From my father's example, I always strive to become a good teacher and a good role model in life.

Professor, People's Teacher Nguyen Lan Dung said that from his father's example, he always strives to become a teacher with good expertise, exemplary in life and dedicated to students.

Professor, People's Teacher Nguyen Lan Dung believes that in any era, the role of teachers is important. (Photo: NVCC)

Born into a family with a tradition of learning , can you share more about memorable memories of your childhood and the influence of your family on your path to becoming a teacher?

My parents had a great influence on all 8 of my siblings, but perhaps the greatest influence was their exemplary life in terms of character, lifestyle and social relationships. My father was a veteran teacher but came from a very poor family in the countryside of Hung Yen. He had many successful former students such as poet To Huu, poet Huy Can...

The love of our former students for our father is an encouragement that reminds us to learn from our father - a dedicated and exemplary teacher. My father was very strict in educating his children, but not through beatings but through example, love and gentle advice. My mother came from a wealthy family but always lived simply and endured hardships through the nation's long resistance wars. Our parents' example had a direct educational effect on us and made all eight of us study well and be serious in life.

We continue to follow the example of our parents in educating our children. That is the example of grandparents and parents, strict but only gentle advice, not harsh scolding. My father's respect for the previous generations of students makes me have a proper relationship with the generation of my students. My father's prestige with the previous generations of students reminds me to always strive to become a good teacher, exemplary in life and dedicated to my students.

I started teaching at the university level when I was only 18 years old (since 1956) in a subject that I had not been trained in (Microbiology), so I had to try very hard to improve my qualifications and overcome difficulties in the teaching process. My father himself built a new subject (Education), which was a great example for me in building the program (theory, practice) and writing textbooks. My mother did not have much influence in terms of expertise but was an example for us siblings in terms of the spirit of overcoming difficulties in life and kindness in relationships with everyone.

According to the Professor, what role does a teacher play in shaping the personality and development of each individual, especially young people today ?

It can be said that teachers are always role models for students. I was fortunate to study from high school at the Central Campus, where talented teachers from all over the country gathered (from secondary school we studied with teachers Hoang Tuy, Le Ba Thao, Hoang Nhu Mai, Duong Trong Bai, Tran Van Khang...). My son was also greatly influenced by his teachers when he studied at the Experimental School. I am passionate about the role of a teacher with generations of students, so I always strive to teach well and be a good example in life to build trust with students.

In any era, the role of teachers is extremely important. I clearly see the role of teachers when my grandson was admitted to Harvard University, my granddaughter received a gold medal in an international competition in the region. Teachers are not only those who impart knowledge but also examples of perseverance and exemplary life. The old proverb "Without a teacher, you cannot succeed" is very true. It can be said that the future of the country is closely linked to the role of teachers in every school in the country.

In the process of raising children, what educational methods do you usually apply? Can you share some specific experiences?

Being close to my mother and deeply influenced by her lifestyle, I realized that it was the boundless love of the family, the mother's devotion, her gentle whispering, especially never scolding her children, that made it impossible for the children to neglect their studies. My siblings and I always looked to our mother to live and work as well as to behave with family, friends and society. I still remember that during the difficult times, every night, my siblings and I had to sit and study with a homemade oil lamp made from an empty GIBB toothpaste box... It was very difficult, but everyone was self-conscious, encouraging each other to study enthusiastically.

Regarding educational methods, I always follow my parents' example, which is to truly love my children, take care of their health, be a good example in life and always remind my children and grandchildren of good people and good deeds; encourage my children and grandchildren to make specific achievements in their studies and efforts. I do not use the method of scolding my children and grandchildren, but instead use timely rewards for their achievements, no matter how small.

Equally important is to monitor and encourage your children to have worthy and long-term friends. It is necessary to provide your children with the best learning tools (books, pens, paper, computers, etc.). Do not forget to take care of your children's health (nutrition, vaccination, physical education, sports, etc.). Build a family bookshelf and encourage your children to have the habit of reading regularly, learning foreign languages and being an example of foreign language proficiency.

Reading is always considered a good habit. Can you share about the importance of reading for the intellectual and personality development of each person, especially for young people?

We always take care to build a family bookshelf and encourage our children to read books and regularly learn foreign languages. We are fortunate to have two children who both have PhDs and were educated abroad, which makes it very convenient to educate our grandchildren. They learn English from a young age and are interested in reading English stories that their parents find and buy for them.

We encourage our children to take advantage of the benefits of information technology, but advise them to use the Internet wisely. I myself set an example for my children by regularly writing books and have now printed over 50 books. I consider them my inheritance and always try to have more new books to help the country's education.

With your experience, what do you expect about the future of Vietnamese education and what do we need to do to improve the quality of education in our country?

With the achievements of educational innovation, I have full confidence in the increasing quality of our country's education. Having worked in many countries with developed education, I always think that continuous innovation is needed so that education in Vietnam can keep up with the development of world education.

Vietnamese youth have intellectual development that is not inferior to other countries, so an advanced education system will help our young generation develop in line with the times. I often wish that a set of advanced textbooks in the world would be published online so that teachers across the country could refer to them. I think that if we try to do it, it is actually not too difficult in the current conditions. An important thing is to innovate the way of teaching foreign languages so that every student can use a foreign language fluently before entering university.

Previously, I spent a whole year taking an English intensive course, which made it easier for me to work later on. In addition, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into education is also very important. Nowadays, with the development of AI, people can supplement their knowledge easily.

Thank you Professor!

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