IRED Institute of Education (IRED Institute) is an independent education organization, with various activities in many forms, in order to contribute to promoting the formation and development of Liberal Education in Vietnam. The main activities of IRED Institute include Researching, Training, Publishing, and Seminars. In addition, IRED Institute co-founded and manages not-for-profit (*) educational projects: IPL Scholarships, Good Book Project, Good Books Awards and OpenEdu Initiative. Among training activities, IRED Institute established PLEMS Education, a not-for-profit LIBERAL EDUCATION initiative to develop GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP for students to be competent global citizens.

(*): “Not-for-profit” is understood as not aiming for financial benefits; our fees (if any) are to cover operating costs and support underprivileged schools.

MISSION

IRED Institute goals are to conduct educational activities in order to promote the liberal education and nurture the path of self-enlightenment of each individual to be free human beings.

VISION

To become an internationally prestigious educational institution that contributes to liberal education and spirit of self-enlightenment in Vietnam.

CORE PRINCIPLES

Non-governmental organization (NGO) - IRED Institute is an NGO, non-partisan and functions within the legal systems in Vietnam and internationally.

Independence organization - IRED Institute provides clear, thoughtful, accurate, and independent analysis on vital education issues.  IRED Institute will hold itself accountable as the foremost education research and training institute through conducting evidence-based research and pursuing an open-minded inquiry that is inclusive of diverse points of views.

Collaboration - As an independent education organization, IRED Institute also seeks to partner and collaborate with local and international institutions, such as private companies, governmental organizations, NGOs, the civil society, as well as educators in Vietnam to achieve its institutional mission and goals. IRED Institute strives to be a leading force in education by gathering the best minds in the field - locally and internationally - so that a balanced and informed discourse can be created around education issues in Vietnam.

Advanced education - All of IRED Institute's activities focus on the institute's mission to reform and transform the education in Vietnam and other countries towards an advanced and enlightened society through education.

CORE VALUES

I - Integrity

Integrity underlies every practice and function of IRED Institute. Every staff adheres to moral and ethical principles so that the organization as a whole performs and serves its mission with the upmost honesty.

R - Respect

Respect for the diversity of ideas and opinions and for working with different people is critical to the professionalism that IRED Institute upholds.

E - Excellence

IRED Institute sets high standards in the quality of our work. The IRED team pursues excellence through our unwavering commitment to conducting rigorous scientific research and delivering quality training programs and other activities.

D - Dedication

IRED Institute is a mission-driven and customer-oriented organization. IRED team works hard and is dedicated to serving education leaders, administrators, and teachers. Furthermore, the IRED team takes personal stake in their organization’s growth and performance.  They ensure that IRED Institute’s values are maintained and its mission is achieved.

Why IRED Institute?

Education has always been an important part of Vietnamese society. A high respect for teachers and learning stretches from the north to south of the country where education is valued as a vehicle for social mobility and advancement. In the past several decades, Vietnam has made changes that have achieved important results in education. However, parents, teachers, students, the government, and the general public, have grown discontent with the current educational landscape, particularly the quality of education. To address pressing education issues, education reform is critically needed to improve and change the status quo of Vietnam’s education. Moreover, any successful education system requires long-term, effective development strategies that are based on a strong foundation of scientific and accurate research. Recognizing the crucial role of research in improving education in Vietnam, IRED Institute (IRED Institute of Education as its previous name) was established to actively contribute to the discourse of education reform, particularly through research. By opening up dialogue amongst education researchers, experts, educators and policymakers in Vietnam and abroad, IRED Institute aims to develop their capacity, strengthen the education system, and propel positive change in society.

By conducting research on the most pressing education issues, IRED Institute strives to be a knowledge-generating institute that brings together the country’s intellectuals and international experts to inform educators and policy makers to provide students with a higher quality of education.

