The University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) is one of the affiliated members of Vietnam National University (VNU-HCM), which include the USSH, the University of Natural Sciences, the University of Technology, the International University, the University of Computer Science, the Faculty of Economics, the Institute of Natural Resources and the Environment, and the following centers: the Center of Information Technology Development, and the Center for Testing and Assessment. The USSH plays an important role in Vietnam's higher education, especially in the fields of social sciences and the humanities.
The USSH is a high-quality training and research center in the southern provinces and is striving to be on par with universities in the area and in the world. At present the university has 18 faculties, over 500 lecturers and other staff, of whom nearly 250 are professors, associate professors, doctors of science, doctors, and masters. The teaching staff have earned their degrees in many different countries including Russia, Poland, Bulgary, Germany, the USA, the UK, France, Australia, Austria, Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, etc. Many staff have been scholars and visiting lecturers at many universities in the world. Many have been awarded the title of People's Teacher, Outstanding Teacher, and othe rnoble titles, medals, and badges. As regards the university's scale of training, there are more than 20,000 students in different training programs, of whom over 12,000 are regular undergraduate students and 1,300 graduate students.
The USSH has established cooperation with nearly 150 universities, research institutes, NGOs, etc. in many countries and regions in the world. There are thousands of visits made every year by lecturers, researchers, undergraduate and graduate students to the USSH in order to do research, to teach, or to study, while hundreds of similar visits are made by lecturers and students of the USSH to universities overseas.
In the trend towards global integration, the USSH wishes to collaborate with local and foreign universities, research institutes, etc. both in training and doing research.
HISTORY IN BRIEF
Established in 1955, the USSH was origianlly known as the Faculty of Letters, which was part of Saigon University. October 1975 marked the beginning of a new era in the university's history when it began its first academic year after the reunification of the country, with various changes in its training objectives, curricula, and programs. Another landmark in the university's history was the merging of the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Sciences ofSaigon University in April 1977, resulting in Ho Chi Minh City University (HCMU), the largest training and research center in the South of Vietnam. March 1996 saw the separation of HCMU into its two original component members, both of which were given independent status and became members of Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, and the university has been officially known as the USSH ever since.
STUDENT LIFE
It is the primary duty of students at the USSH to study and do research. Students in different training programs of the university can study through:
- classroom lectures and seminars
- reading and library research
- (extra-curricular) talks and seminars
- academic clubs and group study
- field trips, surveys, and data collection activities
- symposiums, research programs for students, or research programs organized by the university or a local or foreign research organization in a local or overseas setting.
- academic exchange and overseas study through full or partial scholarship, or through student exchange or interchange programs
Besides study and research, students of the university also take part in arts, sports, and social and community activities to fully develop their abilities as well as strenthening their social and communicative skills, their teamwork spirit, and their sense of duty towards the community. They regularly organize such activities as musical performances, sports competitions, cultural festivals, and social work (supporting Vietnam's Heroic Mothers, visiting war invalids at special-care centers, helping the poor and disabled or homeless children, building 'gratitude houses' (for parents and families of war martyrs and invalids) and 'compassion houses' (for the needy), and campaigns such as "the Green Summer," "the Spring for Volunteers," "Humanitarian Blood Donation," etc.
FACILITIES
In addition to specialized libraries at faculty and department levels, the university has a large library at its main campus at 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang St. and a branch in Linh Trung, Thu Duc with thousands of book titles, magazines, and newspapers. The library is in the process of digitizing its materials to become an e-library so as to provide the lecturers and students of the university with better services. Other amenities include:
- three laboratories that can accommodate many students at a time for foreign language training using the audio-visual method,
- a computer room with 100 computers, and
- a multimedia laboratory equipped with 50 networked computers with access to the Internet.
A 6-storey building that will form the front view of the campus is being constructed at 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang St. The university is also speeding up the construction of its new 23-ha campus in Linh Trung, Thu Duc, making it a modern training complex in the zoned area of VNU-HCM. Constructions and improvememnts will continued to be made at the 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang campus to serve the graduate programs, the undergraduate program for talented students, international activities, and service centers of the university.
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
SEMESTER 1
Start of academic year - Early September
End of semester - Late January to early February
Lunar New Year Break (2 weeks) - Early February
SEMESTER 2
Start of semester - Mid February
Students' Research Week - Late May
End of Semester - Late June to Early July
Graduation Exam/Thesis Defense - July
University Entrance Exam - Early to Mid July
Summer Break (1 month) - August