4 Vietnamese honored at 2026 Study UK Alumni Awards

Now in its 12th year, the Study UK Alumni Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of UK alumni worldwide.

The awards recognize leaders who have drawn on their education in the United Kingdom to make meaningful contributions to their professions, communities, and countries.

From a shortlist of 12 finalists, the four Vietnamese winners were selected across four categories: Business and Innovation; Culture, Creativity and Sport; Science and Sustainability; and Social Action.

The Culture, Creativity and Sport Award went to Luong Ngoc Linh, an illustrator and author based in Ho Chi Minh City.

A Chevening scholar, Linh graduated in Sequential Design and Illustration from the University of Brighton.

Since returning to Vietnam, he has developed art projects centered on Vietnamese culture and inclusive art.

He also founded Ear to Eye, an initiative that enables visually impaired audiences to directly experience live performances, advancing the ideal of art for all.

The Business and Innovation Award was presented to Dr. Le Xuan Khoa, founder and CEO of VOX Cool, a start-up deploying ‘Cold Battery’ thermal energy storage technology.

The model provides eco-friendly and affordable cooling solutions for farmers, fishermen, and small- and medium-sized enterprises, helping to reduce food loss and carbon emissions in Vietnam.

Dr. Khoa earned his PhD in energy from the Ulster University on a full scholarship, building a strong foundation in thermodynamics combined with systems thinking.

His postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford enabled him to translate laboratory research into practical applications and entrepreneurship, treating ‘cold’ storage as a battery delivered as a service.

In the coming years, he aims to scale up this technology across Vietnam and the ASEAN region to address food security and climate change challenges.

The Science and Sustainability Award was granted to Vu Long, a scientist and wildlife conservation expert working in Vietnam to protect endangered species.

As director of the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species (CBES), he applies scientific research to support policy-making linked to sustainable development.

His primary focus is marine mammals, a field that remains under-researched in Vietnam.

He is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading marine mammal experts.

Nguyen Van Anh, currently a lecturer at VinUniversity, won the Social Action Award.

In 2010, she co-founded VietPro, a non-profit organization connecting leaders, experts, entrepreneurs, young professionals, and students between the UK and Vietnam to provide orientation, capacity building, mentoring, and the sharing of expertise and opportunities.

With nearly 6,500 members in the UK and thousands of alumni who have returned to Vietnam or moved elsewhere after studying and working in Britain, VietPro has positively impacted thousands of students and young intellectuals through volunteer-driven activities over the past 15 years.

Educational initiatives led or supported by Anh have received international awards and recognition.