The Study UK Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of alumni and showcase the impact and value of a UK higher education.
Award finalists were selected for their outstanding achievements as professionals, experts, and leaders in their fields. They have made positive contributions to the community with their inspirational stories from the experiences and values they gained under UK education.
Find out what makes their stories unique.
Le Xuan Khoa
Ulster University
Dr. Khoa founded VOX Cool, deploying ‘Cold Battery’ thermal storage and cooling-as-a-service to deliver affordable, green cooling for farmers, fishers, and SMEs, thereby reducing food loss and emissions in Viet Nam.
His UK education made the difference: a fully funded PhD at Ulster fused rigorous thermodynamics with systems thinking, while postdoctoral work at Oxford honed a lab-to-field, entrepreneurial method – storing ‘cooling’ like a battery and delivering it as a service.
Next, Dr. Khoa will scale the technology across Viet Nam and ASEAN to tackle food security and climate challenges and support the very foundation of our economic society, farmers and fishers, so world-class cooling is built in Viet Nam, for Viet Nam.
‘Studying in the UK, not just changed what I know, but also how I turned the knowledge into impact. This shift was the system thinking and visions, in which when I started thinking very big, but when I do it, or execute it in very details, so that I can create the impact to the society and to the people.’
Nguyen Anh Tu
University of Huddersfield
Nguyen Anh Tu is the Chief AI Technology Officer at InterGreat Education Group, making a global impact on education through technology. He has built platforms that have supported more than 35 million IELTS learners across 120+ countries, alongside AI-powered assessment tools now widely used by schools and employers in Viet Nam, delivering around 20,000 assessments each year.
His year at the University of Huddersfield shaped the evidence-based, learner-centred approach that defines his work, blending academic rigour with responsible innovation.
Tu now aims to expand AI-powered English assessment globally, deepening UK–Viet Nam education links and widening opportunity for learners everywhere.
‘My UK education shaped the most important part of my work: an evidence-based, responsible approach to technology. It taught me to build innovation that is not only scalable, but fair, transparent and centred on real learner needs.’
Phung Tran Huy Nhat
King’s College London
Dr. Phung Tran Huy Nhat is a Medical Innovation Manager and AZ-HUST Health Innovation Hub Lead at AstraZeneca Vietnam, advancing AI-enabled screening and evidence-based innovation acrossed disease areas by addressing unmet needs, transforming patient outcomes, and accelerating healthcare access through more personalised, accessible care.
Dr. Nhat credits his PhD at King’s College London with shaping a translational, ethical approach to innovation, where critical thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world impact were valued beyond technical excellence.
He aims to scale responsible healthcare AI nationally, bridging global research with local health systems to deliver equitable, sustainable impact.
‘To future students: a UK education gives you more than a degree. It gives you a way of thinking that can change lives, including your own.’
Nguyen Dieu Linh
University of Sussex
Nguyen Dieu Linh is the founder of CHOI Workshop, where she uses creativity, cultural heritage, and environmental education to strengthen community engagement in Viet Nam. Her work spans art-based learning programmes, cultural revitalisation projects, and expanding community-based initiatives, including public creative spaces and a community library system that brings arts, design, and cultural knowledge to wider audiences.
Her Master’s degree in Climate Change and Development at the University of Sussex shaped her interdisciplinary approach, blending creativity with social impact. Linh hopes to scale CHOI Workshop’s cultural education ecosystem nationwide and deepen its community reach.
‘I applied for the Alumni Awards because I believe creative education can play a powerful role in building sustainable and compassionate communities - sometimes starting from something as simple as a handmade craft or a shared creative moment.’
Luong Ngoc Linh
University of Brighton
Luong Ngoc Linh is an illustrator and author living in Ho Chi Minh City. He graduated in Sequential Design and Illustration from the University of Brighton with a Chevening Scholarship.
Returning to Viet Nam, he ran art projects about Viet Namese culture and inclusive arts, and founded 'Ear to Eye' – a project that supports people with visual impairment to enjoy live performance, advancing the idea of art for everyone.
His time studying in the UK not only sharpened his professional skills but also redefined his vision – making artistic practice more accessible for audiences who are often left behind.
‘Studying in the UK really changed my life. I learned Inclusive Art from this country. Inclusive Art is the way to make the art become more accessible for people with disabilities, so that art can truly be for everyone.’
Bui Nguyen Tu Anh
University of Bolton
Bui Nguyen Tu Anh studied Business Administration through the University of Bolton, where Tu Anh learned that leadership is not only about results, but responsibility. The UK approach to education – critical thinking, community engagement, and learning through real-world projects – shaped how Tu Anh sees business.
After studying in the UK, Tu Anh returned to Viet Nam to help reposition Rose Kitchen, Sử Quán Roastery, and Quiet Asia into culture-led experience brands. Today, their work has connected tens of thousands of international visitors with authentic Vietnamese culture, while empowering young Vietnamese Culture Storytellers to share their heritage with confidence and pride.
‘During my studies, I learned that business is not only about growth but also about responsibility to people, to culture, and to the communities we serve.’
