SEMINAR “EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE EAST AND THE WEST” –
FOSTERING A DIALOGUE BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY
On the morning of November 3, 2025, at the Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám, the seminar “Educational and Cultural Heritage of the East and the West” took place in an atmosphere of openness and intellectual depth. The event was organized by the Centre for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám*, in collaboration with domestic and international scholars, as part of the Thăng Long Festival 2025.
The seminar opened a memorable intercultural dialogue between two educational symbols: Quốc Tử Giám of Thăng Long – representing the Eastern spirit of learning, propriety, and moral virtue – and Columbia University (USA) – a symbol of Western liberal thought, creativity, and academic freedom.
Attending the seminar were: Mr Nguyễn Viết Cường**, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism);
Ms Lê Thị Ánh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports;
Assoc. Prof. Dr Trần Đức Cường, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences;
Dr Vũ Thị Minh Hương, Vice Chairwoman of the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for the Asia–Pacific Region, together with scholars and speakers from Việt Nam and the United States, representatives of embassies and international cultural organizations in Hà Nội, as well as researchers, lecturers, and students from universities of Diplomacy, Education, and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hà Nội).
In her opening remarks, Ms Lê Thị Ánh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, emphasised the purpose of the seminar: “to inspire awareness of national identity, thereby fostering cooperative relationships in the context of globalisation today.”
During the seminar, scholars discussed three major thematic groups:
1. Educational models and teaching methods – comparing the moral and ritual-centred education of Quốc Tử Giám with the liberal, critical, and creative model of Columbia University;
2. Core values of Eastern and Western educational cultures – where the East emphasizes self-cultivation, continuity, and community, while the West values individuality, creativity, and practical effectiveness;
3. Academic collaboration and cultural exchange, particularly in the fields of Hán Nôm studies, literature, and international exchange programs between Việt Nam and Columbia University.
The seminar “Educational and Cultural Heritage of the East and the West” was not only an academic exchange but also a meeting between timeless educational values and modern liberal ideals. The event reaffirmed the role of Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám as a bridge between heritage and innovation, spreading the spirit of lifelong learning and cultural dialogue in the era of global integration.
Let us take a look back at some memorable moments from the seminar!
Delegates and Vietnamese–American scholars attended the seminar in a warm and dignified atmosphere at the Thái Học House, Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám.
Ms. Lê Thị Ánh Mai, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, delivered the opening remarks at the seminar.
Prof. Dr. Sci. Vũ Minh Giang, Chairman of the Council for Science and Training of Vietnam National University, Hà Nội, and Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences, delivered his remarks at the seminar.
Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Kim, Vice Chairman of the National Council for Cultural Heritage and Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Historical Sciences, delivered his remarks at the seminar.
Dr. Nguyễn Thị Liên Hằng, Director of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University, delivered her remarks at the seminar.
Dr. Đinh Thanh Hiếu, Head of the Department of Hán Nôm Studies, Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hà Nội, delivered his remarks at the seminar.
Dr. John Phan, scholar of East Asian languages and cultures at Columbia University, delivered his remarks at the seminar.
Director Tony Buifrom the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University, delivered his remarks at the seminar.
The open discussion session sparked lively exchanges among the scholars.
Dr. Lê Xuân Kiêu, Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám, delivered the closing remarks on behalf of the organizing committee.
The organizing committee and delegates offered incense at the Thái Học House.
The calligraphy activity, featuring Hán Nôm and modern Vietnamese scripts, served as a meaningful gift for the delegates and audience at the seminar.
The delegates visited and took photos at the exhibition “Heritage and the Future”, an activity held within the framework of the seminar.
Nhan Vu
LH
