Before I travelled to Ireland in late August 2017, I was working at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Viet Nam as Senior Communication Assistant. Working for UNICEF since 2007, I have developed strong career aspirations in the noble mission of the United Nations in general and UNICEF in Viet Nam in particular in working with the Government, civil society, international organisations, NGOs and private sector for evidence-based advocacy and global best practices; capacity development and innovation; partnerships strengthening and integrated programme delivery to help Viet Nam implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children (UNCRC). Irish Aid has been a long time donor and partner of the United Nations and UNICEF in Viet Nam.

It was my great honour to be awarded the IDEAS Scholarship funded by Irish Aid and supported by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) to pursue the Master Programme on Public Relations with New Media at Cork Institute of Technology  (CIT) in Cork, Ireland. This Masters Programme has met my learning aspirations for the most part as it has given me diverse knowledge of professional communication and public relations; ethics and social responsibility; corporate social responsibility; media relations and media writing; and digital marketing; with a series of practical case studies, particularly on cause-related, charity and non-profit sector public relations. Moreover, this Master Programme at CIT has  been extremely relevant to the work that I am doing in Viet Nam.

I strongly believe that this Masters Programme in Public Relations with New Media at CIT will equip me with knowledge and skills to apply to the work that I have been doing in Viet Nam in terms of evidence based advocacy; awareness raising and behaviour change communication, relationships building and partnerships strengthening with the public and private sectors to realize the rights of all children in Viet Nam.

“A book is a gift you can open again and again”. The IDEAS Scholarship Programme has empowered me to be a capable global citizen. I strongly believe that this invaluable education opportunity has transformed me and opened the door for me to step onto the future with knowledge, self- confidence, motivation and inspiration. The Programme has made my dreams of life-long education, professional development and experience of Irish fascinating history and culture come true.