School of Arts and Humanities

Dr Hien Thi Nguyen

Hien is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the ECU Social Ageing (Futures) Lab in the School of Arts and Humanities

Background

Hien Thi Nguyen is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at ECU Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University. Her current research focuses on four areas: migration and diversity; ageing across the life course; social frailty and wellbeing; and gender and development. Hien uses social science perspectives and methodologies to support creative and caring professions. This approach is targeted at the development of a social care research agenda for the aged care sector to facilitate collaborative communities of care that extend people’s support networks at every age, with a particular focus on: (i) Social and Cultural Care; (ii) Diverse and Migrant Communities; (iii) Music and Arts Engagement; and (iv) Digital Ageing and Inclusion.

Hien is a member of the TRACS Migration Research Network at ECU to support an active program of national and international collaborations. Hien is also the Project Manager of The Decentering Migration Knowledge (DEMIKNOW) Project, which brings together four research entities in Canada, India, China and Australia.

Professional associations

• 2022 - The International Sociological Association (ISA) (Member)
• 2021 - ECU Centre for Research in Aged Care (CRAC) (Core Member)
• 2021 - ECU TRACS Migration Research Network (Member)
• 2021 - Sociology Out West Association (Member)
• 2021 - The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) (Member)
• 2008 - Just Associates, the USA
• 2007 - International Women’s Rights & Actions Watch (IWRAW Asia Pacific), Malaysia
• 2007 - Gender Action Partnership in Vietnam (GAP)

Awards and recognition

National and International awards

• 2023 - HDR/ECR Award to attend 20th International Congress of Sociology in Melbourne June 25th – 1st July 2023, ISA Research Committee 31 and TASA
• 2023 - Postgraduate Travel Awards, Graduate Research School, UWA
• 2022 - Award for students with outstanding achievements in academics and student movements, Vietnamese Consulate General in Perth
• 2020 - PhD scholarship, Fifth Annual Australian Social Network Analysis Conference
• 2020 - Award for students with outstanding achievements in academics and student movements, Vietnamese Consulate General in Perth
• 2018 - PhD Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset Scholarship & UWA Postgraduate Awards (Stipend), UWA
• 2017 - Full PhD Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship, RMIT (refused)
• 2015 - Honour student selected for doing a Minor Thesis on Understanding Gender & Marriage Ideologies in Contemporary Vietnam, University of Melbourne
• 2013 - Australia Leadership Awards (ALA), Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT)
• 2013 - Australian Awards Scholarship (AAS), DFAT to pursue a Master of Development Studies (Gender & Development) at the University of Melbourne
• 2010 - Master scholarship for neighbouring countries, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand (refused)
• 2009 - SIDA scholarship, 18-month training course on Human Rights Towards Gender Equality, Uppsala University & Sipu International in Sweden
• 2006 - Two runner prizes for the Poem and Vietnamese-English Translation Contests. University of Languages & International Studies, Vietnam National University (VNU)
• 2005 - Third Prize - Scientific Research on the idioms and terminologies at work, University of Languages & International Studies, Vietnam National University (VNU)
• 2003 - 2007 - 7 out of 8-semester scholarships for high academic achievements in study, University of Languages & International Studies, Vietnam National University (VNU)

Research areas and interests

Dr Hien Thi Nguyen currently has four research areas in progress and development. What connects these research areas is a focus on social care, family and community relations, culture and linguistic diversity, and the role of new technologies in supporting wellbeing, which align with the ECU SAGE Lab’s areas of research and intervention focus.

• Migration and diversity
• Ageing Across the Life Course
• Social frailty and wellbeing
• Gender and Development

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia, 2023.
• Master of Development Studies (Gender and Development), The University of Melbourne, 2015.

Research Outputs

Research Projects

• DemiKnow – Decentering Migration Knowledge through an international coalition of research centres in migration, Toronto Metropolitan University, Grant, 2022 ‑ 2024, $12,620.