Associate Professor Dang Bich Ha - historical knowledge perfects the role of a noble lady

- Photo 1.

Researcher Nguyen Hao Hung (born in 1950) was a junior colleague of Ms. Dang Bich Ha at the Institute of History. In 1973, he and Ms. Hung came together to establish the Southeast Asia Department (now the Southeast Asia Research Institute) under the Vietnam Social Sciences Committee (now the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences). Remembering his respected colleague, Mr. Hung recalled:

“There are historical figures with special qualities and aptitudes that can meet the sudden demands of history. Ms. Dang Bich Ha is such a person. She was not born to be a researcher or a history teacher. Perhaps her taste and family background are literary, but Ms. Ha only likes to read and “nibble” literature, unlike her younger siblings (Associate Professor Dang Thi Hanh, Professor Dang Thanh Le, Associate Professor Dang Anh Dao – NV ) who have a different talent for research. But no one can play the role of a noble lady like Ms. Ha. With historical knowledge, it only makes the role of a noble lady more perfect. This is clearly shown in the times Ms. Dang Bich Ha and General Vo Nguyen Giap perfectly received Queen Monique, wife of King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, or wife of Prince Souphanuvong of Laos… and many international politicians and their wives and children. Therefore, the surface aspect that no one can do like her has overshadowed her professional work. There are Perhaps this (the lady) is the irreplaceable contribution.

Born on April 4, 1928, in her paternal home village of Luong Dien, Thanh Xuan commune, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An , Ms. Dang Bich Ha is the eldest daughter of scholar Dang Thai Mai (an intellectual who was considered by contemporaries to be one of the four geniuses of Nghe Tinh: Dao Duy Anh, Hoang Xuan Han, Cao Xuan Huy and Dang Thai Mai). Graduated with a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Lycée Albert Sarraut right when the August Revolution of 1945 broke out, she enthusiastically participated in the charge of the Young Pioneers' Team to promote the revolution. It was also during this time that she met an old relative of the family - Vo Nguyen Giap - a student, colleague and old friend of Professor Dang Thai Mai. She had been attached to Vo Nguyen Giap since November 27, 1946, then followed her husband to evacuate to Viet Bac to fight the long-term resistance against French colonialism. Working at the Ministry of Defense until the day of victory, returning to take over the capital Hanoi, Ms. Dang Bich Ha passed the entrance exam and studied at the History Department of Hanoi National University of Education, which was opened on the campus of the old Indochina University on Le Thanh Tong Street (Hanoi).

- Ảnh 2. — General Vo Nguyen Giap and his wife Dang Bich Ha revisit Dien Bien Phu (2004)

Researcher Pham Nguyen Long (1932 – 2022), a later classmate and colleague at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, always remembers the image of female student Dang Bich Ha going to school diligently like all other students. At the end of the course, she graduated with honors (excellent) and was retained as a lecturer at the History Department. Teacher Dang Bich Ha was one of the “senior” lecturers of the world history department (along with teachers Pham Huy Thong, Le Van Sau, colleagues Dang Duc An, Pham Gia Hai, Phan Ngoc Lien, Luong Ninh...). Together with teachers and colleagues, she contributed to training many talented university lecturers and world history researchers: Professor Nguyen Duc Nghinh (Hanoi National University of Education), Associate Professor Nguyen Xuan Truc (Institute of Educational Sciences), Associate Professor Vo Xuan Dan (Ho Chi Minh City National University of Education)...

In the memory of Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Duc Minh, former Principal of Nam Dinh College of Education, Chairman of the History Association of Nam Dinh Province, a student of the History Department of Hanoi National University of Education (1964-1968 class), he still cannot forget the year 1965, when the US air war of destruction spread to the North. After a year of studying in the capital, 58 male and female students of the class were ordered to put their backpacks on their shoulders, carry books and teaching aids, and evacuate to the mountains and forests of Viet Bac in Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province. Mr. Minh said that during these years, he and his fellow students matured a lot both intellectually and morally.

Associate Professor Dr. Tran Duc Minh recalled: “In the evacuation area, teachers and students built our own shelters, built our own classrooms, and made our own tables and chairs from bamboo and rattan to study. We worked and studied at the same time, relying on the help of the people in the evacuation area to study. Every day, after class, we went into the forest to gather trees, eat cassava, corn with wild bamboo shoots and soybean salt. The amazing thing is that during those difficult years, in each of us History students, there was always a burning desire for knowledge, a desire for intelligence…

We will never forget those masters, those truly giants, thanks to whom we have taken steady steps in life. We are lucky and happy to be students of Mr. Phan Ngoc Lien, Tran Van Tri, who are quick-witted and tolerant in life; of Ms. Ngo Thi Chinh, Dang Bich Ha, who are sharp in thinking and gentle and elegant in dealing with others…”.

