KOREA FOUNDATION

As Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) in Hanoi, Dr. Pham Quang Minh oversees Vietnam’s oldest and most prestigious Korean Studies program. Since its founding in 1993, the USSH’s Korean Studies program has trained some of Vietnam’s top experts on Korea, experts who have significantly contributed to bilateral relations in the fields of business, politics, and society. Visiting Korea to take part in the KF Invitation Program for Distinguished Guests in Education, Dr. Pham sat down with the Korea Foundation to discuss the development of Korean Studies in his country.

Could you tell us a bit about the USSH?

I can say we are a young university but with a long tradition. The university’s history dates back to 1945 when Vietnam became independent and the President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, signed a decree to establish the university. However some consider the true birth of the university to be 1906 when the French established the University of Indochina. Of course there are even those who say the first university in Vietnam was established in 1076 when the Ly Dynasty established the royal school to train the children of the royal family.
  The USSH is part of Vietnam National University, and is one of its most important departments. It has 10,000 students and 500 professors and staff. We conduct significant international cooperation through 300 MOUs with other universities, including our Korean partners.

Tell us about the USSH’s Korean Studies program.

The Korean Studies program was established in 1993 as the first Korean Studies program in Vietnam. Some 25 years later, the program has six professors and recruits 50 students a year. We focus on quality rather than quantity. There are many more students who would like to study the Korean language, but we prefer not to have large class sizes because we think this may compromise the quality. It is a very comprehensive program focusing mostly on language and culture.

How did Korean Studies develop in Vietnam?

I think the first ever Korean Studies program was established before the end of the Vietnam War in the South, that is, the Republic of Vietnam, but it was not continued, I think, until 1992 when the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and Republic of Korea established relations. Since this critical development, the need for Korean Studies has been steadily increasing. Nowadays, many Vietnamese live in Korea and many Koreans live in Vietnam. I know there are more than 100,000 Vietnamese citizens living here and almost the same number of Koreans in Vietnam. The relationship between Korea and Vietnam is developing not only in terms of politics and economics but also people-to-people relationships. This is a solid foundation.
  When the bilateral relationship develops, it impacts the Korean Studies program directly. It attracts more student interest. ‘If I study Korean language, I’ll get a better job or have better choices.’ Students who study Korean Studies can contribute to the development of bilateral relations—they can work as interpreters, ambassadors, they can translate the work of the people. There are many experts of Vietnamese studies or Korean Studies who were trained in both countries. I can name many professors of Vietnamese studies here who were at my university or my professors who were at Korean universities. It’s a really close relationship between the two countries.
  Korean Studies can also help prevent misunderstandings. Vietnam has much to learn from Korea but maybe Korea too can learn from Vietnamese culture or tradition. It’s not one-way. Cooperation must be reciprocal. Indeed we have seen some conflicts in Korean enterprises in Vietnam, and then there are the so-called multicultural families. I believe there are 65,000 Vietnamese women married to Korean men. The majority of them are happy, but problems remain. And the problems here are cultural problems—the preparation, the issue of coexistence, and the second-generation children living between two cultures. At home, they speak Vietnamese, but at school, they have to speak in Korean. Both sides would like to keep their identity. It’s a problem of misunderstanding. We are living in the 21st century, so Korean Studies programs should promote peace and prosperity among the people, whoever they are.

What is your impression of Korea from this visit? How has the image of the country changed in Vietnam?

Korea has become more technologically advanced. For example, maybe 10 years ago, there wasn’t much discussion of e-learning, but nowadays, Korea has become truly modern in education. Professors and students use more technology to teach and learn. Society has become more diverse, too. In the past, there weren’t many foreigners, but nowadays, Korean society is more open, more diverse. I think it’s the trend of globalization. I think this is very positive, and other countries can learn from it.
  The image of Korea meanwhile has been growing more positive. Some 20 years ago, the image of Korea in the eyes of Vietnam was not so positive because of the Vietnam War. But nowadays, over time, with the process of reconciliation, the image of Korea has been changing to an advanced country with soft power like movies, dramas, and K-pop. More and more Vietnamese are traveling to Korea as tourists, to explore the country. It’s changing a lot.

Written by Robert Koehler