(VOVworld) – Journalist Hoang Minh Nguyet is an independent and proactive woman who has developed her career through her true talents.

Ms. Hoang Minh Nguyet in a meeting with Vice Spokesman for the US Department of State on establishing VOV's bureau in the US in 2007.

People, who know her or have ever worked with her, acknowledge her intelligence, sharp-mindedness, frankness, decisiveness, and devotion. She has never considered work as a burden but an inspiration for living.
I started working at VOV in 1998 as an official at the International Cooperation Department. The first VOV’s leader I knew was Ms. Hoang Minh Nguyet, the Head of my Department. Her bright, intelligent, and unflinching eyes left a strong impression on me.

That year VOV’s Overseas Services was preparing to broadcast the English program on the FM radio band. It recruited in the mass media nationwide. A  large number of participants attended the entrance exams and almost all English-major graduates like me wanted to work here.

We had an English test in the morning and one on general knowledge in the afternoon. When the test was nearly over, I saw a politely dressed woman overseeing the room. She stopped at my desk and asked: “Did you do well in the morning test?” I answered confidently: “Yes, I did.” She said slightly: “See me when you finish”.

When I was in her office, she told me in straightforward terms: “There are many good people at this competition. Most of them want to work at the English section of the Overseas Service. I ask you if you pass do you want to work in the International Cooperation section? ” I was surprised. But after asking about work in the International Cooperation Department, I told her that it’s what I love to do so that I can promote my ability.

Ms Hoang Minh Nguyet (on the right-end of the front line) and delegates to the 16th CIRTEF met with State President Nguyen Minh Triet

For Ms Hoang Minh Nguyet, work is always her first priority. When the country began the international integration process, she always initiated new ideas to expand VOV’s cooperation with foreign radio stations. With her project to organize international training courses at VOV and send VOV’s reporters and technicians to study overseas, she closely instructed her subordinates to actively find sponsorship resources.     

From 2000-2005 VOV hosted the biggest number of training courses with the participation of experienced foreign experts. Every year 7 or 8 courses were held for about 100 participants on live broadcasts, modern communications organizations, FM broadcast, and remote control.

I always admire her English capability. She carefully corrected our pronunciation and gave frank comments: “Speaking English like this is no different from speaking Vietnamese without diacritics.” She always carefully edited our translation. She told us that translation and interpretation must follow procedures. In 1995 VTV began broadcasting an English news bulletin service. She was one of the first VOV staff to help VTV produce the English program for several years.

Hoang Minh Nguyet has always trusted young staff. She assigned them new jobs and closely followed their performance. She encouraged us to work as interpreters for international journalistic courses organized at VOV. She contacted and sought opportunities for us to translate for international conferences in Vietnam. We improved our journalistic skills on these courses.

Her father, Hoang Tu Trai, was the Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency and her brothers and sisters held high positions in society, but Ms. Nguyet has never taken advantage of her family’s influence in her work.

She is an independent and proactive woman who has developed her career thanks to own capabilities. She is a person of work. She often approached us and asked specific questions as if we were on the same line of thinking.

As a member of the Strategic Planning Team of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), she showed her long-term vision in the global development of radio and television. Her opinions were highly appreciated by ABU experts.

Hoang Minh Nguyet was the first Director of VOV’s External Cooperation Department, in charge of organizing international events including the General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) in 2002 with 200 foreign delegations, and the General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), with more than 500 foreign delegates.

As a member of the Steering Committee and Head of the Organizing Board, she made detailed plans including times, meeting venues, receptions, discussion contents, and meeting and signing documents with VOV. She carefully arranged the cabins for interpreters, checked the audio and light systems, the scenarios, the opening and closing sessions, and the introduction speech.

In a letter of thanks to VOV President Vu Van Hien, ABU Secretary General David Ashley wrote: “This has been one of the most successful conferences of the ABU. It was carefully prepared and organized which left very good impressions on VOV. It wouldn’t have been as be successful without Hoang Minh Nguyet’s contributions.”

I remember a review meeting of the International Cooperation Department when we made frank and open comments about each other. Both senior and junior officials said Ms. Nguyet was a frank, decisive, and proper leader with broad knowledge and critical thinking. She was the appropriate choice for Head of the International Cooperation Department.   

In 2005 she was appointed VOV’s Vice President in charge of international cooperation and two radio and TV colleges. In 2009 she took responsible for communications content. Her colleagues said Ms. Nguyet clearly analyzed and decided on issues and made specific directions.

Vice Director of the News and Current Affairs channel (VOV1), reporter Pham Manh Hung, was assigned to draft a project to reform the VOV1 channel. She translated some world radio programs including BBC4 and France Infor and gave them to Hung as reference.   

With her experience working with international radio stations, she told VOV1 reporters: “World news radio stations have clearly identified news and current affairs. News and current affairs segments are arranged logically as a continuous flow of information. VOV1 should study that model.”

The reform of VOV1 toward an open and modern channel has been largely influenced by Hoang Minh Nguyet’s resolute instruction, enthusiastic support, and close monitoring.