Authentic leadership drives RMIT top graduate

By his own count, Thanh completed 288 credit points, three to four assignments per course, nearly 1,000 hours of in-class lectures, and countless hours of dedicated work to reach this milestone.

Still, he was able to find the time and energy to earn top prizes in four national and international competitions, including National Champion of HSBC Business Case Competition and the No.1 position in the Human Resources category of Doanh Nhân Tập Sự (Apprentice Entrepreneur) competition, surpassing 2,700 fellow contestants.

Such experiences helped Thanh serve as a mentor for student competitions in addition to being a Program Tutor / Workshop Leader in the Student Academic Success team within RMIT.

A passionate young leader, Thanh was elected as Student Council Vice President for the 2020-2021 term. In this position he represented the voices of 2,000 students in RMIT’s Hanoi campus, advocated for positive changes, and led the organisation of the biggest RMIT Prom Night despite the event being postponed several times by COVID-19.

“With the pandemic, Thanh and the Student Council had an extremely difficult time, trying to support the student body with the university switching from face-to-face delivery to online,” said Mr Phillip Dowler, Former Head of Hanoi campus at RMIT University, who was a direct advisor to Thanh during his term.

“Yet Thanh never lost motivation for his role. He was always looking for ways in which the Student Council could maintain its relevance, while always ensuring the safety of all staff and students. I am sure Thanh is going places.”

Speaking at the RMIT Graduation ceremony in Hanoi recently, Thanh shared with fellow graduates three key principles that have helped him navigate his grown-up journey thus far: (1) try, fail, and reflect, (2) live beyond biases, and (3) learn from others.

On ‘try, fail, and reflect’, Thanh said: “Never say no to new experiences, from doing an internship to joining clubs and volunteering for social work. Anything you do, do it with 100% effort. Any task you fail, embrace like it is your best friend. Any work you have accomplished, never forget to do reflections."

His second principle is to live beyond biases and judgement. “Many people might say that RMIT students are privileged. But let’s remember that we are also hardworking and purpose-driven individuals who take our studies and long-term aspirations very seriously. Biased opinions from others will never define who we are,” he said.

“Finally, never underestimate the power of making new connections with people around you and seeking help whenever needed. When we are open to listening from others and cultivate the values of a life-long learner, we will unlock many new doors that we never could have imagined.”

The keenness to connect with people was also what led Thanh to his current job as a People Management Trainee and a past internship in Business Human Resources – both at top multinational companies.

“Even when I was still a full-time student, I joined many social activities that aim to foster people’s growth such as leading people development initiatives at The New Leaders organisation, hosting numerous educational workshops for the LGBTQIA+ community, or joining career-orientation mentorship programs for junior students,” he recalled.

“All of this made me realise how much I love education and helping people grow. So, in the long run, I wish to devote myself to education and the development of others.

“If the opportunity comes, I want to become a Human Resource Management lecturer at RMIT and come back here to contribute to the development of the university,” Thanh said.

Do Huu Thanh’s notable achievements

2023: RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Award* - Hanoi campus, Outstanding Graduate of Bachelor of Business (Management) program, Academic Excellence Award

2022: Vietnam National Champion and Top 6 globally, HSBC Business Case Competition

2022: Top 1 (Human Resources) & Top 3 (all functions), Doanh Nhân Tập Sự competition

2022: Top 30 Finalist, Unilever Future Leaders’ League

2022: RMIT Student Leadership Recognition Award

2021: Top 4 Finalist, Vietnam Business Case Competition

2021: Audience Choice Award & Top 10 Finalist, RMIT Leaders Speak competition

2020-2021: Vice-President of RMIT Vietnam Student Council

2019: Top graduate (GPA 9.1/10.0), Ha Long High School for Gifted Students, Quang Ninh Province

*The RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Award is awarded to two outstanding graduates from RMIT Vietnam’s Hanoi and Saigon South campuses who have achieved excellent academic records and made distinguished contributions through service to the university community and society.

Story: Ngoc Hoang