RMIT top student addressing real-world challenges with impactful initiatives

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RMIT top student addressing real-world challenges with impactful initiatives

Receiving the RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Award 2023, Pham Quang Vinh has been well recognised for his high academic achievement, social responsibility, and service to the community.

Graduating top of Bachelor of Communication (Professional Communication) program, Vinh has made impactful contributions to the betterment of RMIT community and Vietnamese society, including achieving the first ever D&AD New Blood Quickfire Award for Vietnam with the IBM Smart Repair idea, hosting TEDxRMIT 2021 – The One Legacy, co-founding Flatten the Plastic Curve and being awarded a regional third prize in the ASEAN Youth Social Journalism Contest 2021 with this project, winning the Best Delegate at Global Civilian Model United Nations, and many more.

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Pham Quang Vinh delivered his speech for being the RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Award 2023 recipient.

During his high school years, Pham Quang Vinh did not excel in English. “15 years ago, I was told that I did not have the ability to study or speak English. Nine years ago, once again, I was told that my English speaking was quite bad, and I spoke like a parrot.

“Throughout the years I have often thought of myself as a failure. I have felt shy and fearful all the time,” Vinh recalled.

However, the Bachelor of Communication graduate has never stopped moving forward and reaching his full potential.

“I have come to realise that confidence will grow gradually as long as we do not shut the door on ourselves.

“As long as we still hold a tiny bit of hope in ourselves, there will always be a chance to shine our own light,” the RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Award 2023 recipient emphasised.

“The ability to listen empathetically is the greatest lesson I have learnt here,” Vinh summerised his university journey.

Listening to users helped Vinh develop an innovative solution to old mobile phones waste, by creating a repair assistance app to support local independent stores. His team was honoured to achieve Vietnam’s first ever D&AD New Blood Quickfire Award with this IBM Smart Repair idea.

As the host of TEDxRMIT 2021 – The One Legacy, Vinh was able to successfully take participants through inspirational stories of impact makers in diverse fields across Vietnam.

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Pham Quang Vinh celebrated his outstanding achievement with his parents.

“However, I never want to settle on solely sharing but to launch a real-life initiative with my RMIT peers,” he shared.

RMIT Senior Program Manager in Professional Communication Dr Farida Kbar said: “In each competition, Vinh has shown tremendous imagination in how he applies his learning to address real life challenges and create a meaningful impact. A great example is his Flatten the Plastic Curve project.”

Flatten the Plastic Curve project has been launched with an aim to educate young consumers on the detriment of plastic wrapping as a result of online delivery and encourage the use of more environment-friendly alternatives.

Despite social lockdown, the campaign reached over 40,000 people on social media. His project was awarded a regional third prize in the ASEAN Youth Social Journalism Contest 2021 and received more funding from the ASEAN Foundation.

In December 2022, Pham Quang Vinh founded Zám, an initiative to support cultural and non-profit institutions in developing their marketing and communication activities, specifically the History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and PFLAG, a parents-based LGBT advocacy organisation.

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Through his persevering effort, Vinh (pictured third from right) has also become a positive inspiration.

Through his persevering effort, Vinh has also become a positive inspiration.

“More than an individual achievement, Vinh has led a wave among our students, fuelled with the confidence that they all have the potential to better the world using their creativity. Since his pioneering move in 2021, more and more RMIT students have participated in global competitions and marked new milestones for our university”, said Dr Farida Kbar.

Reflecting on his past four-year journey of self-growth, Vinh shared in his Graduation ceremony: “The greatest act of courage is actually to empathise with your flaws and insecurities.”

“In fact, no flaws are too terrible because it is our imperfections that make us human,” Vinh added.

According to him, we should become the best friend of ourselves before building new relationships with anyone else.

“I trust that we will never stop believing in ourselves and never stop following our own dreams thanks to the courage that RMIT has nurtured in each of us.

“No matter how onerous our upcoming challenges can be, we are daring to shatter impossibilities and set new precedents. I hope that we will all become the most fearless fighters on our own quest for success.”

Pham Quang Vinh’s honours and awards
April 2023	RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Award – Saigon South campus, Outstanding Graduate of Bachelor of Communication (Professional Communication)
May 2022	Young Ones One Show Merit at One Club of Creativity
December 2021	Four Selections for 2021 School Showcase
December 2021	2021’s RMIT Top 10 Winner of Student Leadership Recognition Awards
October 2021	Runner-up at D&AD New Blood Quickfire with IBM
August 2021	Young Stars AD Special Prize at AD STARS Festival
August 2021	Regional Third Winner at ASEAN Youth Social Journalism Contest 2021 with Flatten the Plastic Curve Campaign
December 2020 - December 2021	Top 9 Young Marketers 2021 & Student of Young Marketers Elite Development Program Season 8
May 2020	Best Delegate at Global Civilian Model United Nations
October 2018	RMIT Vietnam 2018 Academic Achievement Scholarship

Story: June Pham

Communication and design

04 May 2023

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