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  6. Vang, Nguyen Xuan

Nguyen Xuan Vang

John Mackay, Nguyen Xuan Vang and Stephen Parker

L-R: Chancellor John Mackay, honorary doctorate recipient Nguyen Xuan Vang and Vice-Chancellor Stephen Parker. Photo: Michelle McAulay

Dr Nguyen Xuan Vang is the Director-General of International Education Development, Ministry of Education & Training, Vietnam, and former President of Hanoi University.

Raised in a rural village in Vietnam, Vang grew up with a great respect and dedication towards education. Through hard work and great determination, Vang qualified for entry to Hanoi University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in 1975, a path that would enable him to advance his long standing passion for the development of English language education in Vietnam.

After completing his study at HUFS, Vang completed further study at Hanoi National University in 1979. During his studies Vang became an English language teacher and the Vietnamese coordinator for a joint program in English Special Purpose (ESP) education within the Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE) now the University of Canberra. This project operated for eight years with Vang's assistance and is a testament to his skill and determination to further international education for Vietnam.
In 1984, Vang travelled to England for post graduate study in TEFL, and came to Australia in 1989 on an Australian scholarship to complete a Master of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the CCAE.

Having experienced the benefits of the resources at the CCAE, Vang successfully pursued the establishment of a resource centre for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English Language Teaching (ELT) in Hanoi with a focus on English Language Education. The resource centred opened in 1991 with establishment funding from the Australian Embassy in Hanoi and continues with great success to this day, and is a demonstration of Vang's educational vision and planning.

In 1997, Vang was selected and appointed Vice-President of the Hanoi University of Foreign Studies and was elected President for two terms from 2000-2008. In 2006 under Vang's direction as President, the university was successfully upgraded from a single-disciplinary university to Hanoi University (HANU) – a multi-disciplinary university, and the first university in Vietnam to offer all courses in English. His tenure also saw the establishment of seven new faculties including Spanish, Italian, Portugeese, Korean, Management and Tourism, International Studies and Computer Science. In July, 2004, President Vang and HANU were honoured with the Order of Independence from the President of Vietnam for outstanding achievements in Education.

Vang has been greatly honoured for his visionary approach and his dedication to the development of English language education in Vietnam. He has been awarded the Order of Labour and Title of Outstanding Teacher from the President of Vietnam for his outstanding achievements, a University of Canberra Distinguished Alumni Award, an Honorary doctorate from La Trobe University, Honorary Professorships from a number of international universities, Honorary Diplomas for Outstanding University Leadership, the Education Medal from the Vietnamese Minister for Education and Training, a Socrates International Award from Europe Business Assembly, a Second Class Order by the President of Brazil for his contribution to Portuguese language development in Vietnam, and the Solidarity Star Decoration for outstanding contribution to the development of relationships between Vietnam and Italy.

It is in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Language Education that Dr Nguyen Xuan Vang was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Canberra.