Khac Giang Nguyen

Pushing the boundaries of my academic curiosity

Before joining Victoria University of Wellington, I was a political researcher and writer in Hanoi, Vietnam. As a Vietnamese, I always wanted to explore how authoritarian regimes in Vietnam and China survived and whether there was any difference in their survival strategies. However, living in a country where political science only meant Marxism-Leninism, carrying out my current research project was difficult and politically sensitive. In 2018, I was very lucky to meet and receive invaluable advice from Victoria University Professor Roberto Rabel, who encouraged me to explore the opportunities to join Victoria University when we first met in Vietnam. After a while, I knew the PhD program at the School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations would be a perfect place to pursue my research interest and kick off my academic career.

At Victoria University, I have the best people around – the amazing academic and administrative staff, caring supervisors, other likeminded PhD students, as well as senior academics who are always willing to share their views and experiences. All of the incredible supports have made my PhD journey much more pleasant than it would have been otherwise. I have enjoyed the social life at the University as much as I have enjoyed my academic progress.