Recently, the Australian Embassy in Vietnam and the Ministry of Education and Training welcomed back recent Australia Awards Scholarship graduates in a ceremony and two days of training in Hanoi.
Held annually, the event support new alumni to transition back from their studies, build networks in Vietnam and solidify the skills and knowledge they learned during their studies. This support alumni to make contributions towards Vietnam’s development in different areas such as education, economics, trade and investment, food science, environmental management, social work, cyber security, and many more.
“2023 is the 50th anniversary of the friendship between Australia and Vietnam, so it is fitting that we finish the year by celebrating these new alumni, who are not only the next generation of leaders and changemakers in Vietnam but also the future of our bilateral relationship,” said Mr Mark Tattersall, Australian Deputy Head of Mission in Vietnam.
Mr Mark Tattersall, Australian Deputy Head of Mission in Vietnam delivers a speech at the Welcome Home Ceremony for new Australia Awards alumni
The new alumni are a diverse group of individuals from all over Vietnam, including women, people with disability and people from ethnic minorities.
Ms. Pham Thi Ngoc Mai, Master of Development Studies from the University of Melbourne, said “The Australian Awards Scholarship (AAS) is an extremely valuable opportunity to help me improve my professional knowledge and skills, as well as change myself in an increasingly positive direction. I have accumulated more background knowledge about development theory, effective development approaches, project design and management, research methodologies in development and especially gender analysis and mainstreaming in development intervention”.
Mr. Hoang Trong Dai of the Thai ethnic group, Deputy Chief of Office, Son La Provincial Youth Union, completed a Master of Educational Leadership and Management at La Trobe University. He said, “Australian education with great technology and support, especially for international students, has helped me quickly integrate into a multi-racial environment and experience exchanges with friends from many different cultures of the world.”
Mr Mark Tattersall congratulates Hoang Trong Dai, Australia Awards graduate from La Trobe University.
Ms. Pham Phuong Linh, Master of International Law at the University of Melbourne, said her most memorable memory was the time when she studied the rights of People with Disability. “Australia in general and Melbourne Law School in particular are among the few educational institutions with a dedicated subject on the rights of people with disability. Through this subject, I have experienced an equal learning environment without any barriers for people with disability,” Linh said.
“The school has adjusted the way it teaches and assesses subjects such as providing technology and staff support for students’ study, preparing accessible formats of reading materials for training courses, and accessible and convenient learning space and teaching equipment for people with disability.”
New Australia Awards alumni are now members of a network of over 80,000 people all over Vietnam. Alumni of Australian education are leaders, advocates and influencers contributing towards Vietnam’s inclusive socioeconomic development both as individuals and through professional networks. Australia continues to provide extensive networking and professional development opportunities for alumni throughout their career.
New Australia Awards alumni are ready to contribute to Vietnam's development.
Alumni can join Professional Groups which host regular events and activities in Economics and Business, Agriculture, Legal and Justice, Gender, Education and Research, and Disability Inclusion. They will be able to access the Australian Alumni Grants Fund, which provides funding for professional and community projects that contribute to organisational change in Vietnam and strengthen linkages between the two countries.
The Reintegration Workshop and Welcome Home Ceremony for Australia Awards graduates also showcased the strength of the friendship between Australia and Vietnam, as one of the final events of the year to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
