Originally from Vietnam, I moved to Japan in 2017 as an Asian Development Bank Scholar to pursue my MSc in International Relations at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU). After completing my degree, I worked in the education sector in Tokyo, an experience that allowed me to engage closely with issues of mobility, institutions, and everyday governance.

In 2026, I returned to APU to begin my PhD, continuing my long-term academic journey between Vietnam and Japan. My research is situated at the intersection of International Relations theory and historical analysis. I am particularly interested in legitimacy, norms, and the historical foundations of political authority in international politics, with a regional focus on East and Southeast Asia. My current work examines how historical legacies - shaped by empire, colonial encounters, and institutional memory - continue to structure contemporary international norms and state behaviour.

Beyond academia, I maintain a strong interest in travel and place-based learning. I hope to visit a new place each year, believing that encounters with different societies, cultures, and historical landscapes offer insights that cannot be found in theory alone.