Established with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1717/QĐ-TTg dated December 1, 2016, VNU Trần Nhân Tông Institute is one of the five VNU’s Institutes established by the Prime Minister. Trần Nhân Tông Institute is the pioneer in training high quality human resources beginning with its Ph.D degree in Buddhist Studies.

VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn has been appointed as the Institute’s Director; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Lại Quốc Khánh as the Institute’s Deputy Director; and VNU Council for Science and Academics Chairman Vũ Minh Giang as the Institute’s Council for Science and Academics Chairman.

VNU President Nguyễn Kim Sơn stated that as a highly academic research institute under VNU – a leading university in Vietnam, VNU Trần Nhân Tông Institute would be a venue for scientists and institutions from Vietnam and abroad to conduct training and research activities not only on Trần Nhân Tông’s Buddhist Studies but also on the Trần dynasty, Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism and its impact on Vietnam’s socio-political life.

At the ceremony, Venerable Thích Thiện Nhơn sent his congratulations to VNU Trần Nhân Tông Institute and said that its foundation was in line with the evolving trend of human ideology and was also to honor the humanistic value of the most venerable King-Monk Trần Nhân Tông’s ideology for future generations to follow and develop. 

According to Venerable Thích Thiện Nhơn, the establishment of Trần Nhân Tông Institute is an opportunity for Buddhist monks from Vietnam Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Council and local Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Councils to attend a high quality doctoral program in Buddhist Studies at a domestic higher education institution.

The establishment of VNU Trần Nhân Tông Institute plays an important role in academic activities in general and in Buddhist Studies in particular.  The adopting of traditional culture focusing on the Trần dynasty’s history and culture with Trần Nhân Tông personality and Trúc Lâm Zen Buddhism as the object of study is one of VNU Trần Nhân Tông Institute’s peculiarities.

To put the Institute into operation, VNU has taken a number steps including building project, conducting survey, discussing long–term training and research orientation; especially, designing  a pilot doctoral program in Buddhist Studies and other short-term training courses.

VNU is also preparing for in-depth Buddhist and Trúc Lâm Zen Buddhism studies and building a data base as well as a long-term research plan. Especially, in terms of human resources for implementing the institute’s activities, VNU has planned to attract scientists from VNU, national and international institutions with foreign-trained Buddhist professionals to work at the Institute.

The first intake for VNU Trần Nhân Tông Institute’s doctoral program in Buddhist Studies has been scheduled for September, 2017.