Former Vietnamese Education Minister Pham Minh Hac Dies at 92

Professor Pham Minh Hac, a former Minister of Education and Training of Vietnam, died at 1:10 a.m. on 31 July at the age of 92 after a five‑month hospitalization at the Vietnam‑Soviet Friendship Hospital. He was born in 1935 in Hanoi and earned his doctorate and a science doctorate in psychology from Moscow State University in the 1970s.

During his tenure as Minister (1987‑1990) he steered the education system through the early Đổi Mới reforms, addressing severe inflation, school infrastructure decay, teacher shortages and rising illiteracy. He later served as Deputy Minister, chaired the National Committee for Literacy Eradication and Primary Education, and led several research institutes, publishing over 80 books and hundreds of studies. His guiding principle – “maintain stability, restore what was lost, strengthen what remains and develop what is needed” – shaped Vietnam’s modern education policy.

His death marks the passing of a key figure in Vietnam’s post‑war educational development, remembered for his contributions to literacy campaigns and the consolidation of the Ministry of Education and Training.