Our 2020 Graduates

Building a family and a better future in health communication

Juggling two small children and study in a strange country was the biggest challenge for aspiring doctor, Thi Thao Phuong Tran as she tackled her PhD in linguistics and health sciences.

The soon-to-be University of Queensland graduate said studying for a doctorate created problems for every candidate, but her family posed a particular challenge.

“My problem was trying to find the balance between study and family as I had one small boy and a new-born to take care of,” Ms Tran said.

“When we came to Brisbane, my first son was only 17 months old, childcare was too expensive and I did not have any strong connections or acquaintances to give me good advice.”

After passing the first PhD candidate milestone, Ms Tran sent her son back to Vietnam with his father, which gave her time to learn about Australia’s childcare, health and education system.

After a year, the family was reunited and settled happily in Brisbane.

She said the University offered her all the help she needed.

“At UQ, I had the opportunity to make full use of the first-rate education at the university with intensive courses and ample opportunities to develop my research, immerse myself in the rich and reliable resources and facilities here, meet and learn from the world leading professors and share my experience both professionally and culturally with like-minded friends,” she said.

With graduation looming, Ms Tran has returned to Vietnam, using her new skills in her work as a lecturer at Hue University of Foreign Languages.

With a new challenge in mind, she has set her sights on improving health care communication in Vietnam’s hospital out-patient medical consultations.

“I hope to continue doing research in the health communication field and that in future, I can guide and inspire the Vietnamese researchers to develop a research group and improve the health care services in Vietnam in general,” she said.

“I hope my research outcomes will contribute to improving the communication between Vietnamese doctors, their patients and families.”

Ms Tran said she’d encourage international students to take the leap and study at UQ.

“My time at UQ was the most wonderful in my life – I learnt a lot, became more open-minded, tolerated, sociable and even more confident.

“Though PhD life in a new country like Australia is hard at the beginning, it is wonderful for you to explore your strength, your ability and your resilience."

Seizing an opportunity to make a difference with the UN

A job with the United Nations in her home country of Mongolia is the likely result of years of hard work for University of Queensland Masters graduate Soyolmaa Dolgor. The Masters in Communication for Social Change graduate plans to apply her newly learned skills in critical thinking in her new position.

“I am hopefully going to be a part of a national coordination team that will drive the UN’s development work to help create innovative development solutions in Mongolia, and my role will be in partnership building and public advocacy and communication,” Ms Dolgor said.

“This is an incredible opportunity for me to mature as a development communication practitioner and be able to apply my fresh academic insights in real practice in international development facilitated by the UN.”

Ms Dolgor chose UQ’s post graduate program because it allowed her to explore both international development and communications, but said it was a challenge to achieve high marks while raising her two children, now aged seven and nine.  

“I wouldn’t say it was an easy thing to raise two young children away from my family and home while undertaking a demanding academic program,” she said.

“The two years they spent in Australia will be the most eye-opening and impacting time for them.

“It was fascinating to see how they gracefully integrated into the new culture, new school and new environment in Australia.”

The COVID-19 pandemic also threw a spanner in the works.

“I had to help my children with home-schooling while trying to work on my master’s thesis, which itself was a greatly demanding task even in a normal situation,” Ms Dolgor said.

“Nothing is more important than my children’s well-being and education, so my priority completely shifted during the lock-down time due to COVID.”

While at UQ, Ms Dolgor threw herself into campus life, volunteering for various initiatives in addition to her hectic study program, including the HASS Student Leadership Program.

“Partnering with some student leaders, I had a wonderful experience in co-designing and implementing a mental health support program focussed on positive stress management for fellow students.

“I also had the opportunity to volunteer in the peer-writing mentorship program and supported some students in refining their essays – great learning experiences for me that I will bring to my future career.”

She advises future students to make the most of all the opportunities on offer beyond the classroom, saying it would pay off in their future career.

“There are great opportunities to develop yourself through formal academic encounters, as well as extra-curriculum activities such as volunteer programs in clubs, union and faculties.

“I had the most satisfying and enriching experience at UQ.”

Above and beyond – Employability Award for graduates

Master of Biotechnology Research Extensive Haarika Chittoory is one of 53 UQ graduates to receive an Employability Award this semester.

The award recognises a student's enhanced employability development through their contributions to volunteering, work experience and extra-curricular activities within UQ and the wider community.

The program is coordinated by the Student Employability Centre and is available to all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students.

Ms Chittoory said the highlight of her experience was gaining the ability to network with others.

“This program helped me develop so many interpersonal skills and gain the self-confidence to pursue my dreams,” she said.

“I am now in the practice of reflective thinking and learning and would definitely urge students to stay competitive and complete all the activities because it is absolutely worth it”.

All recipients have the Employability Award listed as a special achievement on their academic transcript.