Vinh University: Proud and Shining Bright

(Baonghean.vn) - Over 55 years of construction and development, Vinh University has forged a tradition that has become the identity of a university that is a major center for education, training, and scientific research in the North Central region and the whole country. Entering its 55th training course, the university is honored to receive the First-Class Independence Order for the second time.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan presents the Independence Order to Vinh University.

During the solemn ceremony, the joy of generations of teachers and students of the university was multiplied by the presence of Professor – Doctor Nguyen Thi Doan - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, leaders of central ministries and agencies, the Command of Military Region IV, leaders of Nghe An province, and leaders from other provinces and universities. The university was also honored to receive congratulatory flower arrangements from President Truong Tan Sang, Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung; Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan and leaders of central ministries and agencies. This is a tremendous encouragement and motivation for the teachers and students of Vinh University to continuously strive for excellence and achieve new successes on their path forward.

Delegates attending the anniversary celebration

Reviewing the 55-year journey of construction and development, the speech by Associate Professor, Doctor, Meritorious Teacher, Dinh Xuan Khoa - Provincial Party Committee member, Rector of Vinh University, showed that: In the late 1950s, amidst the victory of the entire nation after the resistance war against French colonialism, and the South continuing the people's democratic struggle against the American imperialist invasion, recognizing the demands of the revolution for the cause of national defense and development, the Party and State decided to establish the Vinh University of Education Branch in Vinh Town (now Vinh City).

The establishment of the Vinh Teacher Training University Branch was not merely aimed at training general education teachers for all levels in the North, but also carried immense political significance. It served as a bastion of socialism, a powerful testament to the superior nature of the socialist regime. From a branch with only 17 initial staff members and 158 students in two departments – Mathematics-Physics and Literature-History – the Vinh Teacher Training University Branch gradually matured and, three years later, became Vinh Teacher Training University, one of the first two teacher training universities in the socialist North. The difficulties of the early days of building socialism, the hardships of a poor and backward region, the brutality of war, and the eight long years of the school being evacuated through the provinces of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa – all contributed to its growth. Born in the impoverished Central region, rich in a tradition of learning, and tempered by the hot winds and white sands of Laos, our beloved Vinh University has now truly matured.

Cultural performances to welcome the anniversary celebration.

Over its 55-year history, Vinh University has grown into a major center for education, training, and scientific research in the North Central region and the entire country, making significant contributions to the cause of national construction and defense. It is a large and reputable teacher training center, providing tens of thousands of teachers at all levels, making a meaningful contribution to the development of education and training in the country. With over 40,000 students and trainees from all over the country and from countries in the region, studying 50 majors in 18 faculties with various training methods, it is also a major postgraduate training center, currently with 2,869 master's students and 106 doctoral candidates studying in 31 master's degree programs and 15 doctoral degree programs.

Vinh University is one of the first universities to successfully build and implement the transition from a single-discipline university model to a multi-disciplinary university model, creating models for the education and training sector, always having comprehensive and groundbreaking innovative solutions for higher education management; it has a sufficient number of qualified and well-structured faculty and staff, along with modern facilities and equipment, aiming to meet the standards of a key university.

The university consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in Vietnam with the most international publications. Over 80% of its graduates find employment in their field. Many alumni have become leading scientists, experts, and managers at educational institutions, research institutes, and major science, technology, and economic centers both domestically and internationally.

Sharing in the joy with the teachers and students of the university, in her speech at the ceremony, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan highly appreciated and acknowledged the development process of Vinh University. The Vice President also affirmed: With its rich tradition, Vinh University is one of the cradles of high-quality education and training in the country. Under any conditions, generations of teachers and students have overcome all difficulties and hardships, successfully fulfilling their assigned tasks. The university has built a position and brand among universities nationwide, gradually progressing to catch up with the training level of universities in the region and around the world. Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan also noted: “In the current context with many opportunities and challenges, for the country to develop and not fall far behind other countries in the region and internationally, it is necessary to have a sufficient supply of high-quality human resources. That human resource can only be obtained through education, and education, in which universities and academies, including Vinh University, is a crucial factor in determining this.”

