Vietnam

Huong is an aspiring educator and English language specialist, who advances education development in Vietnam with a strong emphasis on SDG 6: Quality Education. She has five years of experience in teaching and creating community engagement projects in educational-related themes both physically and virtually. She founded a career orientation project, iDREAM that aims to curate workshops and company visits for students in Vietnam. Huong is also an active leader of multiple youth groups in education. She wishes to bring accessible and quality education to all students regardless of their backgrounds.

During her undergraduate days, she accumulated four years of experience teaching in multiple international educational systems in the East and the West. As a UGRAD scholar at California State University San Marcos, California in 2023, she completed a graduate international teaching certificate – TESL/TEFL (Teaching English as A Second/Foreign Language) achieving a High Distinction (GPA: 90% and above).

Presently, Huong has an internship at the prestigious National Kaohsiung Normal University, Taiwan at their EMI & Bilingual Center where she establishes a platform for Taiwanese K12 Students to practice language and communications and drives cultural exchange inside and outside the campus. Furthermore, she serves as an ambassador of Vietnam through her enthusiastic sharing of her nation’s history, language, and culture.

Khanh-Tam Hoang-Thi, also known as KT Hoang, has 16 years of experience in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in Hue City, Vietnam. Currently, she serves as a lecturer of English at Hue University of Foreign Languages and International Studies (HUFLIS). Prior to joining the teaching staff, KT excelled as an EFL student at the same institution, earning recognition for her research on cultural effects in essay writing using Discourse Analysis.

In her role as a lecturer, KT mentors undergraduate students in English theoretical linguistics and leads community outreach initiatives based on the theory of multiple intelligences. She has presented her research at several conferences in Asia and Europe, focusing on English phonetics and phonology, semantics, and corpus linguistics.

KT is a Global UGRAD alumna, having studied at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 2008. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in teaching EFL from HUFLIS, Vietnam, and an advanced master's in linguistics from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.

My La is a driven junior at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, specializing in international law. Her journey in the realm of international law and relations began with an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, where she spearheaded initiatives to bring valuable educational opportunities of the United States to Vietnamese students. Continuing her quest for knowledge, she delved into research at the South China Sea Institute, honing her skills as a legal analyst. Presently, she applies her expertise as a legal intern at Piaggio Group, contributing to the intersection of law and commerce.

Beyond her professional endeavors, My embodies a commitment to social responsibility. Her involvement with CyberKid Vietnam, an organization dedicated to safeguarding children in cyberspace, showcases her empathy and advocacy. As a Crisis Response Executive there, she provided invaluable support to young victims, offering tailored solutions and empowering them to navigate digital threats.

My is an alumna of the Global UGRAD program and during her program studied about law at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. My is expected to obtain her bachelor's degree in the summer of 2025.

Hao Thi Nguyen is an alumna of the Global UGRAD program, cohort 2018-2019, while she was studying medicine at Hanoi Medical University. Motivated by experience in the U.S education, she founded a project named "UGRADERS in Vietnam," which aimed to provide opportunities for Vietnamese students to experience higher education in the United States. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of State in 2019 and even after the funding ceased, the project continued to grow, now with almost 6,000 followers on its Facebook fan page.

She is currently in her last year as a radiology resident at Hanoi Medical University. Additionally, she has completed her master's thesis on breast cancer imaging and a two-month clinical fellowship at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. Her research and projects focus on oncology imaging, neuroradiology, AI applications, and medical education.

Quynh Dieu Nguyen has seven years of experience in legal sector in Vietnam. She is currently a senior associate at LNT & Partners law firm. She has successfully consulted and assisted a number of domestic and foreign clients in major transactions related to M&A, investment, construction, labor.

Quynh is also the co-founder of a legal English class named WILL Legal English. Prior to joining LNT & Partners, Ms. Quynh had a year working for the Canadian representative office under Vietnam National Legislative Development Project as a project officer. She also served as a visiting lecturer at Hanoi Law University during this time. 

Quynh received a bachelor of laws degree from Hanoi Law University with an exchange term at West Virginia University under Global UGRAD program in 2016.

Uyen Nguyen is a conscious entrepreneur and investor from Long An, a province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. As the visionary Founder and CEO of KOTWEL, she has propelled this international company to the forefront of the artificial intelligence and data solutions industry, becoming a trusted partner for businesses worldwide. 

Beyond her role as CEO, Uyen is also a dedicated investor to support promising startups that align with her vision of driving positive change in the world. Furthermore, she passionately advocates for conscious entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Through KOTWEL, Uyen is not only building a successful business but also paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable future.

Her entrepreneurial trajectory finds its roots in her experience with the prestigious Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD). During this transformative experience at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, she was exposed to diverse perspectives and cutting-edge technologies, fueling her ambition to make a meaningful impact on a global scale. Immersed in an environment of innovation and global collaboration, it ignited her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for leveraging technology for positive change, laying the foundation for her future endeavors as an entrepreneur and leader in the AI industry.

Nguyen Phan is passionate about connecting people. Whether it be through education, social work, or the arts, Nguyen finds her work within and at the intersections of these areas.

Nguyen is currently a research associate in the area of international trade, business management, and international entrepreneurship in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Prior to this, she worked in communications and development at Fulbright University Vietnam, also in Ho Chi Minh City. Before moving South, she taught international relations at Hue University and founded KIPA English school in her hometown of Hue City, Thua-Thien Hue Province.

Her English school offered test-prep courses to college students. Through this venture, she ran a youth empowerment program and offered local students job counseling services, art workshops, seminars on study abroad and soft-skill development, etc., all free of charge.

Nguyen is an alumna of the Global UGRAD program at the University of Texas at Austin where she studied international relations and global studies. Nguyen obtained her bachelor’s degree in global studies with a focus on American studies from Hue University in 2014, and her master’s degree in theories of international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2018.

When Nguyen is not working, you can find her doing classical vocal and dance practice. She is also an active member with Saigon Classical Group, a nonprofit organization that organizes classical music concerts. As a U.S. Department of State alumna, Nguyen has been involved as volunteers in multiple U.S. Consular projects, including Broadway in Vietnam – the first Broadway musical theater show in Vietnam, and "Dancing to Connect" – a ballet training boot camp for young performers.