Vietnam
Introducing your Volunteer Alumni Coordinator
Connecting Vietnam alumni
Vu Thanh Cong
Qualification: Master of Public Policy
Recent role: Economic Analyst at the Australia Consulate–General; Assistant to Director, Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies and Lecturer, Vietnam National University.
For Cong, some of his best memories at the University of Auckland come from the everyday moments of student life. He recalls lively discussions in policy classes at Old Government House - surrounded by birdsong and parkland. Those conversations – finding solutions for real-world issues while feeling connected to people, place and environment – shaped his approach and remain a lasting source of inspiration for his career in public policy.
Now based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic hub, Cong works at the intersection of policy and academia. He contributes to consultancy on development strategies for city leaders as Assistant to the Director at the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies and lectures in political economy and policy at Vietnam National University. Recently, he has taken on a role as Economic Analyst at the Australian Consulate-General. From the time he applied for a Manaaki Scholarship, Thanh Cong aimed to combine academic study, practical policy work, and international cooperation—a vision his current roles now bring to life.
Thanh Cong names Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Nobel Laureates and development economists, as the people he would most like to hear in person at an event. Their work on poverty resonates deeply with his interest in inclusive structural reforms, which aim not only at theory but also at action and implementation.
Outside work, Thanh Cong enjoys hiking, road trips, and time spent with nature. His favourite moments are when sharing a meal or conversation with family and friends.
As a Volunteer Alumni Coordinator, Thanh Cong is guided by a sense of gratitude and purpose. “The Manaaki Scholarship and my time at the University of Auckland changed my life profoundly. I want to stay connected with people of shared values, amplify our impacts and pay it forward," he says.
Thanh Cong’s vision for the Vietnam Alumni Network is to create an inclusive and motivated community. He hopes to bring alumni together through relaxed, café-style gatherings in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, paired with larger virtual events that connect more than 500 UoA alumni across Vietnam.
His invitation to fellow alumni is simple: “An alumni network cannot be built alone - but together, we can create something that lasts and makes a difference.”