IRED Institute also seeks to create a home to Vietnamese researchers, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to educating the next generation of Vietnam’s educators and students. IRED Institute believes that improving and transforming the Vietnamese education system requires committed collaboration amongst schools, local and international institutions, NGOs, private and public sectors. Subsequently, IRED Institute works to connect diverse stakeholders and leverage the existing resources and knowledge to innovate and create solutions to Vietnam’s education issues. Ultimately, IRED Institute’s work aims to benefit students in Vietnam through quality education that will contribute to their livelihood and help shape the country’s socio-economic progress.

“Human Way (Humanity), Home Way (Communality) and My Way (Individuality) are characteristics of a Free Human Being and the Free Human Being is the goal of Liberal Education”.

- Educational philosophy of IRED Institute and PLEMS Education – 

The educational philosophy of IRED Institute and PLEMS Education is elaborated in the following article by Dr. Gian Tu Trung – President of IRED Institute:

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 Human Way, Home Way, My Way

Although countless writings and forums have been discussing “educational philosophy” or “the goal of education”, this subject is never outdated but always remains relevant.

The quest for an educational philosophy begins with answering three questions: (1) What is a human? (2) What kind of humans do we want to foster? (3) How to foster this kind of humans?

Therefore, the concern over educational philosophy indeed aims to explore what image of a human we want to promote through education. Every person, every family, every school, every country may have their own perspectives and approaches.

After many years working in the education field as well as teaching two modules “On Learning” and “Life Management Program” at PACE Institute of Management and IRED Institute of Education, I came to a conclusion that the goal of education is to develop human beings with three qualities (Three-Way Human) including Human Way (Humanity), Home Way (Communality) and My Way (Individuality). 

Human Way?

Human Way (Humanity) refers to the cultural attributes that distinguish human race from other species (e.g.  animals, plants and machines). It considers humanness, human rights, and mankind’s universal and long-lasting values such as freedom, equality, humanitarianism or truth, goodness, beauty progressing for centuries and transcending national, ethnic, and religious boundaries.

To be a human, we must have a clear mind, a warm heart, and an open spirit. A clear mind can determine the nature of people and things, discover a self-identity, and distinguish right from wrong, true from false, real from fake, good from evil. A person with a warm heart has a vibrant soul, being moved by both tangible and intangible beauty, empathic with the pains of fellow human beings, indignant at evils, and full of love and compassion. An open spirit means selflessness and forgiveness; only with it can we become less narrow-minded, less aggressive, less jealous, and more tolerant of others’ selfishness.

In other words, man is a being with humanity; and without humanity, he is no more than an animal in the form of a human being. 

Home Way?

Home Way (Communality) is constituted of citizenship, nationality, and ethnicity. Citizenship includes civic responsibility, civic competence, and civil rights. Nationality and ethnicity can be understood as “the essence of a nation” or national identity; a sense of origin and belonging; the lifestyle of a family, a lineage, or an ethnic group. They act as a “cultural anchor” in a diverse world of nations.

For example, a Vietnamese child, born and raised abroad, can have both Vietnamese Home Way yet feel connected to the Home Way of the place where he grows up. On the other hand, a child born and raised by Vietnamese parents in Vietnam who is not fluent in his mother tongue, only fond of Western meals, and indifferent to Vietnamese origin may elicit a question: Is he truly Vietnamese? It may sound strange yet many parents have sadly expressed, “My children have become Western kids!”

In any country, there are both good and bad traditions as part of Home Way, so what standards can we apply to judge which tradition to preserve and which one to abandon? For example, a controversy arose over the pig-cutting rituals at Nem Thuong village, which has existed for more than 800 years. People in Vietnam have begun to question this bloody and violent tradition. This example demonstrates that Home Way needs to be grounded in Human Way. Or Human Way is a filter to remove inappropriate Home Way which does not align with the values of Human Way. Regardless of its long history, If Home Way contradicts Human Way, it will never be worth preserving. 

My Way?

My Way (Individuality) refers to an independent and free human being. It encompasses life values and outlook; one’s “inner” (dignity), “superior” (faith) and “outward” (personality); the “brake” and the “accelerator” – the driving force within one’s conscience that discourages them from doing evil and urges them to do what is right. It celebrates what makes a human unique. It is something we seek when we say, “I want to be myself!” or “I want to live the way I am and be true to my heart!”.

