On 18 March 2022, the British Council announced the recipients of the Study UK Alumni Awards 2021-22 in Vietnam at a ceremony in Hanoi. In total, three UK alumni in Vietnam were recognised for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders, and for their contribution to strengthening ties between the UK and Vietnam.
Following in-depth interviews with a judging panel, recipients were selected for the three award categories: Science and Sustainability Award, Culture and Creativity Award and Business and Innovation Award.
The prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni all over the world. Now in its eighth year, the award received more than 1,500 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing more than 140 UK higher education institutions across the UK.
Science and Sustainability Award was presented to Nguyen Khanh Dieu Hong, a graduate of University College London. Dieu Hong is a highly regarded and qualified female chemical engineer, a professor in renewable energy, an author, and an educator. After getting her PhD in Chemistry at University College London in 2008, she built a curriculum and researched clean fuel and green chemistry to teach undergraduates, masters and PhD students in Vietnam.
Her achievements have been honoured by the Prime Minister of Vietnam in 2020. Since 2015, she has been the CEO of Go-Green Vietnam Fund, supporting young scientists, inventors and students. Dieu Hong’s time in the UK helped shape her characters in scientific research and inspired many young students in Vietnam to pursue their education and career in STEM.
Culture and Creativity Award was presented to Trang Trinh, a graduate of Royal Academy of Music.
Trang Trinh is a pianist, an educator and a leader who wants to contribute to society. In 2013, she co-founded the Miracle Choir & Orchestra, giving free music lessons to underprivileged children. The impact this project made on the life of children led to her recognition by Forbes 30 under 30 in 2015. Trang Trinh’s work is informed by her time at the Royal Academy of Music in the UK, building her confidence and passion in music.
In 2017, she became one of the youngest authors for primary school music textbooks. She also founded Wonder, a social enterprise that focuses on SDGs in quality education and reducing inequality.
The Business and Innovation award was presented to Dinh Thuy Phuong, a graduate of The University of Northampton.
Thuy Phuong has developed a strong passion for the zero-waste industry since she studied MA in Management (Marketing) at the University of Northampton. In April 2020, she founded Mana.st – a company specialised in manufacturing and trading Mana.st friendly-environmental straws made of reeds.
Phuong’s UK education set a foundation for a higher standard of learning to transfer knowledge to others. Her work as a teacher at rehabs of drug addicts has inspired some graduate students to take the position of associate trainers, transferring what they have learnt to other learners and obtaining self-study skills benefitting in their life-long learning journeys.
Upon receiving the award, Trang Trinh shared: “It’s my privilege to be the winner of Study UK Alumni Awards. I think that I am indebted to UK education for who I am today and what I have gained as an artist. I have appreciated all the friendships and relationships and opportunities I had in the UK. I would love to use this opportunity to thank the Royal Academy of Music and say that: “If any of the young people who are thinking of studying art are considering to go to the UK, all I can say is that it will be your best time to develop and find the vision of being an artist.”
Sharing about the event, Ms Donna McGowan, Director of the British Council in Vietnam, said: “The remarkable individuals we celebrated today have all taken their UK education as a starting point to excel in their chosen careers and shape the world around them. This year’s awards ceremony is testimony not only to the diversity of UK alumni and their endeavours but also to the transformative impact of a UK education.”
Find out more about Study UK Alumni Awards 2021–22 at: https://www.britishcouncil.vn/en/study-uk/alumni-awards-2022