Nguyen Khang Lam-Duong
Current Employer/Organisation Name
PhD Student at University of Exeter
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
I haven’t left Exeter at all. I immediately joined the PhD programme as soon as I completed my MSc Management in Exeter.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I love researching and want to one day become a lecturer myself to help students become useful social actors.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
What I enjoyed the most about my programme was how supportive all the lecturers and staff were. I could understand why Exeter has got one of, if not, the best student satisfaction rate in the UK. Coming from a culture where students are not normally encouraged to challenge their teachers, I experienced quite a culture shock when the lecturers at Exeter always emphasised that “there is no stupid question”, inviting everyone to present their opinions and ideas. Whenever I had a question, I could always ask them directly in or after class and they would always make time to answer and explain everything to detail.
If I could pick one highlight, it would be one of my dissertation meetings with my lovely supervisor around late May 2024. Around this time, I was having a “writer’s block”, unable to find any good research paper nor come up with any idea for my arguments in the dissertation while also juggling with part-time work and moving house. To say that it was frustrating and exhausting would be a massive understatement. I decided to come talk with my supervisor, and she was patient and understanding of my problems. We discussed some other directions that I could take my research into and how I could handle all the ongoing responsibilities. This conversation helped me more than I could realise then. Not only was I able to remove the block, but I also had ideas that could be used to extend my research and managed to submit the dissertation a few days before the deadline.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
What I enjoyed the most about studying in Exeter was the environment. Apart from the Forum and Cardiac Hills that greatly improved my durability, Exeter is welcoming to all walks of life and truly allows people to embrace and explore themselves. There were a lot of workshops that I attended to help me figure out my strengths and weaknesses, and how I could improve myself. I also had the opportunity to be in many seminars that connected me with top-tier academics and professionals that have greatly aided me in my career.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
One major reason why I chose Exeter was that the university offered me not one, but two scholarships, one of which was exclusive for Vietnamese students. They made me feel that the Vietnamese community is something that Exeter recognised as important to the university. Another reason was that from my understanding (both then and now), Exeter is one of the safest and best cities in the UK where people are generally friendly, and the environment is really green. All of this allowed me to fully focus on my studies.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
As my aim was to pursue a PhD as soon as I finished my master’s degree, I would advise to start early. Start early on the assignments as it would give you more time to best enhance them. Start early by finding out which area that you want to dive into, something that you are passionate about, and go talk with your programme director and lecturers to see if they could support you before, during, and after the dissertation. That said, please don’t neglect your health, both physically and mentally, as this is not a sprint but rather a marathon. It is a long-term game where you would need to constantly maintain your body and mind to get the best results. Please design yourself a healthy diet, give yourself a proper rest, and don’t stretch yourself too much. I know that there will be times when you feel incredibly stressed and frustrated; my best advice is to put the pen down, go outside, and take a breath (best with your friends!). If you find it difficult, there is also the Wellbeing Service team on campus that is absolutely lovely and helpful. As said, Exeter is very supportive; all you need to do is to ask for help!
What are your plans for the future?