The word “individuality” has often been negatively regarded in Vietnamese culture for a long time. It is similar to the notion of “freedom” which is generally interpreted as “doing whatever you want”. Nowadays, many parents are willing to work endlessly to fulfil their children’s demands and to send them to high-priced schools where they can be free to express their individuality without fear of reprimand. Consequently, there are children growing up in rebellion and bewilderment and struggling to find themselves.

Therefore, if My Way (Individuality) is not built on the basis of Human Way (Humanity), human beings take risks in becoming “monstrous”, just as freedom without culture will become wildness. For if we want to “be ourselves”, we must first “be like a human”. If we want to find My Way, we must first connect with Human Way.

If Home Way is filtered by Human Way, My Way will be established on the cornerstone of Human Way and cultivated by Home Way. 

Source: Gian Tu Trung, IRED Institute

Having a destination does not necessarily mean there is a clear road to that destination. Yet if there is no destination in mind, we will not embark on any road. Therefore, all education reforms will once again fall into a cliché and deadlock, if we – the state, schools, scholars, teachers, parents, students – do not collaborate to agree on the goal of education. We must focus on learners’ self-enlightenment to become free human beings, who can lead themselves, own their lives and create their destiny. However, if we are not cautious, we will create a generation of students with high scores but little humanity, with wildness but little individuality, with Vietnamese origin but few Vietnamese traits, or the so-called global citizens without a homeland.

A true global citizen will not study for scores or certificates but study to enhance their humanity, communality, individuality, and expertise.

Therefore, any learning or teaching should aim to foster Human Way (Humanity), Home Way (Communality) and My Way (Individuality). For they are the characteristics of a free human being, and the free human being is the goal of liberal education!

Published on Tia Sang Journal, November 22, 2018

https://tiasang.com.vn/-giao-duc/Nhan-tinh-Quoc-tinh-va-Ca-tinh-13996

PLEMS Education is a not-for-profit (*) liberal education initiative, established by IRED Institute of Education (hereinafter IRED Institute), to develop
Global Citizenship for students.

IRED Institute works with schools and educational institutions by providing PLEMS courses for students and teacher training for sustainable implementation.

PLEMS Education includes 5 SUBJECTS essential to all students from diverse contexts, namely: 

• Philosophy
• Self-Leadership 
• Entrepreneurship
• Mindfulness
• Social-Emotional Learning

PLEMS Education consists of 3 VERSIONS for 3 school levels: 

• PLEMS for Kids (for elementary schools)
• PLEMS for Teens (for junior high schools)
• PLEMS for Teens (for senior high schools)

The subjects are designed based on internationally acclaimed scientific research and models. They are also embedded with the “Three-Way Human” educational philosophy of IRED Institute: “Human Way/ Humanity, Home Way/Communality and My Way/ Individuality are characteristics of a free human being and the free human being is the goal of liberal education”.

(*): “Not-for-profit” is understood as not aiming for financial benefits; our fees (if any) are to cover operating costs and support underprivileged schools.

IRED Institute of Education (IRED Institute) is an independent education organization, with various activities in many forms, in order to contribute to promoting the formation and development of Liberal Education in Vietnam. The main activities of IRED Institute range from Researching, Training, Publishing to Seminars. In addition, IRED Institute is the co-founder and executive of not-for-profit (*) educational projects: IPL Scholarship, Good Book Project, Good Book Award and OpenEdu Initiative. 

In Training, IRED Institute collaborates with domestic and international experts to research, design, and implement pioneering training programs in Vietnam for school leaders, lecturers, teachers, parents, and students. The training programs include: 

• Research Methods in Social Sciences (for lecturers); 

• TeacherMindset (for teachers); 

• ParentMindset (for parents); 

• School Leadership & Management (for school leaders); 

• PLEMS Self-Leadership Education (for students).