Professor Mach Quang Thang - Following in the footsteps of President Ho Chi Minh
“The profession chose me; it was like a predestined fate in my life. From the path of scientific research to approaching, understanding, and studying the people and thoughts of Ho Chi Minh and the Communist Party of Vietnam, it is a path that seems ever wider and longer the further I go…” (Prof. Dr. Mach Quang Thang). Along that path, he has demonstrated the character, talent, and honesty of a historian, with works of profound practical and contemporary value.
Le Xuan /Technique:Hong ToaiSeptember 19, 2025
Professor Mach Quang Thang's hometown is in Quynh Mai ward, a picturesque coastal area associated with the Corn Temple, the most sacred temple in Nghe An province. His generation was born during the period when North Vietnam was building socialism and fighting against the destructive war waged by the American imperialists. Back then, the high school system was 10/10, not 12/12 as it is now. Classrooms were made of bamboo and thatch, and during wartime, people even borrowed villagers' homes to study. “The classroom was sometimes half-submerged to avoid bombs and bullets, so whenever it rained, the water would flood up to half the classroom. At those times, the students had to wade through the water to sit at their desks to study. Only the platform for the blackboard and the teacher's seat were elevated and not submerged. Once, the math teacher called a student to the blackboard to do an exercise. The student waded through the water and unfortunately fell, getting completely soaked. The whole class burst into laughter, while the teacher panicked and rushed down to help, his clothes also stained with mud. After that, when the classroom was flooded, the teacher didn't call anyone to the blackboard anymore.” (“Choosing a Profession - the Profession Chooses,” Prof. Dr. Mach Quang Thang)
After graduating from high school, he was selected by his school to study at a university abroad. The medical examination was held in Do Luong district, nearly a hundred kilometers from his home. Borrowing a bicycle was difficult enough, but getting there was even more arduous. Upon arrival, he rushed straight into the examination, only to be rejected because his health was deemed unfit.
It was a stroke of luck that, in mid-October 1970, Mach Quang Thang received an acceptance letter from the University of Hanoi. He packed a simple bag and set off for the capital. For the first time, he walked from Hang Co Station to Hoan Kiem Lake, and it was also the first time he had seen Hoan Kiem Lake, The Huc Bridge, Ngoc Son Temple, and the Turtle Tower. Everything was new and unfamiliar to him. He then proceeded to house number 16 on Le Thanh Tong Street to complete the enrollment procedures.
Hanoi was entering autumn, with a slight chill and rustling breezes, mingled with a rich, milky fragrance, making his steps light and airy. He had officially become a student of the 15th cohort of the History Department at Hanoi University, beginning a new academic journey.
During the war, the school was evacuated to many places, from Thanh Oai and Ba Vi districts in Ha Tay province to Yen Phong district in Ha Bac province… Despite the hardships and shortages, the history students of that year were fortunate to study under the four pillars of national historiography: Professors Dinh Xuan Lam, Phan Huy Le, Ha Van Tan, and Tran Quoc Vuong, along with many other dedicated lecturers who ignited passion, enthusiasm, and a humane and noble way of life. While the school was evacuated, the students lived in rural villages with the local people, and class time was limited. However, as time went on, Mr. Mach Quang Thang realized that this was an incredibly valuable period. These great teachers imparted knowledge and, more importantly, nurtured a passion for scientific research in that generation of students.
After five years of diligent study, Mach Quang Thang was assigned to work at the Central Party History Research Department, specifically in the research group on the period when the Party led the socialist revolution. He began participating in the research and compilation of Party history, such as: Party documents 1930-1945, 1945-1954; and research works on the life, career, and ideology of Ho Chi Minh and other Party leaders...
In October 1982, he was sent by his agency to pursue postgraduate studies at the Institute of Party History, Bulgarian Academy of Social Sciences. This was a major turning point in his research career, laying the foundation for him to later become the youngest professor of History in our country.
Coincidentally, the day he left for his postgraduate studies was also in October, and along both sides of the road from the airport to the university were endless rows of roses, bathed in the romantic golden sunlight of autumn in the Balkan region. Back then, the country was still struggling, and studying abroad meant carrying a heavy burden of pressure. He had to strive to learn and master a second language and acquire new knowledge and methodologies; while also saving and economizing to buy something to send home to help his family during a time of scarcity. Both tasks were equally difficult. At times, he thought he would hardly be able to overcome them.
One of his greatest lessons learned during his time studying in Bulgaria was the methodology of historical research: always respect the truth, speak the truth clearly, and write truthfully. This is the principle he uses in his work and publications.
As a history student, Professor and People's Teacher Ha Van Tan taught his students from his school days: "Knowing the truth is not easy, and daring to speak the truth is often even more difficult. To write history, one must know the methods of historical research and, above all, be an honest person, not an opportunist."
He also read many lessons from Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian in China. The story from the Spring and Autumn period recounts that the three brothers, Grand Historians Ba, Zhong, and Shi, were successively beheaded simply for daring to write the truth:The Prime Minister of Qi, Cui Zhu, was killed.king", but refused to write as Cui Zhu ordered:The former king died of a serious illness."When the fourth brother, Quy, entered the court to replace his older brothers as the Grand Historian, he still wrote:In the fifth month, Cui Zhu liked the army."
Historian Quy made a bold statement to Cui Zhu, a principle that will forever be remembered in the practice of history:He could kill the Grand Historian, but he couldn't kill the minister.Real".
