Socialist Republic of Vietnam

By Dieu Ngoc

At age 89, Professor Vu Khieu’s energy is boundless. He lives with his student assistants in a comfortable villa that sits under verdant foliage and singing birds. His leisure time is limited because, in addition to his extensive research projects, he also writes—"free of charge", he insists—epitaphs and couplets for friends and associates. When I glance at the photos on the wall, he points to one and says, "I took that one with Uncle Ho." Sitting on a rocking chair and speaking in a clear voice, the professor offers his wisdom.

Viet Nam News: Is there any difference in the role of culture of our age compared with that of the previous ones?

Prof. Vu Khieu: In the past, when culture was commonly regarded as the domain of the higher classes, President Ho Chi Minh developed it on a larger scale and gave it a more important role. He not only put culture alongside economic, political and social matters, but he also urged us to have a deeper understanding of its role in the sense that even it lay within the boundaries of politics and economics. For him, without culture economics could not develop. Likewise, a political system could not be stable if its political line could not be worked out under the most advanced light of epochal culture.

Viet Nam News: Professor, do globalization and the explosion of the knowledge-based economy have any effect on the development of culture?

Prof. Vu Khieu: During three recent decades, the economy as well as the whole political, social and cultural life of the world has gradually entered into the orbit of globalization, and along with it the notion of the knowledge-based economy.

When we talk about the knowledge-based economy, we are not only talking about the components of old economies like capital, labor and machinery. Now, the knowledge of mankind has become a very big force, a material force, or as Karl Marx put it: science has become a material force of production.
Our age is witnessing miraculous developments in mankind’s intelligence. During the past several decades, the developments in science and information technology have recorded elemental achievements that pave the way for great changes in the economy of the world and of each nation in particular. At the same time, the trend toward globalization and the knowledge-based economy also has great consequences for all political, economic and social fields—the field of culture in particular.
This has had a huge effect on science, education and also, as the resolution puts it, on our people’s thinking, morality and way of life. That is why, in this present age there must be big changes in our education, literature and arts as well as in the thinking, morality and way of life of our people and of all people in the world.

Viet Nam News: Can you talk more about the role of culture in education and science?

Prof. Vu Khieu: Taking advantage of the development of science and technology, and information technology in particular, our education must quickly change itself in order to produce men and women conformed to the culture of our age and able to take part in the rapid development of the country.

In the struggle currently taking place all over the world and under the effects of globalization and the knowledge-based economy, our people must rapidly strive to keep pace with the age and catch up with advanced countries. Nowadays the success or failure of a nation, and also of an individual, depends on the level of its education in particular and of its culture in relation to the development of our present age.

In the field of education, a scholar now must not be a man with mere book smarts; he must first of all master a comprehensive knowledge in his activities. Therefore, a Vietnamese, since he stays in school until he becomes a developed adult, must always strive for autonomy in order to gradually become a man who thinks creatively.

The success of a nation lies not in people passively acquiring knowledge; on the contrary, they must first and foremost be able to turn that knowledge into their own and make use of it in a free and creative manner.

Viet Nam News: Can you give some of your views about the present state of our youth culture?

Prof. Vu Khieu: There are many pessimistic ideas about the negative phenomena taking over our youth, such as their love of fun that might lead them to social evils and their immoral acts in social relations—particularly the way they deal with each other and even with members of their own family. Those negative phenomena worry parents, which is understandable.

However, I cannot agree with this pessimistic state of mind. In contrast to this dark thinking and approach I entirely place my confidence and optimism in the young generation as well as in the bright future and great causes they will certainly contribute to our country.

Our youth now possess two favorable qualities to quickly reach the pinnacle of the world’s culture. The first one is their patriotic traditions and the second one is their intelligence and love of learning traditions. That is why, in my view, families as well as our entire society—that is our Party, State, mass organizations and public opinion—must work harder to ensure good education for our youth. Our educational development must also be renovated in order to help our young men and women develop and get in touch with the most advanced achievements of mankind in the fields of education and research.

Once these things are accomplished, I believe our youth will not fail to satisfactorily meet our expectations. They will become thoroughly developed men and women with lofty ideals and aspirations, virtuous characteristics and an ability to create for themselves a true happiness in their family lives and in the life of society as well.

Learning will no doubt shape our epoch. Our society as a whole must become a learning-based society. We learn not only at school but also in the community. If our youth become accustomed to this, it will give them renewed joy.

Viet Nam News, July 3, 2005