The Institute of Human Studies is a scientific research organization under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, established under Degree No. 190/1999/QĐ-TTg, 20/09/1999 by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.
Decision No 259/QĐ-KHXH, 17/02/2012, chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences defined functions and tasks of the Institute of Human Studies as follow:
The functions of the Institute of Human Studies are theoretical research and basic practical issues of human to contribute scientific substantiations for building strategy and policy of human development and human resource in Vietnam; consulting, postgraduate training, and taking part in human development of the country.
The tasks and powers of the Institute of Human Studies:
1. Submit strategy, projects, 5-year and annual plans to the chairman of the Vietnam Academy of Social Science to develop the Institute of Human Studies and implement after being approved.
2. Basic research about human sciences
3. Theoretical research and methodology about human sciences
4. Combine research and training in human research, postgraduate training, organizing short training courses which relates to research subjects of the Institute under the provisions of law, participate in the development of human resources with a high level at the request of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and other agencies.
5. To comment and review important programs and projects of economic-social development assigned by the Vietnam Academy of social sciences at the request of ministries, departments, and provinces.
6. Organize scientific consultations and provide services on economic and social issues which are suitable with the functions and tasks of the Institute.
7. International cooperation in researching and training under current regulations
8. Make research contracts and scientific applications with scientific organizations, institutes, international and domestic scientists under law and regulation of Vietnam Academic of Social Sciences.
9. Exchange scientific information with other institutes in Vietnam and abroad in pursuant to regulations, manage database and library, publish scientific results and spread scientific knowledge
10. Manage organization, system, position, and staff structure by professional titles and the number of staffs working, assets and funds of the Institute of Human Studies under the regulation of the country and decentralization of Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
11. Perform other tasks assigned by the Chairman of Vietnam Academy of social sciences
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS
From July 2001, the Institute of Human Studies was assigned a duty as a standing office of national scientific – technical program KX.05 Developing culture, human, and human resource in industrialization and modernization period managed by Prof. Pham Minh Hac, including 12 topics, of which 3 topics were prepared by the institute.
* KX 05.01 titled The methodology of researching and developing culture, human, and human resource in market economy, globalization, and international integration managed by Assoc. Prof. Dr Ho Si Quy
*KX.05.07 titled Developing Vietnamese people under socialist orientation in a market economy, open, and international integration managed by Prof. Dr Pham Minh Hac.
* KX.05.11 titled Researching and proposing solution to improve the efficiency of management and human resource used in the process of industrialization and modernization managed by Assoc.Prof. Dr Pham Thanh Nghi.
Three topics in this program were completed on schedule, scientific arguments of topics were defined clearly; the Institute organized many workshops and scientific seminars, developed practical researches on other regions in the country, handled research results, and had final products as intensive scientific reports, books, and recommendations.
In the early years, together with executing national projects, the Institute researched several ministry projects: Selected population issues and development of Chut minority in Quang Binh, managed by Dr. Do Thinh; Human research for new requirements of scientific development and growth of country, managed by Assoc. Prof. Dr Ho Si Quy; Selected theoretical issues and applications of cultural anthropology in human development of Vietnam, managed by Dr. Dao Thi Minh Huong.
Also in the first stage of development, the Institute developed two institute-level projects managed by Prof. Dr. Pham Minh Hac, which had great significances in orienting research and methodology, titled: Human research: objects and main research directions; Ho Chi Minh ideology – human research methodology.
The two above projects identified short–term and long–term researches; confirmed the general trend of the era, which focuses on human, human values, and true interest of human; proposed policies to build and develop human resource which met the requirements of industrialization and modernization of the country.
The statistics also showed that from 2000 to 2003, the Institute of Human Studies performed 26 individual research topics, many of which published on trade journals.
In the subsequent years, the Institute kept on researching and performing the ministry projects and completed the following:
- Basic issues of human development in the Northwest region, managed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Thanh Nghi. Based on issues, which had been identified, and preliminary forecasts about the trend of human development in the Northwest region by 2015, the project proposes 5 solutions: 1) economic development, poverty alleviation, 2) Educational development, strengthening human resources, 3) Health development, enhancing people’s health, 4) Promoting the national cultural identity, strengthening exchanges, improving the cultural life of the community, 5) Enhancing individuality of Northwestern people. The project emphasizes new approaches to practice these solutions in the implementation of the overall program, shifting from a situation that the state carried out or provided funds to strengthening capacity, transferring technology so that Northwestern people could enhance their capacity and actively solve their problems.
