The talk had the participation of Dr. Vu Duc Liem – lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education, a researcher on Southeast Asian history in general and Vietnamese history in particular. The talk was a conversation about the importance of the intellectuals in Confucian society; the educational context in Vietnam in the first half of the 19th century; and the great contributions of the intellectuals in the Vietnamese society in the first half of the 19th century.
This is a story about the role of the system of former competition-examinations and intellectuals in the current era in the 19th century in Vietnam. The traditional Confucian education is the basis for the formation of the mandarin apparatus, the preparation step for the intelligentsia to enter the official place, to showcase their talents, and to practice the sages and saints.
In the 19th century, the task placed on their shoulders was heavier than ever. In a century, at least three waves of times have challenged officials and the intelligentsia: the resolution of post-war problems and the creation of the framework of a unified Vietnam in the first three decades; facing pressure from the Western and efforts to modernize Vietnam over the next three decades, and ultimately the fight against the French invasion.
How did the Vietnamese intelligentsia answer the great questions of the nation and the times? How have their efforts changed the politics and fate of Vietnam? And what are the lessons for posterity from the intelligentsia’s engagement and entry into the world and their mission and commitment to the challenges of the times?
The talk will take place at 09:30 on October 31, 2021, in the form of online via fanpage: Quoc Tu Giam Cultural Space.
VM