Launch of memoir 'Once a boat, must set sail' by late professor Tran Hong Quan

Cover of the memoir "Once a boat, it must set sail" by the late Professor Tran Hong Quan - Photo: MINH TAN

The exchange was also a place for attendees to remember Professor Tran Hong Quan - former Minister of Education and Training, Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges for his contributions to the country's education sector.

Professor Tran Hong Quan's love for his profession and his intelligence

Dr. Vu Ngoc Hoang - President of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges - shared: "After Professor Tran Hong Quan passed away, his family gave me the manuscript. Holding the manuscript, I kept thinking about the book title "As a boat, I must go far", the more I thought about it, the more profound it became.

The title of the memoir "As a boat, I must go out to sea" is a natural one. The title of the book is taken from the poem "As a boat, I must go out to sea/As a bird, I must live with the sky " in the posthumous work of Professor Tran Hong Quan.

The book's content is stories about the professor's hometown and his difficult childhood - a 4-year-old boy who lost his father.

The book of more than 500 pages is about articles written over several decades of the professor's life, especially articles about his educational activities.

Prof. Dr. Trinh Quang Phu, one of the people who wrote the memoir of Professor Tran Hong Quan, said that the book was collected and compiled by his family and close colleagues from the professor's writings from the 1980s in Vung Tau, Nha Trang... Later, when his health was weak, the professor continued to write thanks to the encouragement of his family and colleagues.

Associate Professor Dr. Tran Mai Dong - the eldest son of Professor Tran Hong Quan, expressed his thoughts: "When I was young, my father asked me what was the difference between rivers and seas. The question made me think and try to find the answer. Later, when I grew up, I found that the question opened up many doors for me in life."

"The lessons of love for the profession, patience and wisdom from my father have penetrated deeply into our hearts and souls... The path of education and the way of life my father not only imparted knowledge, but also inspired and ignited a fire in me," Mr. Tran Mai Dong confided.

Has historical and literary value

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tan Phat - former Permanent Deputy Minister of Education and Training - shared stories about Professor Tran Hong Quan at the exchange - Photo: MINH TAN

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Tan Phat - former permanent deputy minister of the Ministry of Education and Training - expressed his joy when the book was launched.

Because when reading Professor Tran Hong Quan's memoirs, one can see that the professor worked all his life, leaving behind great values ​​in the education sector. "He is a person dedicated to education, recognized by many colleagues as a profound and trustworthy teacher," he said.

Professor Tran Hong Quan is a respected veteran educator. His memoirs reveal his concerns and pain when many ideas for educational reform were not implemented or had to stop halfway, such as financial autonomy for universities at that time could not be implemented...

Writer and journalist Tran Quoc Toan (left) reads the touching memoirs of Professor Tran Hong Quan - Photo: MINH TAN

Writer and journalist Tran Quoc Toan - Deputy Head of Children's Literature - Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, commented on the work: "I received the book quite early. If you read the memoir carefully, on the one hand, you will see that it has historical value because it records past events. It is also closely linked to the changes in the country's education. On the other hand, the book also has high literary value, with passages like lyrical poems."

Mr. Tran Quoc Toan believes that it is necessary to spread the work in the community so that many people can learn. He emphasized: "In the community of educators, the book brings many valuable lessons to educational managers, teachers and students."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ra-mat-hoi-ky-da-la-thuyen-phai-ra-khoi-cua-co-giao-su-tran-hong-quan-20240711125547775.htm