As a research institute belonged to Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of Social Sciences of the Central Region (ISSCR) was established in 2005 under the Decree no.26/2004/NĐ-CP by Prime Minister. Its original name is Institute of Social Sciences of Central and Highland Region. In the 8 years of development, the Institute has become the central factor of social sciences in central region.
Institute of Social Sciences of the central region has functions of conducting theoretical and practical issues on social sciences of central region, providing the scientific evidences for building orientations, setting strategies, and making policies for a rapid and sustainable development of the region. It also joins in the graduate, postgraduate training and develops the potential of social sciences of the region.
Major scientific achievements
1. Scientific Researches
In 8 years, Institute of Social Sciences of the Central Region (ISSCR) has held and completed many projects, topics and tasks at Ministry level, especially the topic on the fund for national scientific and technological development, and topic on the collaboration with provinces inside and outside of Central region. These projects are evaluated as quailed to publish into books and contributed to provide the scientific evidences for making policies for a rapid and sustainable growth in regions and provinces.
The following list is the remarkable projects and topics at Ministry level since 2007: The poverty and solution to reduce the poverty in some coastal provinces in Middle Vietnam (2007); The role and impacts of Gia Lai community to the political life in Gia Lai today (2008);The role and impacts of Ede community to the political life in Dac Lak today (2008); The cultural life of ethnics in Dac Lak – The reality and solutions (2008); Some issues on sustainable growth of Central region in the period of 2011 to 2020, including 6 topics and 2 annual reports in 2009 and 2010; Ideas and solution to the sustainable growth in the Central region in the period of 2011 to 2020, including 6 topics at Ministry level, 5 independent tasks and 2 annual reports.
There are topics, projects and seminars which were collaborated with provinces such as Overall planning for the socio – economic growth of Lien Chieu district till 2020 (2010); Overall planning for the development of culture, sport and tourism of Da nang until 2020 (2010); Overall planning for the cultural development in Quang Ngai (heritages and cultural relics); Edition of the geographical reviews in Tinh Gia commune of Thanh Hoa province (2009 - 2010); Building the model of cultural village in Hoa Binh province (2009); Research on building the model of villages which have to stay with flood in region near Lam river of Nghe An province (2012); Collaborating with Quang Ngai’s People Committee to hold National conference on “Exploring the potential of sea and islands for the growth of Quang Ngai and Central region” in May 201…
There were some topics at Ministry and Institute level which have been implemented in 2013 as followed: Restructure of economic area in South of Central region for a sustainable growth till 2020 and the prospect until 2030 (2013 - 2014); The growth model’s transition to the green development in South of Central region till 2020 (2013 - 2014); Sea culture and the issues on conservation and promotion of these cultural values for people in Southern coast of Central region in the modernization and industrialization (2013 - 2014) (Ministry level topic); Developing the seafood industry of Nghe An in a sustainable way; The life reality of people who stay in the surrounding areas of Xuan Lien Natural Conservation Are (Thanh Hoa province) and recommendations to ensure a sustainable life; Regulation in life cycle of Van Kieu people (Bru – Van Kieu ethnic) in mountainous area of Quang Tri; Impacts of climate changes to cultural heritages in Hoi An and solutions; Changes of religions of King people in Dung Quat economic area; First understandings of the costumes of Cham people; Religion of Ta Oi people in working and manufacturing (Ministry level topic).
2. International Collaboration
As a new established institute, ISSCR always tries its best to expand the international collaboration and it has obtained some remarkable achievements for 8 years of operation as below:
The Institute has sent a team of staff to some Institute and universities in area to learn experiences on regional sustainable growth as well as discuss about their partnership as Korean Environment Institute and National University of Indonesia.
Institute’s directors have joined with VASS in the site visit to The Russian Academy and Mongolian Academy and the Institute has suggested a partnership with the Mongolian Development Research Center. In 2012, management of ISSCR and Mongolian Development Research Center signed the MoU on some activities such as: partnership in doing researches on urgent issues and opportunities for economic collaboration between Vietnam and Mongolia; organization of scientific events and conferences on economic collaboration between two countries; setting up regional development strategies in short and long term in both Vietnam and Mongolia; scientist exchanges including scholars and experts; documents and publication exchange each year …
Institute of Social Sciences for Central Region has greeted two teams who are officers and experts of Chiangmai University (Thailand) and Oslo University (Norway) when they came to have discussion on Mekong River’s small areas. Also, they suggested to the projects on sustainable growth, climate changes and staff training.
3. Achievements of scientific publications
Besides achievements in the scientific researches and international collaboration, ISSCR also has many publications with the positive responses from public.
Some of high quality publications are geographical reviews in Tinh Gia commune of Thanh Hoa province by Dr. Duong Ba Phuong, Encyclopedia Publishing House, 2010; Sustainable Growth of Central Region: Reality, issues and solutions by Dr. Duong Ba Phuong, Social Sciences Publishing House, 2012; Some basic issues on sustainable growth of Southern Coast of Central Region by Dr. Bui Duc Hung, Encyclopedia Publishing House, 2012; Basic issues on environment and sustainable growth in Central Region in the period of 2011 to 2020 by Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Khanh, Encyclopedia Publishing House, 2012; Ede Community in Dac Lak today by Associate Prof. Dr. Ha Dinh Thanh, Encyclopedia Publishing House, 2012; Records of the national conference on Exploring the potential of sea and islands for the growth of Quang Ngai and Central region, Encyclopedia Publishing House, 2012.
Since 2008, Institute of Social Sciences for Central Region has published 22 volumes of magazine with more than 170 research articles in various fields as society and economy, culture, humanity, linguistic, environment and sustainable growth, archaeology and history… There are many articles with high quality and following the orientation of Communist Party and State published on these magazines. The magazine is published quarterly and improving its quality as well as the presentation. In 2011, the magazine was officially named in the list of magazines which will give points for those who apply for Professor or Associate Professor in some fields as linguistic, history, archaeology, ethnic’s studies, and literature … Since 2013, the magazine has been published every two months.
4. Other activities
Institute had one director, two deputy directors and five officers when its first established in 2005. After 8 years, Institute has built up a qualified human resources with 55 people in whom 34 of them are directly doing researches, 21 indirectly do researches. Among 55 people, there is 2 associate professors, 3 doctors, 20 masters (5 of them are joining research programs), 20 bachelors (10 of them are joining in postgraduate courses). 60 percent of research staff is under the age of 35 while there are 36 percent of those who are in range of 36 to 50. Institute has young team but they have good qualification and capability of being in charge of tasks of assigned by Communist Party and State in the future.
Regarding to the organization structure, Institute has arranged departments by specialization and the Da Nang office was in used since September 2012; Institute purchases the equipment and ensures the working conditions based on the operating expenses as financial plans regulated by Government.
Since its establishment, Institute’s management has paid attention to nurture the Communist Party’s and socio – political activities. The Institute has had 19 members of Communist Party in which 18 of them was official member and one is substitution. This number was only 3 in the beginning and the labor union had only 10 members. The Communist Party Union of Institute has been received awards as Strong Union with 100% of members completed their tasks and some have even excellently completed their duties in many years. Since 2008, there are 2 new members joined in the Communist Party each year. Youth activities are stable and growing up with the united spirit and grassroots democracy. Up to now, Institute has had 55 member in the labor union.
Institute of Social Sciences of Central Region