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan presents scholarships to poor but academically excellent students at Vinh University.

To accomplish that task, although many difficulties remain, the university must demonstrate that it is a place with a healthy cultural environment; a gathering place for the nation's valuable intellectual resources in the period of reform; and an environment where talents can best express themselves and develop. Therefore, the university needs to focus on continuing to innovate teaching methods, improving the quality of teaching and learning, effectively implementing the principle of learning combined with practice, and theory linked to reality to enhance the capacity of both teachers and students. Teachers should be role models for students to emulate, not only in character and qualities but also in their ambition to excel in their profession through improving the quality of teaching, scientific research, and creativity in their professional work. Students should actively study and train, employ highly effective learning methods, and cultivate life skills to meet new demands.” The Vice President expressed his hope that the Ministry of Education and Training, the provincial leadership, and the people of Nghe An would continue to support the continuous development of Vinh University's education.

Commending and congratulating the generations of staff, teachers, and students of Vinh University, Comrade Ho Duc Phoc – Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee – further affirmed: "Vinh University is a school that contributes high-quality human resources to the province in particular and the whole country in general; it is a leading center among training centers in Nghe An, contributing together with the Party Committee and people of the province to successfully implement the goals of Resolution 26 of the Politburo. Through this, it contributes to making Nghe An a center for human resource training for the North Central region, becoming the most prosperous province in the North as President Ho Chi Minh always wished." The Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee also promised that Nghe An province will create all conditions and give attention to ensure Vinh University's continuous development for the cause of education and training.

Returning to school after many years of separation, many former teachers and students of Vinh University could not hide their emotions mixed with pride. Professor Tran Ngoc Giao – a former teacher and student of Vinh University – shared with emotion: “In 1967, when I enrolled in the special mathematics class at Vinh University of Education, it was a small hut in the mountainous region of Thach Thanh – Thanh Hoa. The lively lectures in the Mathematics department, the diligent practical sessions in the Experimental Department, the extracurricular talks on literature in the Literature department's hut… all overshadowed the harsh difficulties and hardships of war. Fortunately, the teachers who taught us were very young, belonging to the first generation of educators at the university. Through their admirable dedication, their enthusiastic optimism that made them forget the hardships, their passionate dedication to their profession, their incredible diligence, and their sincere and compassionate gestures, everyone felt at ease. Only now do I understand that this is the ‘essence’ of Vinh University. It’s an undercurrent that has seeped through generations and, when conditions allow, spreads.”

Perhaps the most joyful were the new students of the 55th cohort, the same age as the university itself. The campus was filled with young men and women dressed in vibrant red and blue uniforms, their faces beaming with smiles. Among them, Phan Thi Quynh Trang stood out with her slender figure in a traditional Vietnamese dress (áo dài). Quynh Trang is a first-year student in the Faculty of Literature. In the youthful excitement of the first day of school, with a bright, energetic smile, Trang shared: “Becoming a student at Vinh University has been my goal and dream since my high school days. It is an honor to be a student at Vinh University. This university, born in poverty, growing up amidst bombs and bullets, and becoming a beacon of hope in our heroic Soviet homeland, is a powerful motivation for me to strive in my studies and training to become a useful citizen. We promise to study and train hard, worthy of being students of Vinh University.”

A moment of profound emotion unfolded as faculty and students of Vinh University witnessed the sacred occasion when Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan awarded the Second First-Class Independence Order to Vinh University. Comrade Ho Duc Phoc, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, on behalf of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee, presented a banner bearing the inscription:Vinh University: Unity, intelligence, civilization, development.This is a prestigious award from the Party and the State recognizing the achievements of Vinh University, and affirming the university's position and prestige in the Vietnamese higher education system.

Dao Tuan - Thanh Le