Ho Quoc Nam
University of Nottingham
Durham University
Dr. Ho Quoc Nam chairs Global Chamber Viet Nam, linking over 10 million members across 195 countries for sustainable trade, and serves as Vice President of Viet Nam Green Transition Association (VGA), advancing green transitions in 14 provinces through ESG training and carbon credits.
As IMFS Director, he leads the VISION network, integrating education, technology, and investment for Viet Nam's global sustainability, partnering with Peking University, and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University to integrate sustainable training on ESG, AI, carbon neutrality, and foster green trade between Viet Nam, China, and Europe.
He attributes his UK studies to the development of rigorous analytical skills and a global perspective, shaped by an evidence-based approach and strong links to practical policy application, which have been a defining influence on his academic and professional journey.
‘Education doesn't just transform a career, it can change an entire economy, an entire country. To Vietnamese students considering the UK, embrace it! Learn, lead, and return home ready to make a meaningful impact because the world needs more leaders who think globally and act locally.’
Vu Long
Bangor University
Vu Long is a wildlife scientist and conservationist working to protect endangered species in Viet Nam. As Director of the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species (CBES), he applies science to inform policy support for sustainable development.
His portfolio focuses primarily on marine mammals, a historically under-studied field in Viet Nam. Vu is recognised as a leading marine mammal scientist in the country.
His MSc in Marine Biology at Bangor University refined his research skills and systems thinking, connecting passion, science and actions. Vu is now using his expertise to improve conservation and sustainable development in his country.
‘I chose the UK for its strength in marine science and critical thinking. My MSc at Bangor University gave me rigorous scientific training and the confidence to turn limited data into meaningful conservation action.’
Phan Ky Trung
University of Southampton
Phan Ky Trung is currently a researcher at the Mekong Institute, Can Tho University, and the founder of CORE Viet Nam, a project that has empowered more than 300 young people in the Mekong Delta to lead sustainability projects and to support the community to adapt to climate change
Awarded the Chevening Scholarship in 2019-2020, he pursued an MSc in Water Resources Management at the University of Southampton and deepened his understanding of the interconnections between people, nature, and policy. This experience has shaped his professional mission to translate scientific evidence into community-centred climate solutions in the Mekong Delta.
As a UK alumnus, he actively advances UK-Viet Nam collaboration by embedding UK expertise into policy dialogue, youth leadership, and climate-resilience initiatives that contribute to inclusive and long-term sustainable development.
‘Immersed in a diverse academic and cultural environment, I deepened my understanding of the interconnections between people, nature, and policy.’
Nguyen Tung Duong
University of Nottingham
Nguyen Tung Duong is the CEO andCo-Founder of CareerMates, a leading personalised career mentorship platform that provides thousands of Vietnamese students with free career consultation and low-cost structured training. CareerMates empowers young people to access competitive opportunities in finance, consulting, and banking, regardless of background.
Duong credits his academic discipline and industry readiness to his MSc Finance & Investment at the University of Nottingham, where world-class teaching, rigorous coursework, and the NUBS Scholarship shaped his expertise, professional values, and long-term mission. He now aims to scale CareerMates nationwide to expand equal-access career guidance for underserved students across Viet Nam.
‘Studying in the UK completely transformed my perspective, not only academically. For the first time, I've experienced what it felt like to have clear guidance, structured preparation, from the career consultation team in my university. That experience shaped my commitment to bring the same level of support back to Vietnamese students.’
Nguyen Van Anh
University of Westminster
London School of Economics and Political Science
Nguyen Van Anh is a faculty member at VinUniversity, having worked at global institutions previously in senior positions. She is a co-founder of VietPro – a non-profit organisation of leaders, experts and students connecting the UK and Viet Nam for expertise and opportunities sharing, capacity building, and mentoring since 2010.
Van Anh’s UK education stood out for its world-class teaching and research with emphasis on global outlook, critical thinking and innovation. Studying in such a diverse, international environment broadened her perspectives and equipped her with transferable skills and global networks that continue to shape her impact in Southeast Asia.
She hopes to contribute to education by teaching innovatively, impactful research, and continue mentoring globally minded young talents and future leaders.
‘The UK is a unique place to develop, build an international network with friends, faculty, and staff. Even when you relocate back home, those networks are lifetime.’
Pham Hoang Mien
Goldsmiths, University of London
Pham Hoang Mien is the driving force behind Green Seed Fund, a scholarship providing long-term, holistic benefits to more than 30 disadvantaged students and their families across several Vietnamese rural communes. Since November 2019, the project has raised over US$31,000.
The education Mien received in the UK went beyond academic programmes; it came through direct engagement with a diverse range of life's realities, which defined her empathetic, advocatory, and inspiring leadership in social activities.
Today, Mien expects to support more students by transferring her holistic approach to those who wish to organise sustainable education projects.
‘The education I received from the UK was more than just academic knowledge, it was also about the multiple meaningful engagements with the diverse people that I met there. These encounters broadened my global perspectives and taught me to be empathetic and to live responsibly.’