Each year, the British Council shines a spotlight on the remarkable journeys of individuals who once called the United Kingdom their academic home. Now, with the opening of registration for the 2025-2026 Study UK Alumni Awards, the organization is once again inviting alumni from around the world—including Vietnam—to step forward and share how their British education has shaped not only their own lives but also the communities and industries they touch.
The Study UK Alumni Awards, officially launched by the British Council, run from September 1, 2025, until October 16, 2025, offering a unique opportunity for UK alumni to gain recognition for their outstanding achievements and positive contributions. According to Pháp Luật Việt Nam, the awards are organized annually on a global scale, celebrating the ways in which former students have applied the knowledge, skills, and experiences gained in the UK to create positive impacts on their professions, communities, and countries.
“The awards are not just about honoring individual success stories,” the British Council notes, “but also about showcasing the value of UK higher education and elevating the international profile of both alumni and their alma maters.” In other words, these awards are as much a testament to the transformative power of education as they are to personal achievement.
This year’s awards feature four distinct categories, each designed to recognize excellence across a broad spectrum of fields. The Science and Sustainability category highlights those making strides in climate change, clean energy, medicine, sustainable cities, engineering, industry, and construction. The Culture, Creativity and Sport category celebrates outstanding alumni in the arts, design, humanities, traditional media, music, video, television, sports, digital content creation, and audiovisual media. Meanwhile, the Social Action category honors those making tangible contributions in education, peace, justice, inequality reduction, poverty alleviation, and humanitarian or social benefit work. Finally, the Business and Innovation category is aimed at entrepreneurs, startup founders, and innovators whose initiatives have generated significant economic or social value.
Winners of the global awards are set to receive more than just a trophy. According to Tiền Phong, they will be honored through a worldwide media campaign and invited to the United Kingdom to reconnect with their universities, meet current GREAT scholarship students, and network with other global alumni awardees. The British Council emphasizes that this experience offers “not only the chance to enhance one’s international profile and career prospects, but also to forge meaningful connections within the academic community.”
At the national level, the British Council in Vietnam will organize its own award ceremony, with finalists and winners to be announced between December 2025 and March 2026. Those who make it to the final round, as well as the ultimate winners, will see their stories promoted for an entire month across British Council Vietnam’s channels and local media. This exposure is designed to open doors for networking, employment, and business opportunities with potential partners. In addition, Vietnamese national winners will receive sponsorships of up to 30,000,000 VND to support a professional development activity of their choice.
Reflecting on last year’s awards, the impact of UK education is clear. In 2024, from more than 100 inspiring applications, the British Council and its panel of judges in Vietnam selected 12 runners-up and four winners—one for each category. These individuals not only exemplified excellence in their respective fields but also demonstrated how a British education can empower graduates to tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges.
Take Triệu Thị Thanh Trúc, a University of Manchester alumna, who turned her personal experiences into a force for social good. She inspired and raised awareness about breast cancer through community projects—a story that resonated widely and underscored the importance of education in driving social change. Then there’s Prof. Dr. Lê Kim Phụng from the University of Sheffield, whose groundbreaking research in renewable energy and environmental protection earned her recognition in the Science and Sustainability category.
Architect Nguyễn Phúc Minh, a graduate of the University of Bath, was honored for blending mindfulness philosophy with modern architecture, contributing to numerous sustainable and creative projects. Meanwhile, Nguyễn Thị Hải Thanh, who studied at the University of Huddersfield, stood out as a young leader in blockchain and fintech, fostering global technological cooperation and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
These achievements, as highlighted by Pháp Luật Việt Nam, are vivid proof of the UK education system’s ability to open international career opportunities and nurture a passion for making lasting, positive change. “Their stories are living proof of the value of a UK education,” the British Council affirms, “not only in launching international careers but also in fueling the drive to create sustainable, positive impact in society.”
The Study UK Alumni Awards have steadily grown in prestige and scope. The 2026 edition marks the twelfth year the British Council has celebrated UK alumni achievements globally, and the fifth year the awards have been held on a national scale in Vietnam. Over this period, the program has become a key platform for recognizing the ripple effect of UK education, as alumni leverage their skills and networks to benefit their home countries and the world at large.
For those interested in participating, detailed information about eligibility and the application process is available on the British Council’s official website. The message is clear: whether you’re a scientist pioneering clean energy solutions, an artist breaking new ground in digital media, a social activist fighting for justice, or an entrepreneur turning ideas into reality, your story matters—and the Study UK Alumni Awards are here to celebrate it.
As the window for applications opens, anticipation is building. Who will be the next to join the ranks of alumni honored for their vision, dedication, and impact? The answer will unfold over the coming months, as the British Council and its partners sift through stories that not only inspire, but also remind us all of the enduring power of education to change lives and shape the future.
