Hybrid Lecture: Xuyên Qua Mọi Chiến Tuyến (Across All Frontlines). A Different Perspective on History and Human Kindness

We kindly invite you to this hybrid (online & in-site) lecture in English language on Friday, January 23rd, 2026, at 13:00–15:00 h (CET/MEZ) / 19:00–21:00 h (Vietnam Time / giờ Việt Nam).

Lecture Series: Vietnamese Culture Forum
A collaboration between the Vietnam Studies Center, Fulbright University Vietnam,
and the Department of Vietnamese Studies, University of Hamburg

Hybrid lecture (in-site and online) by
Nguyễn Xuân Thọ, Cologne:

"Xuyên Qua Mọi Chiến Tuyến (Across All Frontlines) – A Different Perspective on History and Human Kindness"

Introducing a collection of historical reportage by Nguyễn Xuân Thọ

Speaker:

    Nguyễn Xuân Thọ, Cologne

Discussant:

    Cao Quang Nghiệp (M.A.), University of Hamburg

Host:

    Prof. Dr. Thomas Engelbert, University of Hamburg

Friday, 23.01.2026
13:00 – 15:00 h (CET/MEZ)
19:00 – 21:00 h (Vietnam Time / giờ Việt Nam)
 
Hybrid lecture:

    in-person lecture at
        University of Hamburg
        Asia-Africa-Institute (AAI)
        Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1, Flügel Ost ("East Wing")
        room O-232
        20146 Hamburg

    livestream via ZOOM
        Zoom link: https://uni-hamburg.zoom.us/j/62517077613?pwd=mB3bE1O8Gg-3mdpVVwmvMuyJD4TH8miF._RHDdGPIAUgiK8Dc
        Webinar-ID: 625 1707 7613
        Passcode:   79191977

This lecture will be held in English!

Open to public! – Admission free!

About the lecture:

War is not defined solely by weapons and hatred. It sets the highest measure for human benevolence. Even in the deepest reaches of opposing frontlines, human kindness quietly persists, giving rise to moments of wonder that reason alone struggles to comprehend.

Throughout the narratives in "Xuyên Qua Mọi Chiến Tuyến" ("Across All Frontlines"), a single truth resonates consistently: The enemy is, first and foremost, human. The work does not seek to recount history as a series of victories and defeats, but rather to trace the journeys of courageous hearts, pursuing historical truth through a lens both scientific and humane, overcoming prejudice to heal the collective wounds of a nation.

About the lecturer:

Born in 1951 in Gò Bồi, Bình Định, Nguyễn Xuân Thọ moved with his family to North Vietnam in 1955. His childhood, spent living with his parents within the premises of the Vietnam News Agency, exposed him from early on to newspapers, radio, and international news sources, fostering a multi-dimensional perspective from a young age.

In 1967, he went to the German Democratic Republic to train in television engineering at the Postal Technical School in Königs Wusterhausen. During four years there, he witnessed the construction of socialism in the GDR as well as the tragedies of the Cold War and the STASI regime. After graduation, he returned to Vietnam and began working at Vietnam Television (VTV) in 1972, while continuing his studies and earning a degree in Electronic Engineering from Hanoi University of Science and Technology. He held several technical management positions at VTV before relocating with his family to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1991. In 1996, he founded his own media technology company in Cologne, Germany.

Since 2001, he has written essays and commentaries for various newspapers and online forums, including Vietnamnet, Dân Trí, Văn Việt, Talawas, X-CafeVN, and Bauxite. He is the author of "Hai Quê Hương" (2021) and "Xuyên Qua Mọi Chiến Tuyến" (2025).

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