The Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of alumni and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education.
Award winners and finalists are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, professions and countries. When outstanding individuals receive a world-class education in the UK, the effects can last a lifetime.
Find out what makes their stories unique.
Believing that education is the key driver to boosting Vietnam's economy, Do Van Nhan founded TutorIn, a project that allows qualified teachers to deliver real-time lessons to students in the countryside. In 2020, Nhan joined ClassIn Vietnam (a virtual classroom platform) as COO and since then, his team has served nearly 700,000 students and 14,000 teachers. In 2021, ClassIn collaborated with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training to provide a free learning platform to 75,000 high school students in Ho Chi Minh City.
Nhan’s UK education played an important part in helping him to advance his career, by honing critical and creative thinking skills, as well as providing him a wide network of UK alumni, who became lifelong friends and business partners.
| “World-class education at UK universities helped me refine my critical and creative thinking skills. The ability to learn and think independently is a valuable skill that allows me to excel in a variety of workplace settings. Furthermore, it is also imperative to stress that the UK alumni network plays a crucial role when it comes to presenting a number of business opportunities.” |
Hoang Nhat Minh is currently working in Country Brand Marketing and Communications for Accor Vietnam. Specialising in marketing in the hospitality industry, Minh was selected as one of five finalists for the Stelliers Awards – Marketing Hotelliers of the Year. Since 2020, through the toughest period of the Covid-19 pandemic, she has successfully supported the 40 Accor Vietnam hotels across the country to survive and thrive.
The life-changing experience in the UK taught her to live independently in a country that encourage students to be adventurous and ambitious. Her professors – true leaders in their own field – have taught her to be critical, and this helped her make rapid progress in her career, as well as make a positive impact every day.
| “I am proud to say that to have got to where I am today is greatly thanks to what I learned in the UK. The mindset, attitude, and approach to life of my professors inspired me to become a better version of myself and to continue supporting other people.” |
In 2018, Trinh Khanh Ha co-founded Vulcan Augmetics – a tech start-up that develops and manufactures highly functional and affordable robotic arms, aiming to bring technology to the life of people with disabilities in developing nations. Since then, Vulcan Augmetics has changed the lives of more than 100 amputees; inspired and educated hundreds of disabled people through awareness-raising programmes aiming to change the public mindset about people with disabilities; as well as partnering with more than 20 prosthetics hospitals and clinics to serve amputees across Viet Nam.
Ha's UK education – from how the classes were delivered, to how assignments were formatted to boost creativity, autonomy and collaboration – has honed her intellectual, emotional, social, and entrepreneurial skills.
| “My UK education has really set me in the right mindset, sufficient knowledge and networking, and the right spirit to kickstart my venture and entrepreneurship journey.” |
Nguyen Xuan Man is an architect and founder of XM Architect, an emerging architecture firm pioneering in applying digital technology. Man is passionate about inspiring Vietnamese students and young architects to use the advancement of digital design methods to solve social, cultural, and environmental problems in Viet Nam. As the youngest lecturer for the CPD (Continuing Professional Development) sessions of the Vietnam Association of Architects, he is contributing the knowledge he gained from a UK education to the digitalisation of architecture, and the construction industry, on a national scale.
Man’s UK education sharpened his fundamental architecture design skills, in a global sense, and provided him with both sensational theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.
| “I believe that the UK education I received in architecture gave me a broader sense and unique experience of combining the latest technological innovations with well-established theories, and a deep appreciation for its cultural and historical aspects.” |
Chef Truong Quang Dung found his passion in cooking through part-time jobs at restaurants when studying in the UK. After coming back to Viet Nam, he founded and became a proprietor of three award-wining fine-dining restaurants in Hanoi. Dung and his team have been raising the bar of the restaurant industry, helping to put Viet Nam on the map of the fine-dining world by showcasing Vietnamese ingredients and flavours in their dishes. Dung was also honoured to be assigned to design Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday dinner for the British Embassy in Hanoi.
A UK education has taught Dung to be independent, and its development of research skills became indispensable in helping his career as an entrepreneur.
| “I found my dream in the UK. Without this education, I would never have applied for a part-time job - the one that made me fall in love with cooking.” |
Vu Nhu Anh is a news editor and anchor at Viet Nam Television (VTV). Her studies in the UK have enabled her to live her dream as an impactful storyteller, writing countless stories that touch national audiences.
At VTV, she has been hurled into a fast-paced working environment, where she could be made to drive to work at short notice to report on a terrorist attack happening somewhere on the other side of the globe. Her studies in London equipped her with the necessary skills to write such stories level-headedly, even when the news is heart-breaking.
| “What I learnt in the UK as a student really helps me stand out in the way I approach journalism, compared to my fellow journalists in Viet Nam. There’s a very fine line between sensationalism and unbiased narrative in journalism. I always strive for the latter, and my colleagues often tell me that I have a very ‘Western’ way of doing TV journalism – that is, relying on hard facts to deliver impactful messages. I think years of researching essays in the UK instilled that quality in me.” |
(Dr.) Hoang Minh Duc is a stem cell researcher at Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology (VRISG), a non-profit organisation conducting clinical trials using stem cell-based therapy for treatment of incurable diseases, including cerebral palsy, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, diabetes, stroke, spinal cord injury, and so on. Applying his UK studies, Duc has been successful in establishing core technologies that allow isolating, propagating, and cryopreserving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cords. The core technologies provide Vinmec’s research team with an opportunity to establish the Vinmec Tissue Biobank, serving more than 7,000 customers.