Upon hearing the news of Associate Professor Dang Bich Ha’s passing, Mr. Tran Duc Minh regretted that due to his old age and poor health, he could not go to Hanoi to burn incense and offer condolences to the teacher’s family. “I can only send my feelings to her friends, remembering teacher Dang Bich Ha with all my respect, a teacher who will never be forgotten in my life,” Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Duc Minh expressed.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nghiem Dinh Vy, former Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, former Principal of Hanoi National University of Education, recalled on an occasion commemorating the founding anniversary of the History Department (Hanoi National University of Education): “Anyone who has studied at the History Department cannot forget the good, attractive, and eloquent lectures of teachers Pham Gia Hai, Pham Huu Lu, Nguyen Anh Thai, Nguyen Xuan Truc, Nguyen Van Duc, Nguyen Lam Kieu, and teachers Dang Bich Ha and Nguyen Ngoc Que. It was these teachers who made the subject of World History shine.”

From the Southeast Asian History Department at the History Faculty of Hanoi National University of Education founded and built by Associate Professor Le Van Sau, under the scientific guidance of Professor Pham Huy Thong, in the school's "World History" textbook, historical issues of Southeast Asian countries (which at that time were called by the term Sino-Indian) occupied a prominent position with an appropriate number of pages.

Head of the department Le Van Sau directly organized and directed a group of lecturers specializing in Southeast Asian history, including Dang Duc An, Dang Bich Ha, Phan Ngoc Lien, Pham Huu Lu... From here, the research and teaching of Southeast Asian history was given importance. This was also the premise later in 1973, Ms. Dang Bich Ha transferred her work from the World History Department (Institute of History) to build the Southeast Asia Department (now the Southeast Asia Research Institute) under the Vietnam Social Sciences Committee (now the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences).

- Ảnh 6. — Associate Professor Nguyen Duy Thiep welcomed Ms. Dang Bich Ha to visit the Museum of Ethnology.

With her profound knowledge, Ms. Dang Bich Ha has guided young colleagues who have just started their career. Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Thieu, former Deputy Director of the Museum of Ethnology, still remembers her first instructions on scientific research methods. When he first started working at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Nguyen Duy Thieu did ethnology, while Ms. Ha researched history. That memorable memory is shared by Ms. Ha: “When I do ethnology, the material to create articles is field documents. However, when writing and only telling field stories, the articles will be boring. Therefore, I have to read books, read a lot of books, so that when writing, I have to use theoretical knowledge to interpret field documents, called interactive writing, then the articles will be interesting”.

But in the midst of a vast sea of documents, it is difficult for an individual to have the conditions to read everything, therefore, Ms. Dang Bich Ha continued to advise: “You must choose who to read, which work to read to concentrate; when you do not have enough knowledge to choose, ask the masters. Especially when quoting, you must choose even more, which article quotes whom and which work to quote, you need to choose carefully. For example, the theory of ancient society must quote Engels, the theory of class formation must quote Karl Marx; about the Hung King period must quote Ha Van Tan, Tran Quoc Vuong…”.

With these sincere advices, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duy Thieu shared: "Up to now, I feel that Ms. Ha's professional instructions are still valuable."

Mr. Nguyen Hao Hung continued: Since the early 1980s, the Vietnam Social Sciences Committee (under Professor Pham Huy Thong, Professor Dao Van Tap...) began implementing cooperation programs with foreign countries, and Laos was the first important area. Cooperation programs with the Lao Ministry of Education on publishing three national textbooks on literature, history, and geography were the first foundations for the formation of the national social sciences and humanities of the young Lao PDR.

“It was in the 1980s that Ms. Dang Bich Ha made significant contributions as a leading expert in history, together with historian Pham Nguyen Long, steering the boat of cooperation with Laos as a Vietnamese expert to help Laos build the Social Sciences and Humanities sector. Of course, in her position as the General’s wife, a great friend of the leaders and people of Lao ethnic groups, Ms. Dang Bich Ha subtly and skillfully took advantage of the opportunity to promote scientific cooperation between the two countries, tightening and developing relations between colleagues of the two countries,” researcher Nguyen Hao Hung added.

In the late 1990s, Ms. Dang Bich Ha expanded her research to topics on economics, politics, and modern international relations. As a result, she published a book with Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thu My: “ Thailand’s journey to the club of newly industrialized countries ”./.