A Conversation with the New Associate Professor of Linguistics at HUST

With romantic hair, a gentle smile, a warm voice, and an open, humorous demeanor—these are the first impressions when talking to Mr. Nguyen Viet Khoa, the sole candidate from Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) to meet the standards for the title of Associate Professor (Assoc. Prof.) in Linguistics in 2025. Following his appointment, he will officially become the first Associate Professor of the Faculty of Foreign Languages in the last 25 years—an important milestone not only for him personally but also for foreign language training at HUST.

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa was born in 1973. He graduated from the University of Hanoi (now Vietnam National University, Hanoi) and obtained his PhD from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom. In 1997, Mr. Khoa began working at Hanoi University of Science and Technology and has been attached to HUST ever since.

Why the Faculty of Foreign Languages Has Had No Associate Professors for So Long

Congratulations, new Associate Professor Nguyen Viet Khoa! What was your first emotion when you learned you had met the standards for the Associate Professor title?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: Pride and gratitude! I am proud that my long-term efforts have been recognized, and grateful to the previous generations of teachers, my colleagues in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and especially Hanoi University of Science and Technology for giving me the opportunity to contribute and for standing by my side throughout my career journey.

Looking back at the review process for the Associate Professor title, what do you remember most?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: I felt that the dossier review process was conducted very seriously, strictly following the guidelines of the State Council for Professorship and the regulations in Decision No. 37/2018/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister.

Besides general criteria, candidates for Professor and Associate Professor titles who meet the dossier requirements as prescribed undergo three rounds of review: Institutional level, Disciplinary/Interdisciplinary level, and State level.

For me—a candidate for Associate Professor in Linguistics—I had to fully meet the criteria regarding teaching seniority, required teaching hours, leading scientific projects, international articles in the Scopus/ISI index, supervising master's students, etc. Everything was examined very thoroughly.

The hardest part for me was probably... the paperwork! (Laughs) I am quick at doing research, but gathering, filling, and reviewing the dossier was truly a "different academic problem"!

Compared to other training units within the University, it has taken a very long time for the Faculty of Foreign Languages to have a lecturer meet the Associate Professor standards. What is the reason for this, sir?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: The Faculty of Foreign Languages has a very dedicated team with high professional expertise, but the number of staff with PhD degrees is modest compared to larger training units within the University. Additionally, the field of Linguistics generally has fewer candidates meeting Professor/Associate Professor standards than other fields. For example, this year at the State Council for Professorship's review round, the Linguistics field had only 12 candidates, whereas Information Technology had 27, Educational Science had 31, Mechanical - Dynamic Engineering had 44, and Economics had 134 candidates.

I believe that the Faculty of Foreign Languages having its first Associate Professor after 25 years is not a personal story of mine, but the result of the collective effort with the goal of elevating the quality of HUST's foreign language staff and lecturers to meet new requirements and tasks, contributing to the development of language research and the country's Linguistics field.
  "I Love HUST and HUST Loves Me!"

What does achieving the Associate Professor standard mean to you on your journey of nearly 30 years with HUST?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: It's very simple: It is proof of love and perseverance!

When someone asks me about my feelings for HUST, the sentence I always say is: I love HUST and HUST loves me!

Nearly 30 years at HUST is not just a job, but the only "permanent address" on my career journey. Every success I have achieved has had the tremendous support of previous generations of teachers, my colleagues in the School, and above all, Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

Achieving a precious accomplishment in the place where one has dedicated their entire life is something very worthy of respect. In my new position, I feel I must have even greater responsibility towards the School and the University.

So what goals have you set for the upcoming journey?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: For me, the Faculty of Foreign Languages is "Home," and when it is home, one has the responsibility to "keep the fire burning" for a lifetime. I have set myself the task of accompanying the Faculty of Foreign Languages actively and effectively in three areas:

Developing training programs and opening postgraduate training majors;

Developing the quality of the staff so that the number of lecturers with PhD degrees at the Faculty of Foreign Languages becomes numerous, and the number of Associate Professors is not just the number 1;

Accompanying the University in tasks regarding foreign languages in particular and language in general.

A Special Teaching Method: Testing Students!

Foreign language students often whisper to each other: "Mr. Khoa tests students a lot; if you're negligent, you'll 'fall into the trap' immediately!" Is that true, sir?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: Perhaps that is also a success of mine in leaving a special impression on students. (Laughs)

It is true that I test them often, using many examples so students realize they must deeply understand foreign languages in their world.

For instance, the sentence "There are many buses in the computer system": if you only know "bus" as a vehicle... you are greatly mistaken! That sentence must be correctly translated as "Có rất nhiều loại đường truyền trong hệ thống máy tính". Or the sentence "There are two tanks on the roof of the building" cannot be translated as "Có hai xe tăng trên nóc nhà"; in mechanical engineering, "tank" must be translated as "bể/thùng chứa" (container/cistern).
  Is that the "secret" to helping HUST students learn foreign languages effectively?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: I believe that using relatable examples helps students remember longer!

In reality, learning a foreign language effectively is a headache for many people. No method is effective if the learner does not make an effort. Therefore, learners must put aside the notion that a foreign language is just a subject and instead treat it like "daily food and drink."

There are currently many learning methods, especially in the era of technology and AI development. Foreign language lecturers grasp these learning methods and will transmit them to learners. Learners will find the effective learning methods most suitable for themselves.

Both teachers and students finding the right learning methods together and personalizing foreign language learning will contribute to making English a second language in schools, in the spirit of the Project "Making English a Second Language in Schools for the 2025–2035 Period, Vision to 2045" (Decision No. 2371/QĐ-TTg).

"Any Day I Can Work is the Most Beautiful Day"

I am curious to ask what you have been researching in recent years. In the mind of a "layperson," perhaps a foreign language lecturer researches language deeply, correct?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: Not necessarily!

The first research direction I am pursuing is Onomastics.

Simply put, it is the study of proper names. Like "Đại học Bách khoa Hà Nội" (Hanoi University of Science and Technology): Why is "Bách" capitalized but "khoa" is lowercase? What history and collective memory does that name carry?

My PhD thesis in 2010 was a study of English and Vietnamese proper names, which opened up a whole world for me. To this day, it remains the foundation for my later research.

My second research direction is Language Education, focusing on foreign language learning methods and tools.

So far, I have explored, collected databases, and programmed three dictionaries myself: VIETTIEN Dictionary for macOS, Kadict for Android, and recently Trungka—a Chinese-Vietnamese bilingual dictionary for Android.
  Few people think a foreign language lecturer would... program electronic dictionaries himself. What made you pursue this very special path?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: Because I... am passionate about both! I love the wonder of language and the creativity of technology, so I taught myself programming, writing in Java, and building databases myself.

The latest Trungka dictionary has up to 80,000 Chinese-Vietnamese entries and over 100,000 Vietnamese-Chinese entries, including about 15,000 terms related to science, engineering, and technology.

How will you develop your research in the future?

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Viet Khoa: I will boost research on Onomastics and Language Education, meeting the increasingly high requirements of innovation and the digital society.

For me, research is a very simple joy. It is how I see myself creating value and also how I show gratitude to life and to Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

As long as I can work and do research, that day is the most beautiful day!

Thank you for this inspiring conversation!