Studying in an inclusive environment and the kindness of Kiwis: Trang’s story
Do Thi Huyen Trang (Trang) is from Vietnam and is a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship recipient. The Manaaki programme is a fully funded scholarship for international students who aspire to make a positive impact in their home countries.
We caught up with Trang when she took a brief break in her busy study schedule to talk to us.
Halfway through her 18-month master’s degree, Trang is studying Public Policy in Wellington, learning how governments work and how they can be more effective. Before coming to New Zealand, she spent time working for UNICEF in Vietnam partnering with government departments advocating for children with disabilities and other marginalised groups.
Her time at UNICEF gave her an understanding of how international organisations work particularly around human rights and civic engagement, but she wanted to learn more about the public policy side of things. After taking the course, she now understands New Zealand's policies well. She plans to use this knowledge in Vietnam to help the government remove social barriers for people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.
Vietnam has 54 different ethnic groups, 53 of them make up approximately 15% of the population. It’s a big challenge finding ways to support these groups and to maintain and preserve their culture.
Trang is impressed with what she has seen in New Zealand and how organisations here have incorporated Māori culture into many aspects of daily life and work. She enjoys learning about Māori tikanga (Māori customary practices and behaviours) and makes a point of visiting museums and other tourist sites, learning as much as she can.
She says that two things have stood out for her. The first is kindness or Manaakitanga, the Māori way of showing respect, generosity and care and the second is the way Māori care about the environment - Kaitiakitanga
“I have learned that Māori culture is very connected to the land (the whenua), and it’s very important when Māori introduce themselves, they talk about their mountain and their river, not just their people because they consider these places to be sacred to them. And they protect the environment. I appreciate that.”
Right from the start Trang has been pleasantly surprised at how kind and supportive New Zealanders have been towards her. Trang has a severe vision impairment, which, without support, could significantly impact her study.
Two weeks before her course started, the International Development Scholarships Student Support Team and the university’s Student Learning Team showed her around the campus, shared study techniques and generally helped her feel at home.
The Disability Support Team continue to offer her individualised support at the start of each trimester, making sure she has everything she needs for her studies. One of the most helpful things they did was contact her professor to make her aware of Trang’s visual impairment and to ask for permission for Trang to take photos of whiteboard notes and PowerPoint slides prior to lessons.
She finds her professor inspiring.
My professor spends a lot of time working with me to define my policy capstone project. In class she encourages group interaction and knowledge sharing. She helps me understand that working on assignments is not just to get a good grade; it is to celebrate our time, our effort, and our hard work. I think it’s a very nice way to approach the assignment.
Trang laughs a little when she compares this teaching method to what it’s like back home.
“In Vietnam we focus more on theory,” she says. “It’s all about getting through the course and passing exams. But here I feel inspired and happy because of what I have learnt from this course.”
Asked whether she experienced a culture shock coming to New Zealand, Trang says that she’s used to living in different countries. She has studied in America and other parts of the world but what she really appreciates about New Zealand is how people are so kind and respectful of personal space.
“In Vietnam the big cities are so vibrant and there’s so much hustle, especially in traffic. For example, the buses are often crowded, and many bus drivers seem to be in a rush. Here they wait for me to sit down before they drive off and everyone says, ‘Thank you driver’. It’s so sweet.”
Trang feels right at home in New Zealand and has made some good friends, especially among her network of Manaaki students. In her spare time, she likes to go hiking and on Sundays enjoys shopping for fresh vegetables at the Sunday market. Although she says there is a diverse range of food here, she likes to cook at home, mainly because it can be quite expensive to eat out all the time in New Zealand.
And has her study experience in New Zealand changed her as a person?
“I think taking my master’s degree here has not only helped me grow in a professional way but also gives me a bit more time to reflect on my own journey. I am really grateful for the opportunity to study here and to get the scholarship, so I work hard to make the most of it. But at the same time, I also focus on personal development and strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”
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About the contributors
Do Thi Huyen Trang (Trang) is from Vietnam and is a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship recipient. The Manaaki programme is a fully funded scholarship for international students who aspire to make a positive impact in their home countries.
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