Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Phung: Reaping happiness with love and passion

Exactly one year ago, on October 14, 2014, at the inauguration ceremony of the new Faculty Board, as the previous Faculty Board, Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Phung gave a short speech, but left many emotions and impressions on the attendees: “It is a great joy to see that the Faculty Board of the new term are all 20 years younger than me, with high aspirations, bright minds, full of energy, enthusiasm and creativity. Many people told me that, at the end of the term, having such successors is happiness. And today, I am truly a happy person.!”.

I kept thinking about her concluding sentence. Indeed, few people can say “I am a happy person” with such joy and radiance from the bottom of their hearts. This sentence helped me recall the happiness that she had cherished and gathered throughout her journey of several decades, from a studious girl from Thai Binh, to an excellent student, a dedicated scientist, an experienced manager and an Excellent Teacher in the hearts of generations of students.

Associate Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Teacher Vu Thi Phung/Photo: Thanh Long

Once, she invited the whole faculty to visit her newly built house on her parents' old land in Thai Binh. We happily enjoyed the fresh air of the countryside, with tiled roofs, brick yards, gardens, fish ponds, and could not stop admiring. But she showed us a picture of the old house, with earthen walls, thatched roofs, and bamboo panels as the door, with the words "Where Mother raised us to grow up and mature" underneath. She said that when her father joined the army and died, she was only 8 years old, but she already had 3 younger siblings. Her family was poor and hard-working, but she always loved to study and read books. Her happiness was to let her buffaloes roam the wide grassy area and sit and read books on all topics borrowed from friends around the commune. Books helped her not only become a good literature student throughout high school but also led her to Hanoi University, becoming a student of the History Department (1976-1980 class).

In 1980, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Archives - History, she was retained by the University as a lecturer in the Department of Archives, Faculty of History, Hanoi National University. For her, that was a lucky and happy thing. She always silently thanked the teachers of the Department of History and the Department of Archives, because thanks to their choice, she had the opportunity to continue studying and contributing to her career. In 1998, she studied further and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Law from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. A year later, she successfully defended her doctoral thesis in historical science with a research topic on "State management documents in the Nguyen Dynasty". In 2005, she was awarded the title of Associate Professor. In 2014, she was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal and the title of Excellent Teacher by the State. On the day Khoa organized the Anniversary Ceremony on November 20, 2014 and congratulated her on this important event, we saw her smiling brightly. She said again in uncontrollable emotion, “I feel lucky and happy!”

If we just list the events in chronological order, someone would think that her path seems smooth and favorable. But as her students and now colleagues, we know clearly that the happiness she has achieved is not simple and is truly worthy.

I have always been curious and asked myself many questions about the appreciation of students, graduate students, and researchers for Ms. Phung's lectures. Indeed, when I was her student, due to the "immaturity" of youth, I naturally absorbed the knowledge she taught without paying attention to her art of communication. Later, when I became a lecturer, I realized that it was really difficult to achieve the same ability as her. Curiosity urged me to want to re-attend the courses she taught. Her characteristic "hoarse" but very "catchy" and attractive voice has captivated many generations of students during their university days. The profound knowledge conveyed with passion, enthusiasm, combined with wit and humor have made her lectures "really short" and often ended in the regret of the students wanting to "extend" them further. Not only with students, later on, I had the opportunity to join her in many short-term training courses for many agencies, organizations or businesses nationwide, and I realized that her ability to "inspire" also spread to cadres, civil servants and public employees of all ages, positions or different professions. And I have partly realized the secret in the classroom hours that has become her "brand". It is the happiness in teaching, the work that she always told us is ""Sow knowledge, reap virtue"has made her successful lectures - the happiness of living a useful life for others. She has helped me realize the first truth in my teaching career: "To excel in the classroom, each lecturer must feel happiness in his or her own lectures". Ms. Phung's first happiness lies in that simple reason.

In her scientific research, she has made remarkable contributions to the sciences of history, law, text studies, archival studies and office administration. Specifically, she has chaired and participated in 4 state-level projects, 10 ministerial-level projects, and 2 grassroots-level projects. She has also participated in writing 9 books, including 5 books under her own name, and she is also the author of more than 90 scientific journal articles and conference proceedings. Some of her typical works written or edited include:History of Vietnamese State and Law(university textbook) published in 1997, reprinted with additions and corrections in 1998, 2003, 2008);Office secretary(university textbook, published in 2001, reprinted in 2003, 2008, 2010);State management documents of Nguyen Dynasty(monograph, published in 2005);Basic storage operations(textbook for vocational high school, published in 2006) and many other books.

