The knowledge gained from the Stirling curriculum exceeded all expectations!

Ha Anh is a vibrant and energetic young woman. Passionate and ambitious about her work and life, Ha Anh perfectly embodies the image people have of a professional working in a dynamic and high-pressure field like communications. She has five years of experience as a communications specialist at ABB – one of Switzerland's largest multinational corporations with over 100 subsidiaries worldwide.

Ha Anh shared that although she originally had a law degree, her outgoing personality, passion for creativity and challenges, along with her excellent networking and communication skills, led her to the fascinating field of communications. It's easy to see her deep love and passion for her work in her descriptions of her current job. The openness to cultural and work-oriented thinking in a multinational business environment; the meticulous planning and implementation of communication strategies to promote the company's image through specific products; the intellectual effort required to develop intelligent and impactful communication ideas; and the trips alongside colleagues and leadership in activities demonstrating the company's responsibility to community development. Through interviews, article writing, and contacting specific media target groups for the company, Ha Anh was able to fully experience the diversity and dynamism of the work of a professional communications specialist.

Bui Nguyen Ha Anh is one of the first students to graduate from the Master of Media Management program jointly organized by the Faculty of Journalism and Communication (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and the University of Stirling (UK). She received a distinction degree from the University of Stirling.

However, the more she worked, the more Ha Anh realized she lacked the fundamental theoretical knowledge of communication to support her practical communication activities, making them sharper and more in-depth. Ha Anh harbored the dream of attending an intensive training course in communication and public relations – a course she hoped would provide her with useful and up-to-date professional knowledge, reflecting the latest information on communication science worldwide. Overjoyed to learn that the University of Stirling was officially launching a communication management course in Northern Vietnam in collaboration with Vietnam's leading journalism and communication training institution, the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, Ha Anh immediately contacted them and successfully passed the rigorous selection process to become one of the first students in the program.

"What I've gained in such a short period of time (16 months) is invaluable and far exceeds my initial expectations," Ha Anh happily shared.

Programs like CT Stirling give young people the opportunity to participate in a high-quality, internationally-standardized university program in Vietnam without having to interrupt their current favorite job, and they still receive family support throughout their studies.

Passionate about media, Ha Anh decided to enroll in this course hoping to acquire fundamental and up-to-date knowledge of media science to take her work to the next level. And she received results that exceeded her initial expectations.

Initially, Ha Anh and her fellow students felt overwhelmed and pressured by the vast amount of new knowledge that the teachers were conveying. Balancing studying and working, along with the inherent challenges of learning academic knowledge entirely in English, presented both a challenge and a motivation for change and adaptation.

"Don't think that studying in Vietnam is easier than studying abroad. Not only the course content but also the class procedures must adhere to the official evaluation standards of the University of Stirling in the UK. From the very first classes, foreign professors share and warn about plagiarism – which will be strictly monitored to ensure the value of each graduation thesis and the hard work and research of each individual."

One significant difference compared to other courses is the teaching and learning approach of the foreign professors. The instructors always respect and help build independent thinking and direction in the learners. Assigned topics are very open-ended, and students must find their own specific path based on their knowledge and practical experience. This is how students can transform the knowledge of their teachers into their own and effectively apply theory to practice.

Poster introducing the Master's Program in Media Management at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication.

After several months of struggling with her graduation thesis, with close supervision and support from an English supervisor, and reading dozens of relevant English-language documents, Ha Anh's thesis was completed with considerable pride. The thesis was submitted to three professors from different universities in England for grading to ensure fairness.

From someone with no research experience, after acquiring knowledge from the research methodology course in the program, Ha Anh became confident and did quite well with her initial research project. Although she had to read extensively on her own, including undergraduate materials from foreign communication majors to learn how they approached knowledge from basic to specialized levels, Ha Anh considers those efforts worthwhile: "Now I can completely offer small pieces of advice related to conducting research to new students based on my own experience."

Students of the first cohort of the Master of Media Management program

When asked about the value the course provided, Ha Anh readily replied: "Previously, when asked about my job, I would simply list the tasks. But after completing the course, I can now view communication work with a more comprehensive and in-depth perspective: from fundamental knowledge such as what communication is and its role... to typical communication models and activity groups, factors in the communication process, and the skills required for each specific job."

For each assigned task, Ha Anh knows how to find a fresh approach and supplementary resources to help the project succeed: “Previously, I mainly relied on experience, but now I understand and apply theoretical principles as a foundation to create a powerful communication strategy that achieves the set goals. I have become much more confident in my work, especially in convincing leaders to see the effectiveness of the projects I will implement. In addition, I have applied very new knowledge, such as crisis communication management, to my current work and it has been highly appreciated.”

Despite her young age and ambitious career aspirations, when asked about career advancement to higher positions, Ha Anh shared some profound thoughts: Whether a leadership position is high or low is less important than understanding the work she's doing, dedicating herself fully to achieving results, and fulfilling her professional ambitions. This course not only provided her with foundational knowledge to guide her work, but more importantly, it inspired her to delve deeper and further into her chosen profession. And she considers that to be success.