Respect for a patriotic social scientist.

Professor Tran Van Giau was born on September 6, 1911, in An Lac commune, Chau Thanh district, Tan An province (Long An province). He attended Chasseloup Laubat High School in Saigon from 1925 to 1928. From 1928 to 1930, he studied in France. In May 1929, he joined the French Communist Party, collaborated with the party's Red Flag newspaper, and participated in demonstrations in Paris supporting the Yen Bai uprising, which led to his deportation back to Vietnam.

In 1930, Tran Van Giau joined the Indochinese Communist Party. From 1931 to 1933, he studied at the University of the East in Moscow (Soviet Union). Due to his patriotic and revolutionary activities, he was imprisoned by the French colonial authorities for seven years in Saigon, Con Dao, and Ta Lai prisons.

By August 1945, he led the uprising to seize power in Saigon and the southern provinces, serving as the provisional administrative chairman of the Southern region. After moving to the Viet Bac resistance zone in 1949, Tran Van Giau held the position of Director General of the Information Department, then professor at the University Preparatory School (1951-1954); professor of History at the Hanoi University of Education; professor of History at Hanoi University; and research specialist at the Vietnam Institute of History.

After the reunification of Vietnam (1975), Professor Tran Van Giau mainly lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City, serving as Chairman of the city's Social Sciences Council. Due to his outstanding contributions, he was awarded the title of People's Teacher (1992), the Ho Chi Minh Prize (1996), and the 80-Year Party Membership Badge (2010).

Over 70 years of revolutionary activity and social science research, Professor Tran Van Giau produced more than 150 works, totaling tens of thousands of printed pages. These works covered many different fields of social sciences and humanities, such as Philosophy, Ideology, Politics, History, Culture, Society, Education, and Religion.

Most appreciated and recognized by readers both domestically and internationally are his works on the history of philosophical thought in general, and the history of Vietnamese thought in particular. The objectivity of his work, his scientific and revolutionary approach to framing and understanding issues, his insightful interpretations, and his sharp, eloquent, and witty writing style have left a profound impression on generations of readers through the professor's numerous research papers.

Notably, Professor Tran Van Giau, a student of President Ho Chi Minh, was very dedicated and made many discoveries when writing about him. His works include "Portrait of Uncle Ho" (1985) and "The Fundamental Formation of Ho Chi Minh Thought" (1993). He also paid special attention to the topic of President Ho Chi Minh and the South of the Fatherland; notably, his research work "Gold in the Fire," a multi-authored study edited by Professors Tran Van Giau and Tran Bach Dang, was published on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the implementation of President Ho Chi Minh's Testament (Ho Chi Minh City, 2009).

Professor Vu Khieu, in his speech proposing candidates for the Ho Chi Minh Prize, highly praised Professor Tran Van Giau: "No Vietnamese person has written as much as Professor Tran Van Giau. Hundreds of thousands of pages of books have been published."

"The professor's monumental works contain an extremely rich content reflecting the intellectual achievements of the nation and the era. In terms of creative activity in the social sciences and humanities alone, I find very few who can compare with Professor Tran Van Giau!" And here, Professor Phan Dai Doan, a historian and student of the professor for over 40 years, having listened to his guidance, has deeply recognized a remarkable cultural portrait: "Professor Tran Van Giau is a modern-day scholar, shining brightly with patriotism, exemplary in morality, and insightful and erudite in intellect..."

In 2001, the Education Publishing House released the collected works of Tran Van Giau, nearly 1,300 pages long, to readers nationwide. The book is divided into four main parts: Philosophy and Thought; Vietnamese Patriotism and Revolution; The Vietnamese Working Class and the Communist Party; and Ho Chi Minh Thought. It was the revolutionary and scientific qualities, the thoughts on history, politics, culture, and education, along with the noble, pure, and steadfast character of Professor Tran Van Giau, that spurred the awareness and sentiment of the staff at the Education Publishing House regarding the necessity of publishing this collection, allowing readers of all generations to access the fundamental aspects of the Professor's treasure trove of knowledge.

I recall that on September 4, 2010, at Thong Nhat Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City), many delegations, colleagues, and students visited and celebrated Professor Tran Van Giau's 100th birthday. Vietnam Television respectfully reported that the Professor's health had deteriorated significantly. At 5 PM on December 16, 2010, the Professor passed away at the hospital. Fifteen delegations accompanied Professor Tran Van Giau to his final resting place... Many people recalled the event in 2001 when Professor Giau sold his house for 1,500 gold bars and donated the entire amount to the Vietnam Historical Association as an award to honor historical works on the Southern region of Vietnam.

Leaving behind respect and sorrow, especially within the national academic community, with his unwavering patriotism, outstanding intellect, and exemplary character, Professor, People's Teacher, and Hero of Labor Tran Van Giau has been and will continue to be remembered as an example "demonstrating the unity and completeness between fighting spirit and scientific rigor" (Vu Khieu) in a student very close to the moral example of Ho Chi Minh!

Kim Hung