Vietnamese Studies (20 Years of Scientific Research)

Introduction

In the general progression of innovation and international integration, the field of Vietnamese Studies has been continuously making new strides, attracting the interest of a large number of researchers both at home and abroad. Researching Vietnamese Studies is one of the ways to help us revive and interpret the universal values of the nation, while placing them in the general context of the region and the world. With a path of exploitation that is both in-depth and diverse, the field of Vietnamese Studies has recently achieved significant progress.

As one of the units with a depth of research and teaching in Vietnamese Studies, the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, is on one hand sharing the common tasks of the whole sector, and on the other hand, is still striving to create its own identity. The work Vietnamese Studies (20 Years of Scientific Research) is one of three publications released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Faculty's establishment (1998-2018), alongside the proceedings Faculty of Vietnamese Studies – 20 Years of Construction and Development and the special journal….

Twenty years, not too long a journey when viewed from the perspective of a research field, but those twenty years are enough to mark many generations who have dedicated themselves to research and teaching at the Faculty. The first generation must include the names of professors such as Bui Khanh The, Dinh Le Thu, and Nguyen Van Lich, who accompanied the Faculty from the very beginning when it was still the Center for Vietnam – Southeast Asia Research. The achievements attained by this generation are always remembered and recalled during scientific meetings at the faculty. That is Bui Khanh The with his passion for the languages of ethnic minorities; Dinh Le Thu with her passion for researching the M’nong language and issues of educational development in Khmer ethnic areas; Nguyen Van Lich with his topics on Vietnamese and world history. The flame of their research enthusiasm was forged and passed on to subsequent generations, followed by the appearance of a series of new faces with new excitement in various fields, from linguistics to culture, history, literature... Nguyen Van Hue with Raglai folk tales, the culture and society of the Raglai people in Vietnam. Phan Thi Yen Tuyet with research works on marine culture, the culture of ethnic groups in the Mekong Delta, and issues of economic, cultural, and social transformation of the Cham and Khmer communities in Ho Chi Minh City. Le Khac Cuong with a passion for the M’nong and Ta Mun languages; Tran Thuy Vinh with the phenomenon of ambiguity in Vietnamese and English; Nguyen Van Pho with research on modern Vietnamese; Nguyen Thi Ngoc Han and Le Thi Minh Hang with a passion for Vietnamese grammar and its application in teaching Vietnamese to foreigners. Also in current research activities, besides the names that have established certain achievements for themselves, it is worth mentioning the young, enthusiastic lecturers. With the advantage of foreign languages, and having been trained at many advanced universities around the world, many of them are boldly experimenting with new directions and new approaches to research, contributing to placing Vietnam in the general global trend of movement.

With 47 articles selected from presentations and works published at Vietnamese Studies conferences and in specialized journals at home and abroad, the collection Vietnamese Studies (20 Years of Scientific Research) hopes to provide readers with an understanding of Vietnamese Studies, while also suggesting new thoughts and reflections. The articles in the collection are arranged into three parts with different approaches.

Part One: Vietnamese Linguistics: Consists of 25 articles exploring issues surrounding Vietnamese phonology, vocabulary, and semantics. These studies are often associated with the direction of practical application in teaching Vietnamese to foreigners to achieve optimal efficiency. Besides that, readers can also find here special interest in the group of ethnic minority languages, thereby seeing the richness in the linguistic life of the Vietnamese people.

Part Two: Literature – Culture: Consists of 14 articles revolving around issues of culture and literature, in which Vietnamese literature and culture, besides being seen as a separate entity with distinct characteristics, are also placed in the context of globalization to see the changes in the process of exchange and integration with the world.

Part Three: History – Society: Consists of 8 articles with diverse perspectives from history to culture, education, tourism, and economics. All contribute to diversifying the life of Vietnamese Studies research, while showing sensitivity in grasping the current issues of the country.

On the occasion of the launch of this collection to readers, on behalf of the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, we would like to sincerely thank the scientists and colleagues who have contributed, accompanied, and supported us so that this work could reach the readers. The collection is not only a product of conferences and publication, but more importantly, it is the crystallization of worries, exploration, and reflection to make the field of Vietnamese Studies reach further.

Thank you very much!

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