Pham Van Duc, Prof.
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Lead of Political Theory
Biography
Professor Pham Van Duc is one of Vietnam’s leading scholars in philosophy and the social sciences. He currently serves as President of the Vietnam Philosophical Association and previously held several senior leadership positions, including Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, President of the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, and Director of the Institute of Philosophy.
He earned his PhD in Philosophy in 1994 and was appointed Professor in 2016. Over more than four decades of academic work, Professor Pham Van Duc has made significant contributions to research on Marxist–Leninist philosophy, socialism, political philosophy, the socialist rule-of-law state, sustainable development, and social development management in Vietnam.
He formerly served as a member of the State Council for Professorship and as Chair of the Interdisciplinary Council for Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science. He has also supervised numerous doctoral candidates who successfully completed their PhD dissertations in philosophy and the social sciences.
Areas of Expertise
- Philosophy
- Dialectical Materialism
- Historical Materialism
- Marxist–Leninist Philosophy
- Political Philosophy
Research Interests
- Socialism and Vietnam’s Path towards Socialism
- The Socialist Rule-of-Law State
- Democracy and Social Justice
- Ho Chi Minh Thought
- Social Development Management
- Sustainable Development
- Eastern and Western Philosophy
- Universal Human Values in the Context of Globalization
- The Relationship between the Market Economy and Socialism
- Philosophy and Contemporary Social Issues
- Marxist–Leninist Philosophy
- Dialectical Materialism
- Historical Materialism
- Political Philosophy
- Scientific Socialism
- Ho Chi Minh Thought
- The Socialist Rule-of-Law State
- Research Methodology in the Social Sciences
- Contemporary Philosophical Issues
- Sustainable Development and Social Management
Books and Textbooks
- Practical Issues and Social Philosophy in Vietnam Today (Author, Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, United States, 2018).
- Karl Marx’s Thought on Social Justice and Democracy and Its Current Relevance (Co-author, Social Sciences Publishing House, 2018).
- Selected Political and Legal Issues Raised in the Documents of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Co-editor, Social Sciences Publishing House, 2020).
- A Century of the Communist Party of China: Statements from 100 Foreign Communists (Co-author, Contemporary Publishing House, 2021).
- Textbook of Marxist–Leninist Philosophy (Editor-in-chief, National Political Publishing House, 2021).
- Philosophy Re-engaging Cultures and Ways of Life (Co-author, Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, United States, 2022).
- Ho Chi Minh and Rosa Luxemburg’s Thought on Building a Better Society (Co-author, Vietnam National University Press, Hanoi, 2022).
- New Theoretical and Practical Issues in the Documents of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Co-author, National Political Publishing House, 2022).
- New Perspectives on Socialism and Vietnam’s Path towards Socialism through the Works of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Co-author, Social Sciences Publishing House, 2023).
- Dialectical Materialism: Fundamental Principles and Proposed Developments Based on Vietnam’s Practical Experience in the New Context (Editor-in-chief, University of Education Publishing House, 2025).
- A Model for Managing Vietnam’s Social Development towards 2030, with a Vision to 2045: Theoretical and Practical Foundations (Editor-in-chief, National Political Publishing House, 2026).
Selected Journal Articles
- “Sustainable Development and the Role of the Social Sciences in Sustainable Development in Vietnam” (2018).
- “Ho Chi Minh’s Perspective on Building a Better Society in Vietnam” (2021).
- “The Evolution of Perspectives on the Practice of Democracy in Vietnam since the Đổi Mới Reforms” (2021).
- “Reflections on the Role of Philosophy in the Contemporary Context” (2022).
- “The Adoption of Universal Human Values in the Process of Building Socialism in Vietnam” (2023).
- “Building the Socialist Rule-of-Law State of Vietnam in the New Development Era” (2025–2026).
- “Some Similarities and Differences between Eastern and Western Philosophy” (2025).
- 1982: Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Hanoi University, now Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
- 1994: PhD in Philosophy, Institute of Philosophy, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
- 1997: Visiting Research Fellow under the Korea Foundation Fellowship in South Korea, conducting research in political science.
- 2000: Advanced Diploma in Political Theory, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.
- 2002: Visiting Professor, Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, The Catholic University of America, United States.
- 2016: Appointed Professor of Philosophy by the State Council for Professorship of Vietnam.
Professor Pham Van Duc currently serves as a Visiting Professor at the School of Marxism, Guangxi University, and as a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Contemporary Socialism Studies, Shandong University, China.
Academic and Leadership Positions
- President, Vietnam Philosophical Association
- Former Vice President, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
- Former President, Graduate Academy of Social Sciences
- Former Director, Institute of Philosophy
- Chair, Interdisciplinary Council for Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science, 2018–2023
- Member, Interdisciplinary Council for Philosophy, Sociology, and Political Science, 2006–2025
Research Achievements
- Editor or co-author of more than 30 scholarly monographs and three textbooks.
- Principal investigator of five state-level and six ministerial-level research projects.
- Author of more than 100 scholarly articles published in Vietnamese and international journals.
- Successfully supervised 16 doctoral candidates between 2018 and the present.
Awards
- Outstanding Paper Award, World Association for Political Economy, 2013.
