From Vietnam to Australia: Journeys of educational leadership and empowerment

Thao Vu never imagined how profoundly educators would transform her journey from a young dreamer in Vietnam to an educational leader at one of Australia’s top universities.

“I believe each person has their unique strength that needs nurturing. When people have the right opportunities, support, and belief in themselves, they can achieve extraordinary things,” says Vu.

“This belief drives my passion for growing people and their potential.”

Born into a family of educators in Hai Phong, Vietnam, Vu was surrounded by the noble profession of teaching from an early age. This environment, coupled with her experiences with exceptional teachers, naturally inspired her career path.

Her journey began at Vietnam National University’s University of Language and International Studies (ULIS), where she excelled in English teacher education, graduating among the top five of her student cohort, and being invited to join the university as a lecturer.

“Being trusted and given opportunities to grow as an emerging education leader in my department as a fresh graduate was transformative. It showed me the power of believing in someone's potential,” she says.

This early recognition led to her receiving the prestigious Australian Leadership Awards scholarship at age 24, one of only 20 leaders and emerging leaders selected across all fields in Vietnam. This enabled her to pursue a master's degree in Melbourne.

“Coming from a family where overseas education seemed impossible, this opportunity changed my life trajectory. I graduated among the top three students, but more importantly, I gained a deeper understanding of educational leadership.”

A curiosity to develop educators

After returning to Vietnam and resuming her rewarding lecturer role at ULIS, she began exploring research and networking at conferences, growing a curious interest about how to best develop university educators in their lifelong learning journey.

This exploration led her to pursue a PhD at one of the world’s most renowned centres for higher education research, CSHE, at the University of Melbourne, supported by two prestigious University of Melbourne scholarships.

During her PhD journey, she was mentored by an exceptional team of supervisors: Professor Simon Marginson, Associate Professor Emmaline Bexley, Professor Gabriele Lakomski, and Professor Sophie Arkoudis. She also received invaluable guidance from Professor Peter McPhee and Professor Ly Tran, a Vietnamese-born leading scholar in international education.

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Her path to completing her PhD while being a single parent in a foreign country tested her resilience.

“There was a point when I hit rock-bottom and lost belief in myself. But my supervisors and mentors never gave up hope. It helped me become a new version of myself, and appreciate how a supportive community and great teachers can powerfully transform someone’s life,” she says.

Her journey to Monash University began with a phone call from Dr Kim Anh Dang, her former undergraduate teacher at ULIS, who was then working at Monash training educators.

“Cô Kim Anh believed in my potential, and that role opened up new horizons in my career development.”

Now at Monash University’s world-renowned Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vu works to create opportunities for educators to enhance their teaching practice. Her role as a Senior Education Designer has been recognised with multiple prestigious awards, supported by mentors including Professor Tina Brock, Dr Ian Larson, Professor Paul White, and Dr Betty Exintaris.

“My mission is to create opportunities for educators to become even better educators, to feel supported so they can best influence their students’ growth,” she says.

“When I see educators transform their practice and impact their students’ lives, it reminds me of all the teachers who believed in me.”

Her involvement with Her Research Matters aligns deeply with her personal journey. This grassroots program promotes, sponsors and fosters an inclusive and equitable leadership environment to enable all women in academia to reach their full potential.

“Having experienced the transformative power of supportive mentorship firsthand, I'm passionate about creating these opportunities for others.”

Supporting research excellence

Huong Nguyen is the Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Committee representative of Her Research Matters.

“The idea is to highlight the significance of the work women are doing, and to create more opportunities for empowering women in research,” Nguyen says.

“Being a mother of two, I aspire to be a role model for women research leaders for my children. I find the mission of Her Research Matters to align with my values, and I want to contribute towards the research field by supporting the research excellence and achievements of women researchers.”

Nguyen had a typical family upbringing in a suburb of Hanoi. Her parents worked hard to provide for three children, and always encouraged her with her studies.

Growing up, she saw many people struggling to afford medications. This experience had a profound impact and inspired her to pursue a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree at Hanoi University of Pharmacy. In 2009, she was awarded a Belgium-Vietnam Bilateral Scholarship (BBS) to follow a master program in biomedical sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.

While working as a lecturer at Hanoi University of Pharmacy, Huong found a clear path to becoming an influential researcher in drug discovery.

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In 2017, she was awarded a prestigious Endeavour Postgraduate Award from the Australian government. This enabled her to pursue a PhD at the Monash’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2018.

“My journey as a PhD student was challenging, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne, when both of my school-aged kids had to stay home for remote learning.”

“But I encountered invaluable research and life experience during this journey, thanks to the unwavering support from my family, supervisors and friends in Drug Discovery Biology.”

She completed her doctoral program at Monash University in 2022. She now works as a postdoctoral researcher in the Metabolic GPCR Biology laboratory, Drug Discovery Biology, MIPS, under the guidance of Professor Patrick Sexton and Professor Denise Wotten.

“It’s a large group of talented scientists who are committed to impactful research in drug discovery and improving public health. Every member of our lab is eager to collaborate and help each other. I’ve learned a lot and truly feel supported in developing as an independent scientist,” she says.

Nguyen is passionate about understanding how drugs act at the molecular level, the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to treat metabolic diseases, neurocognitive disorders, and autoimmune disorders. She believes this knowledge is crucial in discovering and developing better medications for these disorders.