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Recently, the translation of academic titles from English to Vietnamese has often encountered many shortcomings. A lack of information regarding the structure and processes of the US university system leads translators to infer meanings based on the literal sense of words, resulting in serious inaccuracies that distort the actual standing and responsibilities of American academics.  This article aims to clarify and illuminate the core professorial titles within the US academic system, using the designations: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Full Professor. It is important to remember that regardless of their title within these three ranks, they are all University Professors who hold positions of teaching, research, and knowledge shaping at universities.  I. Three Core Ranks on the Tenure-Track  The standard career path leading to a Tenured Professor position at research universities in the US is a clearly defined trajectory, demanding continuous dedication an...

In the stream of East Asian civilization, if China prides itself on the vast mystery of Taoism, and Japan reveres the stoic tranquility of Zen, then the Korean Peninsula chose for itself a symbol that is both brilliantly colorful and majestic to serve as a guiding principle for the entire nation: Taegeuk. Not merely an image on the national flag, Taegeuk-do (The Way of Taegeuk) is the pinnacle of cultural heritage, where the essence of the Eight Trigrams and Eastern philosophy converge, reflecting a unique worldview in which humans are not insignificant before nature but stand at the center to reconcile and create the universe.  The origin of this concept stems from ancient Eastern philosophy, where Taegeuk was seen as the primordial chaotic state before dividing into Yin and Yang. However, upon closer comparison, we see that Koreans have made a strong symbolic innovation to differentiate their identity from the Chinese cradle. If China's Taiji diagram is characterized by two black...

On the occasion of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, every year we collectively honor the noble profession of human cultivation and reflect on the mission of education in a volatile historical context. More than a century has passed since the 'Chấn dân khí' (strengthening the national spirit) movement was initiated by patriotic Confucian scholars and intellectuals. This was a great slogan, bearing the mission of awakening and uplifting the will of the entire nation; however, after more than a hundred years of arduous endeavor, this slogan has become a boulder too large, too overwhelming for intellectuals and Confucian scholars. The efforts to enlighten the populace and strengthen the national spirit have achieved many significant accomplishments, but we also have to face a harsh reality: the national spirit has not been thoroughly revitalized, and increasingly, there appear "ngáo sĩ" (pseudo-intellectuals), those who claim to be intellectuals and guides but lack solid fou...