STORYTELLERS
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DR. BUI TRAN PHUONG
A woman who made many contributions to Vietnam's education and later became a researcher on cultural history and women
After graduating from Marie Curie High School, Bui Tran Phuong pursued her studies in France, earning a degree in history from Paris I University and completing her master’s program at Paris II University. Upon returning to Vietnam, she taught at several prestigious institutions, including Ho Chi Minh City University of Education and Can Tho University. From 2006 to 2016, she served as the President of Hoa Sen University in Ho Chi Minh City, where she played a key role in transforming it into one of Vietnam’s most respected private universities.
Dr. Bui Trân Phuong has contributed significantly to academic research, gaining recognition and high regard from the international scholarly community. Her doctoral dissertation, Vietnam 1920–1945, Gender and Modernity: New Perceptions and Experiences, provided groundbreaking insights into the role of women in Vietnam’s history. In 2012, she was awarded the Knight of the Légion d'Honneur by the President of the French Republic in recognition of her efforts to foster cultural and educational collaboration between France and Vietnam.
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HUYEN TON NU CAT TUONG
Huyen Tôn Nu Cát Tuong is currently the Managing Director and Co-founder of VietSeeds Foundation.
Established in 2011, it is the first scholarship foundation for students operating in all 3 regions Hanoi, HCMC,
Hue of Vietnam.
After over 10 years working with multinational corporations such as IBC Asia, Massimo Zanetti, Infonam, in
2015, Cat Tuong has transitioned the foundation from a business standpoint to that of a non-profit to fully
commit to the development and growth of VietSeeds.
Cat Tuong has led VietSeeds’s growth from a charity organization founded by a group of friends, into a
professional non-profit with a team of full time staffs operating alongside committed volunteers, supplying
over 400 scholarships every year to students across the country to study in Hanoi, Hue, HCMC.
In the journey of more than 13 years since VietSeeds started, Cat Tuong has worked relentlessly to expand its operation scope, to connect with international partners such as HSBC, Temasek Singapore, U-Go Foundation Fulbright University and other important institutions.
This helps spread the organization’s mission of “Empowering social change-maker generation” and make positive contributions to communities in Vietnam.
CURATOR
Irene Öhler - Founder of Lightpath Leadership, is passionate about leadership development and women's empowerment. Irene has more than 20 years of international experience in HR development, having worked with Fortune 500 corporates and governments in Europe, China, Brazil, New Zealand, and Vietnam as an executive coach and consultant, Her mission is to ignite leadership and support organizations to nurture talent, through executive coaching and delivery of programs designed especially for female executives.
Since her arrival in Vietnam in 2012, Irene has become a sought-after expert in Vietnam for her work to promote women's leadership. she is the co-author of a best-selling book on Vietnamese women leaders, Ba Trieu's 21st Century Daughters, Stories of Remarkable Vietnamese Women. She also curates the unique live event series, the Women's Storytelling Salon in Hanoi and HCMC.
Since 2014, Irene has organized 34 Women's Storytelling Salons in Hanoi and HCMC as well as tailored SALONS for Flinders University's Women's Leadership Development Programmes.
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