Hosted by the Australian Embassy Vietnam, the biennial Australian Alumni Awards celebrate Vietnamese alumni of Australian education who are making outstanding contributions to Vietnam’s development and the Vietnam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
These 17 finalists were selected from a competitive pool of nominations, and represent a diverse range of fields—from education and social innovation, to agriculture and business. Their stories highlight the real-world impact of alumni of Australian education and how alumni are working every day to demonstrate our shared values of inclusion, innovation, and integrity.
The finalists for each of the six award categories for 2025 are:
Distinguished Alumni Award:
- Hon. Doc Jimmy Pham, AM, Founder of Know One Teach One (KOTO) Vietnam, RMIT University alumni
- Dr Le Khanh Dien, Head of Rehabilitation Department at An Binh Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), the University of Newcastle alumni
- Professor Ly Tran, School of Education and Research for Educational Impact (REDI) Centre, Deakin University and Founder of Australia-Vietnam International Education Centre; the University of Melbourne and Monash University alumni
Building Knowledge and Connecting People:
- Dr An Nguyen, Research Assistant at Monash University, Monash University and La Trobe University alumni
- Dr Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, Dean of the Faculty of Business at Swinburne University Vietnam Alliance Program, Ho Chi Minh City, Monash University alumni
- Dr Nam Nghiep Tran, Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering and Associate Dean of Internationalisation (Southeast Asia) at the University of Adelaide, University of Adelaide alumni
Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation:
- Prof Chau Minh Khoi, Vice Dean, College of Agriculture, Can Tho University, the University of Melbourne (John Dillon Fellowship) and Charles Sturt University alumni
- Dr Duy Nguyen, Environmental Scientist, CSIRO Australia, the University of Sydney alumni
- Dr Tran Duc Linh, Lecturer in Software Engineering and IT Programs, School of Science, Engineering and Technology (SSET), RMIT University Vietnam, RMIT University alumni
Women in Leadership:
- Nguyen Thi Van, Co-founder and Chairwoman of Will to Live Social Enterprise and Imagtor, Flinders University alumni
- Dr Tran Thi Ngoc Tran, Co-Founder, Women’s Entrepreneurship Community Vietnam, RMIT Vietnam alumni
- Dr Le Minh Thi, Head of the Department of Population and Reproductive Health at Hanoi University of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology alumni
Enhancing Economic Engagement:
- Harry Tran, Founder and CEO of the Australia-Vietnam Trade and Investment Promotion, Charles Sturt University alumni
- Nguyen Thi Van, Co-founder and Chairwoman of Will to Live Social Enterprise and Imagtor, Flinders University alumni
- Lam Minh Chanh, Founder and Chairman of Bizuni Business & Finance Academy, the University of Technology Sydney alumni
Climate, Environment and Energy:
- Huong Tran, Project Manager, Vietnam Environmental Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, University of Melbourne alumni
- Dr Van Kien Nguyen, Founder of Mekong Organics, Australian National University alumni
- Assoc. Prof., Dr Pham Thi Thanh Nga, Director-General of the Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, University of Adelaide alumni
Whether leading in government, advancing inclusive education, building climate resilience, or empowering women and marginalised communities, these alumni are making tangible contributions to Vietnam’s future.
This year’s finalists include entrepreneurs, researchers, policy leaders, and community advocates. For all their diversity, they have one thing in common— they are all committed to driving positive change and strengthening the people-to-people links between Australia and Vietnam.
Find out more about the Australian Alumni Awards Ceremony 2025 and Alumni Reunion here.
