Philosophy: The foundation of thinking and values for every professionOne of the most common concerns about Philosophy is its applicability and career opportunities. Practice has proven that doing philosophy has never been a job for the majority, but the value that philosophy brings is not limited to the individual but is universal to both society and the times. The value that Philosophy brings does not lie in training a specific profession, but in building and perfecting core thinking capacity - an invaluable asset that helps us adapt to all areas of our career and life.
The training program of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU aims to equip learners with a sharp set of thinking tools and a sustainable system of values, including:
- Knowledge of the history of philosophy: Wisdom distilled through thousands of years of human civilization, from East to West—things that have endured through countless changes in human politics, culture, and society.
- Critical and logical thinking: Ability to analyze information, identify weak arguments, forms of fallacy and evaluate issues objectively and multi-dimensionally. Ability to organize and systematize ideas, build tight, coherent and highly convincing arguments.
- Complex problem solving skills: Ability to approach new, unprecedented problems, analyze causes and propose creative solutions.
- Empathy and humanistic perspective: Philosophy is a journey into human nature, helping learners understand diverse cultural values and perspectives, thereby forming an attitude of respect and the ability to connect deeply.
Majors taught at the Faculty of PhilosophyIn a society where everything is changing rapidly, from the way students study and take exams to the administrative organization of a country and more broadly, the world's political, economic and cultural relations, young people cannot avoid being swept away by those rapid currents. At that time, what is constant and eternal is the most solid anchor for human growth and happiness. Thanks to that core and sustainable foundation, graduates of the Faculty of Philosophy have been growing and affirming their capacity in many diverse working positions: from cadres and policy makers in Party and State agencies; managers and specialists in enterprises and social organizations; researchers and lecturers at research institutes and universities and colleges across the country, to journalists, editors and media experts at news agencies.
From sustainability to innovation and creativityWith a history of nearly 50 years of formation and development (since 1976), the Faculty of Philosophy is one of the basic and largest faculties of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, a leading unit in philosophy training in Vietnam. The reputation of the Faculty is built by a team of dedicated, highly qualified lecturers with dozens of professors, associate professors and doctors participating in teaching. Many of them were trained and studied in Russia, Germany, China, Korea, and Japan.
Scientific research and international cooperation activities have always been a strength of the Faculty. Hundreds of research works, monographs, scientific articles (including prestigious journals in the ISI/Scopus list) are published annually. The Faculty maintains close cooperative relationships with many research institutes and large universities in the country and abroad (Germany, France, Russia, Korea, China...).
That internal strength and reputation are the resources for the Faculty of Philosophy to constantly innovate over the years, keeping up with the trends of the times. Scientific activities and short-term courses organized by the Faculty always attract a large number of professionals and young people to participate enthusiastically, such as the International Conference on Vietnamese Educational Philosophy: From Tradition to Modernity (2023), Gender issues in philosophy and culture: approaches, comparative research (2024), the class on the Foundations of Analytical Philosophy (2024), taught by Dr. Trinh Huu Tue and Prof. Dr. Ngo Bao Chau), or the course on the Essence of Oriental Philosophy with Modern Life and Management (2025, organized in collaboration with the Libero Institute).
Lecturers of the Course Essence of Eastern Philosophy (June 2025)
To meet the urgent needs of society for human resources for leadership and management with strategic vision and a solid ethical foundation, the Faculty of Philosophy has developed a new breakthrough major: Philosophy of Governance, starting training with the QH-X-2022 course (K67). This is an interdisciplinary training course, combining the best of three fields: Philosophy - Political Science - Management Science. This major was created to train future managers and leaders who are not only good at professional skills, but also profound in thinking, capable of making decisions based on a system of humanistic values and a comprehensive vision, decisions that only humans can make and no machine can replace. Students will be equipped with knowledge of organizational management, human resource management, policy analysis and criticism, and trained in a dialectical methodology and strategic thinking - factors that make the difference of an excellent leader in a volatile context.
Conclusion: Invest for sustainable value!Artificial intelligence can process data and optimize processes, but it cannot replace humans in setting goals, creating value, and making ethical judgments. In the future, individuals with the ability to think deeply, have strategic vision, and understand human nature will be the ones to lead the development of society.
Choosing to study and research at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU is a serious investment in those core and sustainable competencies. This is the path for young people who aspire to understand the world, master their thinking, master their lives and are ready to orient the future with wisdom and compassion.
Becoming a student of the Faculty of Philosophy, Gen Z will study in a dynamic environment, be encouraged to participate in scientific research early, participate in exciting academic activities such as the Philosophy Festival, Philosophy Olympiad and have the opportunity to receive many prestigious scholarships such as: Scholarship to attract talented students in basic sciences; Scholarship to nurture young scientific talents of VNU; Tran Duc Thao Scholarship; Danko Scholarship; Vingroup Scholarship; Posco Scholarship; Pony Chung Scholarship; Mitshubisi Scholarship; Dao Minh Quang Scholarship; SHB Scholarship; KT Scholarship, ... Students with an interdisciplinary development orientation also have the opportunity to register for a double degree in a number of other training majors at VNU, Hanoi, such as: Psychology, Journalism and Communication, International Studies, Management Science, Law ... to be able to graduate with two degrees and turn philosophy into their competitive advantage.
Philosophy Faculty students win Vietnam Philosophy Olympiad 2024