- Selected issues of human rights implementation for achieving human development goals in Vietnam, managed by Dr. Vu Thi Minh Chi. Observations and suggestions of the project contributed scientific arguments for improving laws on human rights, on building and completing political, legal, economic, cultural, social environment in order to implement effectively human rights to achieve human development goals.
The two projects were defended successfully under the examination of the ministerial council organized by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
In 2009, the Institute performed the following ministry-level projects:
- Improving the effectiveness of the practice of grassroots democracy and participation of the people for the purpose of human development in Vietnam nowadays, managed by Dr. Truong Van Dung. The topic clarified the value of grassroots democracy and participation of people, confirmed the precision of the Party and State’s direction and policy in the practice of grassroots democracy with the motto “people know, people discuss, people do, people check”. Simultaneously, subjects also clarified the relationship between the practice of grassroots democracy with human development.
- The problems posed for solutions to improve the role of people in cultural-social life of community for the purpose of human development. Managed by Sci. Dr. Trinh Thi Kim Ngoc
- Human development: from concept to action of local managers at all level, managed by MA. Nguyen Dinh Tuan
From 2009 to 2010, the Institute carried out the following ministry-level projects: Selected issues about Vietnamese development during the period of 2011- 2020, managed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mai Quynh Nam
From 2011- 2012, the Institute undertook ministry-level projects: Selected issues about human rights and enforcing conditions in Vietnam during the period of 2011- 2020, for the purpose of human development, managed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mai Quynh Nam
These two ministry-level projects were completed on time, guaranteed of quality, and passed the examination with Good grade or better.
In conclusion, scientific research results of the Institute in recent years can be shown in selected fields as follow:
1) In the field of human rights, grassroots democracy for the purpose of human development, the Institute evaluated the practice of human rights in Vietnam in the Reform process; deduced some basic issues about the practice of human rights for the purpose of human development, proposed some solutions to improve effectiveness of grassroots democracy and involvement of people.
2) Regarding the research and proposal of solutions to develop regions, areas, based on research on the features of Northwest Vietnam, on the level of economic, cultural, and social development, and assessment on the level of Northwest human development, clarify the basic issues of human development of Northwest people, suggests petitions to develop local people in a sustainable way.
3) Continuing to implement projects on evaluating human development from different perspectives of culture, society, environment, economy, health care, and education. Based on different perspectives, human development can be assessed by these criteria: effectiveness, fairness, participation, and sustainable. Analyzing subjectivities in the construction, management, and implementation of policies for the purpose of human development, and from that propose strategy of human development in new period.
In 2013, the Institute proposed and was granted two national projects under the grand science and technology program KX.03/11-15 Scientific research to develop culture, human, and human resources, 01 topic granted by Nafosted Fund.
TRAINING
As a newly established institute, one of the missions of the Institute of Human Studies is improving the quality of the Institute’s staffs in order to match research requirements. Therefore, since the beginning, the Institute facilitated its staffs to participate in training and skill-building courses in Vietnam and abroad, such as: postgraduate training, second college degree, part-time higher education, short term professional courses, professional courses, data processing, training in Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and Public Administration, interdisciplinary research method training, service training organized by Vietnam Academy of social sciences …, in which the staffs has been actively involved.
In 2005, the Institute of Human Studies was assigned by the Prime Minister to train doctorate in cultural anthropology under Dicision No 90/2005/QĐ-TTg, 29/04/2005 and Decision No 2571/QĐ-BGD&ĐT, 13/05/2005 of Ministry of Education and Training. The Institute of Culture Research is the first institute in Vietnam to develop doctoral program on Cultural Anthropology. The Institute highly values the graduate consultation and training, attaches research with graduate training. In May, 2010, the Institute’s training facility merged into the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences under Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
Institute of Human Studies
