Deep, quiet, fierce
As someone who worked directly with the late Professor Tran Hong Quan when he was the Minister of Education and Training, Professor Tran Van Nhung, former Deputy Minister of Education and Training, said that he really respects his former head on the internet. many aspects.
Prof. Tran Van Nhung (left) and the late Prof. Minister Tran Hong Quan
According to Professor Nhung, Professor Tran Hong Quan seems to be a person born to participate in the construction and renovation of the country. The specific "mission" that history gave him was to be responsible for implementing a series of policies to innovate higher education, when he was Minister of Universities and Professional Secondary Education, then Minister of Education- First phone.
Professor Tran Hong Quan is the person who continues on the path that his father and many comrades who are predecessors have opened before. Professor Tran Hong Quan is the youngest son of martyr Tran Van Bay, former Secretary of the Provincial Party Committees of Rach Gia, Can Tho and Vinh Long provinces, former Standing Member of Hau Giang Inter-provincial Party Committee. He was captured by the enemy in 1940, while preparing for the Cochinchina uprising and died a year later in Con Dao prison.
Professor Tran Hong Quan at that time was really a "red seed", cared for, fostered by the Party and State, and trained (undergraduate study at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, PhD in Hungary). This person becomes an education administrator,” said Professor Nhung.
Prof. Nhung started working directly with Prof. Tran Hong Quan as an assistant officer since 1993. Before that, Prof. Nhung was the Vice President of Hanoi General University (one of the 3 universities that formed the National University of Vietnam). Hanoi). As Director of the International Cooperation Department, Professor Nhung accompanied Minister Tran Hong Quan and leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training to learn experiences in developing higher education in many countries such as Thailand and Australia.
“It was a person who was always thinking about how to solve difficult problems in the education system of the country, even later when he retired from his role as a minister. Mr. Quan's point of view is very good in that he not only learns from other countries to develop Vietnamese education but also looks at the lessons of the country's education to promote or learn from experience.
With my understanding of him at work, I think I can say it briefly: deep, quiet, outwardly gentle and gentle, but very fierce as a person. leaders," said Professor Nhung.
The first minister elected a university president
According to Professor Nhung, implementing the policy of opening the door of the Party and State, since taking the role of head of state management of higher education, later the whole education and training system, Professor Tran Hong Quan implemented a series of policies to reform and renovate higher education.
Four months ago, despite his poor health, Professor Tran Hong Quan (left) was still very interested in educational issues.
In the summer of 1987, the Ministry of Universities and Professional Secondary Schools convened principals and party secretaries of universities to attend a conference in Nha Trang. The conference discussed a reform plan including four training prerequisites: training not only for state agencies but also for all economic sectors; training according to the forecast of future human resource requirements; training to serve the people's learning needs, without assigning responsibilities, students find jobs by themselves; diversified training, including non-formal training, not only with the state budget but also with tuition fees.
One of the important goals of reforming higher education in Vietnam at this time is to strengthen the supply capacity of educational institutions, to maximize access opportunities for learners. That was the period when the scale of enrollment - university training increased sharply (if students continued to enroll and train in the same way as before, many universities were in danger of being closed because too few people studied).
“But in my opinion, the most remarkable innovation that Mr. Tran Hong Quan has made is the election of rectors of universities managed by the Ministry of Education and Training: Hanoi General University, Hanoi National University of Education. , University of Transport, University of National Economics…”, Prof. Nhung commented.
Professor Nhung also said that Hanoi General University was the first unit assigned to pilot the implementation of the "universal suffrage" method, electing the president in 1988. That historic election, Prof. Dao Trong Thi and the late Professor Nguyen An entered the second round and the late Professor Nguyen An was elected Rector of the General University for the term 2-1988. In April 1992, during the election of the President for the 4.1992-1992 term, Professor Dao Trong Thi received the award. high number of votes of confidence and was appointed as the principal.
A loving husband and father
Professor Nhung said that Professor Tran Hong Quan is a very caring person with family, colleagues and friends, is very hardworking in sports and is quite good at table tennis and volleyball. In particular, Professor Tran Hong Quan is a person who loves his wife very much, and is not afraid to show his romantic feelings to his wife. He wrote a lot of love poems for his wife. “During a trip to Australia, I asked someone to translate some poems for Professor Tran Hong Quan's wife and read them to international friends. You guys admire him very much," said Professor Nhung.
From left to right: Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Kim Hong (former Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education), Dr. Do Quoc Anh (former Deputy Head of the Office of the Ministry of Education and Training), Prof. Tran Van Nhung, wife of Prof. Tran Hong Quan, Professor Tran Hong Quan
Professor Nhung also told about two funny stories, showing the witty personality of the late minister.
The first story is about GS Nhung being appointed by the decision to be appointed Director of the Department of International Cooperation signed by Minister Tran Hong Quan on April 1.4.1993, 365. Later, in a sitting next to the minister, Professor Nhung joked: "There are XNUMX days in a year, why would you use a lie day to appoint me?" The minister bewildered asked: "You appointed me on that day?" GS Nhung joked: funny: "Is it random to fall on that day, or is it arranged." The minister wittily replied, "Well, it was a lie day, but I appointed you as the real one."
Another time, Professor Nhung sat to the right of the minister, on that occasion told a funny story, about a person who liked to flatter the chief, once when this person sat next to the chief, he said: "I am always the right hand of the prime minister. chief". The chief said, "Sorry, I'm left-handed." Then GS Nhung turned to the minister and asked: "What about you, which hand are you?". Minister Tran Hong Quan laughed, then replied: "He? He's right-handed."
Prof. Nhung said that the last time he met Minister Tran Hong Quan was in April. At that time, Professor Nhung had a job in Ho Chi Minh City, so he visited the former head. “He was not well, but he was very happy to see us coming, the first sentence was about education. But his style is still the same, slow but witty, "GS Nhung said.