However, writing accurately and clearly about the truth is not easy. He spent his entire life searching for the truth. In the age of Industry 4.0, people have access to many information channels, making it seem easier to find the truth. But that's not the case.
Some argue that relying on the results of sociological surveys (using questionnaires) is highly accurate, but Professor Mach Quang Thang himself has witnessed the inaccuracies of such surveys. “Which numbers should a historian trust? Writing history inevitably involves describing events and figures. But which events and figures reflect the truth? Careless descriptions can lead to ‘descriptiveism,’ or what some call anecdotism in French. I see that in history writing, some people blindly believe in the numbers presented by their research subjects. Once blindly believing in the numbers, it becomes common to adopt the subject's opinions as one's own, even if those opinions are highly subjective and not true.”
In fact, doing so would mean that historians have moved from descriptive to subjective, prejudiced approaches, which many describe using the French term "fixism." (Professor Mach Quang Thang, "History is the sacred soul of the race and the wisdom of the nation," Vietnam Education Electronic Magazine; November 29, 2015).
According to Professor Mach Quang Thang, one cannot rely solely on written reports; only through fieldwork, practical experience, and thorough research can one hope to uncover the truth. This path is not always smooth and easy. Sometimes, it requires quiet, persistent pursuit, sometimes for months or even years, to find a meaningful figure and the true nature of events. History is a flowing stream, reflecting the objective laws of life. Only when it accurately and truthfully reflects life can that historical account truly reflect the spirit of the era and offer practical lessons for today and tomorrow. As a genuine historian, Professor Mach Quang Thang has dedicated his life to integrating history into practical, topical issues. His voice is objective and reliable, stemming from a rich and profound understanding of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, addressing the problems arising from the lives of the working people.
Over his 50-year research career, Professor Mach Quang Thang has focused on three main areas: the history of the Communist Party of Vietnam; the building of the Communist Party of Vietnam; and Ho Chi Minh Thought. With his rigorous training and dedication, Professor Mach Quang Thang's writings provide a comprehensive and authentic perspective on the modern and contemporary history of Vietnam. His writing style is authentic and accessible to everyone – researchers, students, and even elderly people eager to learn – allowing them to fully grasp the content he aims to convey.
To date, Professor Mach Quang Thang is the author of 162 books, both under his own name and co-authored with colleagues. With his unique perspective, each page he writes reflects his deep reflection and meticulous research, drawing from both academic sources and real-world experiences. Each work is a milestone on his scientific research journey. This path is never smooth, but fraught with challenges, demanding perseverance and passion. For him, ultimately, a scientific researcher is a servant of the people, serving them, writing about issues arising from real life, aiming to bring happiness and prosperity to the people and the nation.
His works on Party building and Party history are both systematic and comprehensive, as well as focused, becoming valuable resources for the social sciences and humanities, especially for politicians and researchers. In addition, Professor Mach Quang Thang devoted considerable effort to researching the life and thought of Ho Chi Minh. For him, it was a large and fascinating subject.
Still employing that intimate, heartfelt storytelling style, the narrative, from a village in Nghe An province to the grand context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is vividly portrayed in the work "Ho Chi Minh – The Man of Life." Many new details, such as the revolutionary activities of Uncle Ho from 1930 to 1941, are illuminated by reliable sources. The pen of a historian, at times imbued with profound emotion, at other times with a deep longing for him, resonates with the sentiments of people from various regions towards Uncle Ho. "Ho Chi Minh – The Man of Life," a work written over five years and compiled over ten years, is one of Professor Mach Quang Thang's most cherished works.
Professor Mach Quang Thang recounted that when he wrote this work, he had never met President Ho Chi Minh. However, one doesn't necessarily need to be present at the event to understand it. Using documents left behind by Ho Chi Minh himself and other domestic and international sources, and with a perspective that avoids deifying him, the work guides readers through each page, exploring the noble life of the President through his most ordinary actions and deeds… The book constructs a comprehensive portrait of a revolutionary moral figure, a great man with progressive ideas far beyond his time. From there, it highlights the important lessons of a ruling Communist Party and the path to socialism in Vietnam, according to Ho Chi Minh's perspective and ideology.
The cultural essence of Nghe An is evident in every aspect of daily life, humble yet profound, simple yet resolute, delving deeply into the issues under study. Perhaps, without a thirst for knowledge, a desire to contribute, and a commitment to a noble ideal, the Professor would not have been so deeply concerned. Somewhere within him emerges the image of a traditional Nghe An scholar, even though the Professor has lived in Hanoi for over 50 years. He still possesses the same yearning to understand things thoroughly, the same sincere and straightforward way of speaking, and still cherishes his hometown's gift: Nghe An eggplant, even after living far from his homeland for more than half a century.
Professor Mach Quang Thang has spent 50 years in research and is also a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Sciences. He believes that research is the root of a lecture; there can be no good lecture without in-depth research. Like a diligent bee producing honey, throughout his life, he has quietly absorbed knowledge and continuously disseminated it through theoretical lectures imbued with humanistic values and valuable scientific research works. To date, he has successfully supervised 12 doctoral dissertations, 19 master's theses, and led 20 state-level and ministerial-level scientific projects, with nearly 600 articles published in domestic and international scientific journals.
Throughout his life, Professor Mach Quang Thang has studied President Ho Chi Minh and his ideology, learning from him in everything from his demeanor to his lifestyle and work style. For him, learning from President Ho Chi Minh is not difficult… Every day we strive to do a good deed, multiplying good things, multiplying meaningful actions; that is also a way of learning from and following his moral example, for a better future.
