An institute aimed at preserving the Vietnamese writing system has been shut down after one year of operation in the central city of Da Nang.

A representative from Da Nang-based Duy Tan University confirmed on Tuesday that the school had dissolved the Institute for Honoring the Vietnamese Alphabet and Preserving the Vietnamese Language.

Duy Tan University launched the institute in October 2018 and appointed Professor Nguyen Dang Hung as its head.

The establishment operated on an independent budget, was allowed to raise its own funds, and was required to submit regular reports on its activities to the school.

The original goal of the institute was to honor the people who contributed greatly to the formation and promotion of the national alphabet.

It was also aimed at conducting research and education on the history of the writing system, as well as organizing national and international conferences on the field.

The reason behind the shuttering is that the original goals of the institute were not achieved during its one-year operation, according to Prof. Hung, head of the institute.

“The decision was also supported by me and other scientists in the field,” he added.

The professor said he would still carry on with certain activities to honor and promote the Vietnamese alphabet.

“We are planning to establish an independent and legitimate investment fund, which will be spent on the construction of structures aimed at honoring the Vietnamese alphabet,” Hung elaborated.

Vietnam’s in-use Latin script alphabet was devised by Western missionaries who arrived in the country in the 17th-century.

Last month, a proposal to name two streets in Da Nang after two missionaries credited with systematizing the alphabet was met with a heated debate over whether they deserve such honor.

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