Vietnamese aspirations in Europe

Behind the enthusiasm, frankness and gentle appearance of this 9X guy is an admirable will to succeed and inner strength.

At Queen Mary University of London - a school famous for its high-quality training and research activities in the UK - there is a young Vietnamese associate professor of applied macroeconomics analysis. That is Huynh Luu Duc Toan (from Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province).

Touch the dream

It is no exaggeration to say that Toan has had a spectacular journey from zero to remarkable milestones. He holds a master's degree in Economics and Commerce - Toulouse School of Economics, Toulouse 1 Capitole University (valedictorian); a master's degree in Finance and Commerce - Institute of Management, University of Nantes (with distinction) and a master's degree in Computer Science - York University (with distinction). In 2022, Toan completed his doctoral program with distinction at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany).

Huynh Luu Duc Toan (second from left) has a journey of persistent efforts to assert himself, inspiring many people.

Few people know that Toan failed his first choice of university. At the age of 18, it was a shock because Toan was a student at a specialized school, carrying the expectations of his mother who was a teacher. But the first failure in life was also the key to a wide open path later on, because Toan did not give up! Entering university with his second choice, Toan spent his years in the lecture hall. He was passionate about studying and doing many extra jobs: from serving at restaurants, delivering goods, translating... then enriching his life through volunteer projects. Graduating as valedictorian of Business Administration from Foreign Trade University in 2002, a bright future opened up when Toan was accepted into a large auditing company. But his passion for academics and desire to share led Toan to become a lecturer at Banking University. Toan proved that a low starting point is not a barrier to reaching the sky of dreams. He is now not only working at a prestigious university in the UK but also a researcher and visiting scholar at the Central Bank of Finland. At the age of 35, Toan is also Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Journal of Economics and Business Research and Co-Editor-in-Chief of Evaluation Review Journal.

Don't forget your roots

That is what people can feel when talking to Toan. He turns to his homeland with all his heart and concrete actions.

For Duc Toan, the most priceless gift is seeing students' achievements.

In Toan's works, many studies are meaningful to Vietnam. He himself, despite his busy schedule, is always ready to be a bridge to bring world knowledge to domestic students. Toan has done a very good job as a mentor - a dedicated and responsible predecessor. Under his guidance, many young people have successfully won prestigious international scholarships, flying higher and further. Despite the geographical distance, he is also willing to contribute to domestic seminars and projects... as long as it brings benefits to the academic community.

Huynh Luu Duc Toan has many important contributions in the fields of applied economics, political economy, behavioral economics, and financial economics.

It may be dry and superficial to just mention Toan with his impressive list of achievements. He is loved and trusted by many teachers and colleagues for his humble, upright lifestyle and compassionate soul. Dr. Pham Hiep (Co-Head of the Research Group on Educational Science and Policy - University of Education - Vietnam National University, Hanoi) said that his biggest impression of Toan is his diligence: "Toan is very intelligent. But it is even more wonderful when such an intelligent person also has a diligent and serious working spirit. Toan is at his peak and is a bright name in the international research community in the field he pursues". Toan is always serious with himself, when in 2020, even in the COVID-19 quarantine area, he still focused on research and had articles published in international journals.

Whether working domestically or in a multicultural environment, Toan always devotes himself to creating the most practical values. Toan is teaching at a school where many students are the first in their immigrant families to attend university. They come from all countries and regions with different backgrounds, qualifications, goals, etc. Toan not only teaches but also has an open mind, ready to listen, understand and learn from them. The positive feedback from students not only reflects his teaching ability but also contains respect, gratitude and the valuable connection between teachers and students. "Witnessing the changes that education brings not only improves the quality of life of an individual but also their family and the wider society, that is my happiness" - Toan confided.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/khat-vong-viet-giua-troi-au-196250621200919906.htm