Young Vietnamese benefits from studying in Germany

At this year’s Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, we met up with Danh-Quy Nguyen, a Vietnamese who studied in Germany and now works as the Deputy Managing Editor for ELLE Vietnam. A few years ago, Danh-Quy was one of the first to receive a scholarship for the two-year Master’s program “International Media Studies” at DW Akademie.

Danh-Quy Nguyen at DW GMF

You graduated from DW’s International Media Studies program last year. Now, you’ve been invited back as a guest and expert for a panel-discussion at the DW Global Media Forum. How does that make you feel?

Firstly, I feel great and honored to be invited by my teachers and colleagues. I think it’s an experience that not everyone can have. So I feel very happy. Secondly, I’m also very happy to see my old friends and many colleagues from Deutsche Welle.

What do you miss most about Germany?
What I miss most from Germany is lots of trees, lots of green and the Rhine River.

Can you apply the knowledge that you learned at DW to your work in Vietnam?
Of course! I learned a lot at DW and I use it in my work every day. The most important thing I learned from the DW Master’s program is how to communicate with people from different countries and different cultures. This is very important for my daily job. As Managing Editor, I have to communicate with different editors and people from the fashion industry all around the world.

New Professions for New Media was the topic of the panel that you participated in at this year’s DW Global Media Forum. What do social media mean for your magazine?
In my magazine, we use social media more as a marketing tool than something that produces serious content. We use Facebook, for example, just to stay in touch with our users and fans, not as a channel to send out serious messages. At EllE magazine, the best goes into the print edition and not online.

Is it true that Facebook was unofficially blocked in Vietnam until early this year? So do you have any problems at work?
No, it’s not true. I think Facebook is blocked in Vietnam for some hours before some events, but not more than a day. So I don’t have any difficulties.

Interview by Juan Ju