near future, the Faculty is expected to contribute expertise to the formation of training development support centers: Vietnam studies, Vietnamese language certification exams and teaching Vietnamese culture in France and Austria.
*Contributions and prospects of the Faculty of VNH&TV in the Government's strategy on foreigners in Vietnam
To serve the training of various systems and students from many nationalities around the world, the faculty compiles textbooks, lectures, monographs, reference books, and manuals that are appropriate and updated to the needs of innovation in the modern university management system. After more than half a century of professional activities, the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language has a team of highly qualified teachers and scientists, strong permanent lecturers in terms of capacity and ready to carry out teaching activities, scientific research, and knowledge transfer to serve the community.
The Faculty is considered a pioneer, leading the trend in the field of language teaching methods and Vietnamese linguistics nationwide through the following achievements:
1. Compiled successfullyVietnamese proficiency framework for foreigners, applied nationwide and in many countries (Decision No. 17/2015/TT-BGDDT, dated September 1, 2015).
2. Compiled successfullyFormat of Vietnamese proficiency test according to Vietnamese proficiency framework for foreignersapplied nationwide and in many countries (Decision on promulgating the Exam Format No. 2097/QD-BGDDT and Decision on approvingDocument guiding the construction of test questions and grading according to the Vietnamese proficiency test format for foreignersNo. 2098/QD-BGDDT, dated June 21, 2016).
3. Compiled successfullyVietnamese Teacher Training Program for Foreignerssystematically
With significant achievements in cultural diplomacy, political missions to the country, and professional stature, the faculty was honored to be awarded the Second Class Labor Medal by the State twice in 2009 and 2018.
In 2023, under the direction of the school, the faculty coordinated with the Training Department, the Center for Communication and Information Technology, and the Center for Language and Culture of the school to successfully develop a project to assess Vietnamese proficiency on computers according to the Vietnamese Proficiency Framework for foreigners.
After nearly 65 years of establishment and development, the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Vietnamese Language possesses the first team of lecturers including prestigious scientists in the field such as Prof. Dr. People's Teacher Hoang Trong Phien, Prof. Dr. People's Teacher Dinh Van Duc, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thach Giang, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Que, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Thanh, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Van Dam, Assoc. Prof. Dinh Thanh Hue, teachers Ha Vinh, Phan Van Hai, Le Thanh, Nguyen Thi Thanh, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Chi Hoa, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Thi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thien Nam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc...
Up to now, the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies and Language has 3 departments: Vietnamese Linguistics and Teaching Methods, Culture - Arts, Area Studies. The Faculty has more than 100 staff working in the Faculty, has achieved many important achievements in the fields of training and research on Vietnamese language, Vietnamese linguistics, and Vietnamese culture.
Development orientation
a) Regarding improving the quality of the staff: Continue to improve the quality of the department's teaching staff to meet the increasing requirements in training and research of the faculty and the school. The department's teaching staff will be given priority to develop 4 basic skills:
- International publication skills
- Skills to innovate teaching methods (for foreigners and Vietnamese)
- Presentation skills, professional teaching in English
- Teamwork skills
b) About training:
- Encourage lecturers to continue improving the quality of teaching courses in the direction of: (i) innovating thinking, approaches and pedagogical methods; updating new knowledge and new information; (ii) increasing time for practical discussion in class and practical experience for students.
- Ensure that each course of all systems and levels has a curriculum that has been approved or published.
- Participate in adjusting and innovating the faculty's training programs to suit the actual situation.
• c) Regarding scientific research:
- Continue to participate in guiding student scientific research topics in the direction of "cultivating high" and investing in key areas.
- Continue to promote international publication, prioritizing high-level publications.
- Continue to preside over National University level topics and State level topics (Nafosted fund, ...)
- Strengthen cooperation with international partners to promote student, faculty and publication exchanges.