In scientific research activities, Associate Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Student Vu Thi Phung has made remarkable contributions to the sciences of history, law, text studies, archival studies and office management/Photo: Thanh Long

After hours of enthusiastic teaching, her next happiness is to sit at her desk, working with new knowledge to create research products with high scientific content. Her passion for research has helped her accumulate a lot of valuable knowledge, fueling her teaching hours in class, and at the same time helping her solve many theoretical and practical problems in her field of study. She spends time at the end of the day, when teaching hours, worries, and busyness are temporarily put aside, to calm down with her research work. She often works very late, sometimes we receive emails from her when the time has changed to a new day. Since she was young, she has established this habit and maintained it until today. She confided that no words can describe the joy she feels every time she reads good articles and books, when she deciphers a complex scientific problem, or is unclear, or still has many problems. It is this passion for exploring new horizons of knowledge that has helped her publish many research products of high theoretical and practical value, recognized by experts. Her sharp and concise thinking conveyed by a logical, tight and coherent writing style are easily recognizable characteristics in her research. Seeing her excitedly signing autographs for students and colleagues every time she publishes a scientific work, I know she is happy - a happiness called "passion for science".

She once confided: After nearly 40 years of studying and working at the school, I feel very lucky and happy. I see everything that comes to me as a dream, but that dream is real. And I wonder: could I have had those dreamlike things, if I had not chosen this school, if I had not had teachers, friends, and generations of wonderful students from the former Hanoi National University and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities today?/Photo: Thanh Long

In management activities, she has made many special contributions to the Department, the Faculty and to some extent to the management activities of the School. In 1996, the Department of Records and Archives was separated from the Faculty of History, becoming an independent department under the School. She and many teachers of the Department of Archives have devoted much effort to building the Department of Archives and Office Management today. In particular, during the period 2009-2014, in the position of Head of the Department, following the successes of previous generations of leaders, she led the unit to achieve important developments. All achievements of the Department in recent years bear her personal mark such as: transforming training programs; implementing the Doctor of Archival Studies training program; building the Master of Office Management training project; expanding domestic and international cooperation; building and implementing a number of new research directions on textual studies, archival studies and office management; Implement many professional activities to increase income for staff and create a close and cohesive working environment in the Faculty.

Fortunately, I was able to work as her assistant since I was at the School. I was completely convinced and captivated by her management qualities that I needed to learn. These were her creativity and determination in work, her ability to perceive and assign human resources skillfully, and her special sensitivity as a manager. Creativity helped her come up with many bold ideas in faculty and department management activities. Her ability to assign tasks and her determination in directing helped her successfully realize many management ideas. Finally, her sensitivity helped her skillfully coordinate and promote all the faculty's resources towards a common goal. All of the above qualities helped her achieve remarkable successes in her management work. I and many other staff members have truly matured during the process of collaborating with her. The development of the Department of Archival Science and Office Management today is the work of many generations of previous teachers, including a significant part of Ms. Phung. And we know she's happy about it too.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Phung is happy with her life partner - Associate Professor, Dr. Lam Ba Nam/Photo: Thanh Long

Not only is she a successful professional, Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Phung is also an exemplary wife and mother in her family. Her family is currently very happy with two generations pursuing scientific careers. Many young staff of the Faculty have taken her family model as a goal to strive for. Once, when answering a question about the "life and death" choice between family and career, she shared the following idea: "If I only choose family, I am a woman. If I only choose career, I am an intellectual. As an intellectual woman, I want to have both. But if life forces me to choose one, I will choose family and then, no matter how many tears I shed, I will not be able to ease my sadness." Fortunately, up to now, our aunt has not had to face that cruel choice. She often says that she is lucky to have a family where everyone loves and respects each other, shares household chores and always supports and encourages her when she encounters difficulties as well as when she has joys at work. Although busy with many tasks of the department and school, she always makes time for her family, takes care of her elderly mother, raises her children to adulthood, loves her grandchildren and shares the joy of work with her husband.

Her happiness seemed even more complete when her contributions were recognized by the organization and the state. For 12 years she was a grassroots emulation fighter, for 5 years she was a National University emulation fighter. She received noble certificates of merit from the Ministry of Education and Training and the Government. And especially in 2014, she was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal and the title of Excellent Teacher by the State. That was a worthy recognition for her efforts and dedication to her career and to life. Although both received the Third Class Labor Medal and many other certificates of merit, the two teachers decided to choose and hang in the living room two boards of the title of Excellent Teacher. She said that it was a noble reward for those in the teaching profession. Looking at her radiantly receiving congratulatory flowers from colleagues and generations of students, we saw her smiling happily.

At the Opening Ceremony of the new school year 2014-2015, she represented the staff and lecturers of the whole school to give a speech. Here is a quote from her speech: “After nearly 40 years of studying and working at the school, having taken on many roles: student, lecturer, researcher, manager; having learned from many respected teachers; having shared knowledge with many generations of students; having traveled to all provinces and cities in the country and flown to several countries in the world..., I feel very lucky and happy. Many times when I sit and think, I see everything that comes to me as a dream, but that dream is real. And I ask myself: could I have had those dreamlike things, if I had not chosen this school, if I had not had teachers, friends, and generations of wonderful students from the former Hanoi National University and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities today?”.

Currently, Associate Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Student Vu Thi Phung is still holding important positions in the Department of Archival Science and Office Administration such as Chairman of the Scientific and Training Council and Head of the Office Administration Department. Passionate and devoted to her work, she is still engrossed in the path of finding and reaping her own happiness through her love and passion for teaching, research and life.