RMIT helps Australia Awards scholars get ready for further education

RMIT helps Australia Awards scholars get ready for further education

The Australia Awards have provided the opportunity to pursue further studies for thousands of Vietnamese since 1974. And for more than 700 of these awardees over the past 10 years, the path to Australia was greatly aided by RMIT University’s English Language Training program.

February 2022 marked Nguyen Hoang Long’s graduation from the English Language Training (ELT) program at RMIT Vietnam – one of the last crucial milestones before he could kick off his master’s program on a prestigious Australian Awards Scholarship.

The former STEM teacher from Da Nang city is now two months into his study of a Master of Leadership in Education, with a minor in Wellbeing and Positive Mental Health, at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia.

Mr Long found that the four months of attending academic tutorials and IELTS preparation classes at RMIT Vietnam equipped him with the right knowledge, skills and confidence to embark on his journey in Australia.

“It has been a smooth transition from one Australian institution to another,” Mr Long said.

“During my time at RMIT, I was able to greatly improve my English skills, not just for an academic setting but also for everyday life situations like shopping.

“But beyond that I could familiarise myself with becoming a student in an international university. I learnt to use diverse tools, from plagiarism check to online assignment submission, and adopted a new learning mindset that has really benefitted me so far in my current master’s program,” he added.

news-1-rmit-helps-australia-awards-scholars-get-ready-for-further-educationNguyen Hoang Long (pictured in the middle) at the May 2022 pre-departure briefing session for Australia Awards recipients. (Photo courtesy of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam)

Since 1974, over 6,000 Vietnamese nationals have studied at Australian tertiary institutions through Australian Government scholarships, with many alumni going on to make a significant difference in the development of Vietnam.

RMIT University has been the provider of the ELT program for the conditional awardees of the Australia Awards Scholarships in Vietnam since 2012.

The past 10 years has seen over 700 students graduating from this ELT program. What’s special is that many of them continued their RMIT experience by enrolling in a master’s program at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

Luc Thi Thuong is one such alumnus. A Nung ethnic woman who currently works for the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Cao Bang province, Ms Thuong earned her master’s degree in Public Policy from RMIT in Melbourne. 

news-2-rmit-helps-australia-awards-scholars-get-ready-for-further-educationLuc Thi Thuong completed her master’s degree at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo courtesy of Ms Luc Thi Thuong)

Prior to that, she had spent a year studying English at RMIT Vietnam’s Saigon South campus following her successful application for an Australia Awards Scholarship.

“I had a wonderful experience throughout my journey, from submitting my scholarship application to graduating and then returning to Vietnam in 2021,” Ms Thuong said.

She advised applicants to not worry too much about their English language competency.

“I myself was quite worried about my English skills at first, but the Australia Awards enabled me to complete a pre-departure English Language Training course at RMIT Vietnam with 100% native-speaking English teachers.

“I was able to improve my English skills to confidently immerse myself in an international environment,” she said.

news-3-rmit-helps-australia-awards-scholars-get-ready-for-further-educationSince 1974, over 6,000 Vietnamese nationals have studied at Australian tertiary institutions through Australian Government scholarships. (Photo courtesy of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam)

Out of 55 Vietnamese awardees this year, 24 have completed the pre-departure ELT program at RMIT.

This program offers more than just English language training to help them achieve the required IELTS result to start their study in Australia. Students also get ongoing, individualised support in setting up and working towards academic goals through weekly tutorials and feedback.

Moreover, students with disabilities can make use of a diverse range of Equitable Learning Services provided by RMIT.

The students in the latest ELT cohort come from 13 cities and provinces across Vietnam. Once in Australia, they will go on to enrol in diverging master’s programs, from criminal law and data science, to infectious diseases and gender studies.

Ms Ronnie Hill, Head of New Initiatives Department at RMIT Vietnam’s School of English & University Pathways said:

“It has been a delight to contribute to the awardees' success again this year. We are very proud of their progress so far, and we are excited for the students and everything we know they will achieve as they embark on their Australian journey.

“We are pleased that RMIT will continue to be entrusted with providing English training for Australia Awards recipients, with the next batch to start later this year.”

Story: Ngoc Hoang

08 August 2022

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