The scientific webinar "Vietnamese urban architectural heritage preservation: Theoretical basis and lessons learned from ASEAN countries"

The webinar is organized by the collaboration between ASEAN Human Resources, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (HCMUSSH-VNU) and the Institute of Cultural Heritage and Development Studies, Van Lang University (VLU-Inches) on December 5th, 2021.

The event welcomed  the presence of many leaders and specialists from the People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as local and international research institutes and universities: Dr. Nguyen Minh Nhut-Deputy Head of Culture-Society Department, People's Council of Ho Chi Minh City; Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan – Director of Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History; Dr. Le Hoang Dung-Vice President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Tran Thi My Dieu-Rector of Van Lang University; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Phan Thi Hong Xuan-President of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association; Dr. Nikhil Joshi-National University of Singapore; and nearly 200 students and scholars interested in preserving traditional values in Vietnam.

Dr. Le Hoang Dung, Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, delivered the opening speech. Screenshots

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Dr. Le Hoang Dung affirmed: "As one of the country's two largest universities training in social sciences and humanities, we are always conscious of combining theory and practice based on a set of three core values: creativity, leadership, and responsibility. In order to ensure future sustainable development, we are always aware of and consult the experts' perspectives on past heritage preservation.” He also stated that the program organizers had received over 40 articles in both Vietnamese and English on relevant topics such as heritage conservation, ASEAN experiences with heritage conservation, and so on.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi My Dieu, the webinar represented each individual's belief and sense of responsibility in preserving traditional heritage. The research presented at the conference not only demonstrated its scientific worth, but also made significant contributions to heritage conservation. Assoc.Prof.Dr. Phan Thi Hong Xuan, President of the Vietnam-Southeast Asia Friendship Association, stated, "The content of the conference is consistent with ASEAN's theme in 2021- We care, We prepare, We prosper."

Over 3 hours, the webinar consisted of 3 sessions with 7 topics on preserving traditional architectural heritage in Vietnamese urban areas today. Through the research of the speakers: "Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space creates foundation for sustainable development" (Dr. Nguyen Thi Hau), "Preserving and Promoting Urban Architecture in HCMC" (Dr. Nguyen Duc Tuan), etc., many issues are presented and analyzed in detail: the relationship between the state and the community in preserving cultural heritage; the 4 backbones of sustainable development; architectural preservation goes hand in hand with economic development; experience in preserving and developing ancient urban architecture in Singapore, etc.

Nguyen An

Translator: Ngoc Han