Nine years of study in the UK from undergraduate to PhD had provided Duc with the unique experiences of a UK education.
| “There are three important things that UK education has brought to me, through the journey of stem cell research: first, solid foundational knowledge; second, a professional research environment; and third, multidisciplinary diversity.” |
(Dr.) Khuu Thuy Duong is a conservationist with a passion for undertaking interdisciplinary research in natural resource governance to reconcile the needs of conservation and economic development, in order to find realistic solutions to help humans live more sustainably. She is currently leading a project in ‘building a multidimensional biodiversity index for Viet Nam’, which aims to help Viet Nam achieve its international commitments in sustainable development.
Besides this full-time job in conservation, Duong spends her spare time inspiring the next generation of Vietnamese through membership of the organising committee of the Global Young Vietnamese Scholar Forum of the Central Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. Besides this, she is an instructor at the Vietnam School of Development, which promotes interdisciplinary approaches to solving real-life challenges.
| ““You can’t simply agree with everything I said; you need to reflect your own opinion whenever we discuss your PhD matters.” This is the most memorable statement made by my highly respected PhD supervisor. It has been ingrained in my head and heart ever since, representing one of the most outstanding ingredients of the UK education experience, which gradually taught me active listening and critical thinking skills. These are the most invaluable skills that can be transferred to any field of research, as well as various non-academic jobs.” |
(Dr.) Nguyen Thi Thu Trang is a wildlife conservation scientist and an environmental activist. Since 2015, she has been working in both Asia and Africa to tackle illegal wildlife trade and consumption. At the time of writing, 14 major traders have been arrested and over three tons of wildlife parts seized as a result of her work. In 2015, Trang founded the local NGO WildAct, which focuses on science-based conservation of threatened species and ecosystems. Over 32,000 Vietnamese students aged 7-14, living near protected areas, have benefited from WildAct’s educational programme. Her picture book, which aims to raise awareness of conservation, has been published in ten different countries across the globe. Trang’s relentless efforts have been honoured by many institutions, such as 30 under 30 by Forbes Asia, and BBC 100 Women 2019.
| “I believe that my education in the UK has not only had a great impact on my career and success, but also shaped me. The knowledge, encouragement, inspiration, and empowerment that I have received as a student equipped me to follow my dream. I am always proud of my education in the UK, and have been vocal in encouraging young Vietnamese to explore opportunities to study in the UK.” |
Nguyen Chi Hieu is the CEO and co-founder of IEG Global, an umbrella group of education companies and foundations. Hieu and his team have helped set up and transform over 100 education establishments, with particular regard to new school creation, school restructuring, product research and development, and professional development. IEG’s work has impacted about two million students in nearly every province of Viet Nam. As a teacher, Hieu has taught and mentored from primary to graduate school students, as well as young professionals, corporate executives, and industry leaders, with a total of over 30,000 students so far.
| “For me, coming to the UK is not merely about coming to a university for a degree. There are so many more rich nuances and deep impacts than that practical aspect, which are rare to find elsewhere. In Oxford, there are traditions and legacies, both academic and cultural, that have survived hundreds of years, which impacted profoundly on my academic quest and personal enrichment. Learning experiences manifested so richly and exquisitely, beyond lecture halls and classrooms, materialised in theatres, historic sites, cultural icons, art galleries, and even on a seemingly random street or house door that harbours so much historical and cultural significance.” |
Nguyen Huu Tu is General Secretary of Vietnam Young Physicians Association (VYPA), one of the biggest health professional organisations in Viet Nam. Since 2014, he has played a leading role in mobilising over 86,800 health professionals to organise thousands of health campaigns across the country. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Huu Tu and his team rallied over 10,000 doctors to work day and night for seven months to help over four million people contracted with Covid-19. Huu Tu has received recognition by various institutions, such as the Vietnamese government, the WHO, and other reputable agencies.
His education in the UK, specifically at Cardiff University, have shaped who he is now.
| “When I got to university, I started to love the UK, with all of its culture and pride. A UK education taught me that bravery and loyalty are the two most important virtues in life, and everyone should uphold values of chivalry, especially being good and generous to those who are less fortunate or in dire need.” |
Nguyen Phuong Dung is Chief Marketing Officer at the ENOUVO Group, a growing technology organisation. Realising technology and education form a bridge to help enhance Viet Nam's competitive advantage in the global marketplace, upon returning to Viet Nam, Dung contributed to the development of the technology and marketing community through her work and teaching. She found her mission in helping Vietnamese students to recognise career opportunities in the digital and technology sectors, as well as improving their competitiveness. She is also passionate about gender equality and anti-discrimination in the Technology and Marketing Communications industries.
| “A UK education has given me a lot to help me achieve as a lecturer and communicator in the tech industry today. Studying at a UK university helped me gain a development mindset from the advanced educational programme, career development, as well as a skillset for the workplace. I am extremely grateful for the friends, relationships and opportunities I have had during my time studying here.” |