Advance HE, the United Kingdom's leading organisation for improving higher education, awards fellowships through a rigorous peer-reviewed process aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). The framework recognises the knowledge, skills and professional practices of those who teach and support learning in universities around the world. As of May 2026, there are almost 222,000 Advance HE Fellows globally.
RMIT Vietnam's fellowship community now includes 26 Senior Fellows, 31 Fellows, five Associate Fellows, and one Principal Fellow, the highest category of recognition. Together, they account for 63 of the 100 fellowship recipients currently recorded across five participating institutions in Vietnam.
Mr Glen O'Grady, Director of Academic Experience and Success, said the growing fellowship community demonstrates a collective commitment to high-quality learning and teaching.
"There is a common thread running through Advance HE Fellowship applications, which is a deep and abiding concern for student learning. It is a commitment to taking teaching seriously and to being professional and reflective in our approach to education,” he said.
"Fellowship is something we participate in, rather than simply something we receive. We move from demonstrating our own commitment to teaching and learning to helping others develop theirs. We become part of a community that recognises good teaching, supports professional growth, and shares a collective responsibility for improving the experience and learning of our students."
For many recipients, the fellowship journey provided an opportunity to reflect not only on their own teaching practice but also on the impact they have had on colleagues, teams and the broader learning community.
Dr Pham Huong Trang, Interim Associate Program Manager, Tourism and Hospitality Management, at The Business School, achieved Senior Fellowship after more than 16 years working in higher education.
“Senior Fellowship is certainly a recognition, but I see it more as an invitation to keep growing,” she said. “It reminds me that no matter how long we have been teaching, we remain learners ourselves. The recognition has given me greater confidence to support colleagues, explore new approaches and contribute to a culture at RMIT where good practice is shared rather than being owned by any one person.”
The fellowship application process also gave her an opportunity to pause and reflect on how she had changed throughout her career.
Reflecting on her journey, Dr Trang said: “I realised that my own definition of success had gradually changed. It is no longer just about what happens in my classroom, but about what I can help others achieve and how the work we create together can become something others carry forward.”
“The Fellowship helped me see that our most meaningful impact as educators is not always the most visible. Looking back on years of teaching, course design, mentoring and collaboration with different teaching teams, I could see how much I had grown. Perhaps the simplest way to describe it is this: I ask more questions now and give fewer instructions. I also realised something I had never really put into words before: good leadership isn’t about being indispensable. It is about creating the trust and confidence for others to experiment, make mistakes and eventually say, ‘Let me try.’ Some of the achievements I am most proud of are the practices and ideas that colleagues have taken forward and made their own.”
For Dr Trang, the experience was a reminder that she is "still becoming the educator I want to be. Senior Fellowship recognises a journey, but it is certainly not the end of it”.
Ms Corinna Joyce, Deputy Dean and Program Manager, Bachelor of Fashion (Enterprise), School of Communication & Design, said the application process highlighted the importance of empowering others to thrive.
