The young man graduated as valedictorian of the top university in England

Hoang Nam is the valedictorian of the Master of Communication degree at LSE, a school in the top 10 in the UK and top 45 in the world.

Nghiem Duc Hoang Nam, 23, received his master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK, on ​​December 14. He was awarded the "Excellence Prizes" - given to the person with the highest graduation score in the field of Communication.

"The feeling of completing a long journey is like climbing a mountain. I want to enjoy this moment to the fullest," Nam recalled.

A month before graduation, Nam received an email from the school informing him of the award. In the letter, Professor Bart Cammaerts, Head of the Department of Communication, congratulated and praised Nam for his excellent grades in his subjects.

"Your achievement deserves to be celebrated and you should be proud of it," Professor Bart wrote.

Nam takes a commemorative photo on the LSE campus after receiving his diploma. Photo: Character provided

Nam's thesis received 78/100 points, on the topic of internal communication and job satisfaction of international employees in the media industry. In the letter announcing the score, Professor Lee Edwards, Nam's advisor, and the committee members commented: "This is an excellent thesis."

Professors consider internal communication a narrow, under-researched topic, and LSE does not even have a specialist in this field. According to Professor Lee, Nam’s thesis brings many new ideas, synthesizing theories from different fields of international human resource management, employer branding, and cross-cultural communication. Although he interviewed few people, Nam analyzed in detail and deeply what he gathered.

Nam’s research helps companies attract international talent and diversify the workforce in the UK’s communications industry, which is 70-80% female and white British. The thesis also points out how cultural factors can improve internal communications, for companies to consider.

These assessments exceeded Nam’s expectations. Initially, Nam planned to interview employees with three years of experience or less and the person in charge of internal communications in that company to compare the perspectives of both sides. However, Nam was only able to invite about 10 people to respond, so there was little information. During the defense, Nam frankly mentioned this limitation, explained the reason, and was accepted.

"I think my thesis convinced the professors with its sincerity," Nam shared.

Nam received his master's degree and the award for the highest score in the course. Photo: Provided by the character

Nam has had a knack for the media since he was in middle school. In 8th grade, Nam started writing articles for the Marie Curie school magazine, receiving his first royalties of 50,000 to 150,000 VND.

While studying at the Foreign Language High School, Nam continued to write, interview characters, and introduce books and films in the school magazine. Whenever participating in extracurricular activities, Nam was also often in charge of content and communication. The videos Nam made on March 8 or October 20 were often loved by everyone.

"My parents and friends all praised me for speaking and writing well, so I should study communications to maximize these skills," Nam recalled.

In 2018, Nam decided to pursue a degree in Communications at Erasmus University in the Netherlands. Although he did not have any language difficulties, Nam struggled with the new way of learning and living independently for the first time. To catch up with the program, Nam devoted all his attention to studying and gradually achieved good results.

After graduating with honors in 2022, the Hanoi boy applied and was accepted into master's programs at three universities in Europe. Nam chose LSE because he wanted to gain more experience and study with leading professors in the field of communication at the school. This school is ranked 8th in the UK and in the top 45 in the world, according to the 2024 QS university rankings.

According to Nam, the workload at LSE is not much, but the challenge is to come up with new ideas. The most difficult subject in the program is Digital Media Futures, which introduces media technologies in general and the design philosophy behind those technologies.

Nam was very nervous when doing an essay in this subject. With only two weeks left until the deadline, Nam still did not understand the question.

"Writing about a philosophy should be abstract," Nam said, adding that he passed the subject thanks to the help of his dormitory roommates, who helped him outline the structure of the essay and then find information to fill it in.

Ms. Quach Thi Thanh Huyen, Nam’s homeroom teacher in grade 12 at the Foreign Language Specialized School, said that during their time studying in England, students often talked and shared their worries about their thesis. Therefore, she assessed that Nam’s efforts were well deserved to become valedictorian.

Before that, Nam was always an excellent student, in the top 10 of his class. Ms. Huyen assessed that the student was active, intelligent, socially inclined, and especially passionate about media.

Nam with his mother (left cover) and professor Lee Adwards at the graduation ceremony on December 14. Photo: Character provided

"If you have a dream of studying abroad but are still wondering which major to choose, you should start with your strengths and passions," Nam shared, believing that his achievements have helped him become more confident in the path he has chosen.

Nam's dream is to live and work in many countries. In the short term, Nam will look for a job in the media or research field in the UK because he has a two-year work visa.

Dawn

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