Soziologie

The international conference The Anthropology of Vietnam: Global Perspectives happened last week week from 16 to 19 June at Dalat University, Vietnam. The conference welcomed more than 150 researchers, experts, graduate and undergraduate students from countries all over the world, including United States (US), Germany, Denmark, Canada, Australia, France, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan, Israel, Switzerland and Vietnam.

The conference was organised by the Department of Social Work – Anthropology – Sociology of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) (USSH-VNUHCM), in collaboration with Dalat University, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University Hanoi), and the Institute of Anthropology and Religious Studies. It was supported by distinguished international academic institutions, including the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Yale University (US), Copenhagen University (Denmark), and Bielefeld University (Germany). 

Moreover, the conference marked a historical moment, as it recalled the 2007 Binh Chau Anthropolgy Conference, a milestone collaboration between USSH-VNUHCM and the University of Toronto (Canada), which fostered for the research and teaching of the anthropology discipline in Vietnam. Over the past two decades, what began as a forum to "initiate dialogue" had evolved into a platform that amplified the voices of multiple generations of anthropologists, reflecting continuity and growth.

Speaking at the conference, Professor Ngo Thi Phuong Lan (President of USSH-VNUHCM) expressed the need for an international outlook: "We [Vietnam] used to be an attractive field site in the eyes of international scholars. As we approach our 25^th anniversary, we have the right and the responsibility to thrive for more. Our ambitions should extend beyond a receptive approach of an ‘anthropology about Vietnam.' We should strive to make theoretical, methodological, and conceptual contributions 'from Vietnam to the anthropology of the world.' This is the duty of the current generation and the goal for the future." 

The full program of the conference can be viewed here. USSH-VNUHCM has also made an announcement about the conference, which is available in Vietnamese and English.

Photos by USSH-VNUHCM.