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Hoài Lê Thu commenced her MBA at Warwick Business School in September 2025 after winning the $10,000 QS ImpACT MBA Leadership Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an individual who demonstrates strong and innovative leadership skills that have contributed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Hoài Lê believes the caring and empathetic approach often seen in female leaders can reduce gender bias and foster a more inclusive and sustainable workplace culture.
With the support of the QS ImpACT MBA Leadership Scholarship and Warwick’s transformative education, she hopes to create workplaces where every woman feels seen, heard and valued – and care and competence go hand-in-hand.
What does winning this scholarship mean to you?
It gives me validation and confidence in what I want to achieve, making me feel supported and proud of what I’m doing. It will help me fund my studies and live abroad, so it’s also a huge monetary relief and a massive opportunity for me.
How did you feel when you found out you were successful?
I was definitely really happy! I was at work and the first person I told was my boss – my application was linked with the company I worked for, so it was relevant – and then my mum.
I felt really grateful, and it cheered my mum up too as it relieved some of the financial burden for her. Then I went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate with my family and teammates.
How did you first hear about the QS ImpACT Scholarship?
I heard about it before I applied for any MBA programmes. It’s quite difficult to find out about scholarships in Vietnam, but I saw an advertisement about it at a couple of events, and later at the QS event itself. Then I did a Google search to find out more and eventually I applied.
Did you find the QS event helpful?
I attended a QS event in a five-star hotel in Hanoi. It was really well organised and they let me know what it involved in advance by email, including how to check in.
Representatives from different schools were in the main area and I had one-on-one discissions with them which were very helpful.
In fact, I think the QS event was the only one that gave me this opportunity, and that was where I spoke to someone from the business school and that conversation is the reason I’m here in the UK now!
How did you decide where to study?
I started with the destination and I decided on the UK as I think it’s well-known for MBAs and that will help me when I go back to Vietnam.
Then I looked at the QS rankings for MBA programmes here – looking at the summaries but also checking the costs and tuition fees to make sure I’d have sufficient funds.
From there I looked on university websites and spoke to alumni which gave me a good insight into the various MBA programmes and schools.
How is your experience of studying in the UK so far?
When we first arrived, the school hosted a dinner party with the Dean in really nice restaurant which was a great icebreaker.
I'm really grateful that the course is quite comprehensive. There are two sides to it – firstly the technical side, so finance, business and strategy. And then the side which examines your leadership style and how to build yourself as a manager, which is the most valuable part for me.
The class is also quite diverse with people from various nationalities, and different people bring different perspectives and personalities. It's quite a collaborative community and I really enjoy it, even though sometimes it's very intense.
What are you enjoying most about studying in the UK?
People have given me really clear feedback on my management style. I have a great teammate who has helped me learn how to soften what I say because as a manager, you need to control your emotions.
But studying isn’t only about what you learn. For me, it’s the chance to live far away from home as I was born and grew up in Hanoi. But here, I have to do everything for myself – like buying groceries for example – and that was quite challenging for me at first, but it’s a really great experience.
I've also visited London as part of my course, and I had the chance to go to Edinburgh over Christmas where I could absorb the amazing architecture and culture, which was brilliant. Sometimes I really miss home though, so it’s a combination of emotions.
How are you going to use your MBA to further your career?
It’s all about leadership and understanding what style of management I have. I’m learning that I have to control my feelings more, for example, and let others express themselves and communicate how they’re feeling.
Understanding myself in this way will help me become a better leader and be successful in my future career.
What advice would you give other students who want to study overseas?
The key thing is being sure about what you want to study. If you want to study an MBA, your target school and country will be different from someone studying a different master's programme.
So, think about your career future – maybe consult with a friend or someone from within your desired sector – and that will help you identify what you want to study.
Once you decide on a master’s programme, go to an event like those run by QS where you can meet people from different schools to see what they can offer you, and ask a lot of questions to get their viewpoint.
When you’ve narrowed it down to five schools, look on their websites and contact alumni on LinkedIn so you can find out more about the culture there. Then focus on one or two schools and send a strong application.
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QS ImpACT MBA Leadership Scholarship: 2025 winner
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Hoài Lê Thu commenced her MBA at Warwick Business School in September 2025 after winning the $10,000 QS ImpACT MBA Leadership Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an individual who demonstrates strong and innovative leadership skills that have contributed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Hoài Lê believes the caring and empathetic approach often seen in female leaders can reduce gender bias and foster a more inclusive and sustainable workplace culture.
With the support of the QS ImpACT MBA Leadership Scholarship and Warwick’s transformative education, she hopes to create workplaces where every woman feels seen, heard and valued – and care and competence go hand-in-hand.
What does winning this scholarship mean to you?
It gives me validation and confidence in what I want to achieve, making me feel supported and proud of what I’m doing. It will help me fund my studies and live abroad, so it’s also a huge monetary relief and a massive opportunity for me.
How did you feel when you found out you were successful?
I was definitely really happy! I was at work and the first person I told was my boss – my application was linked with the company I worked for, so it was relevant – and then my mum.
I felt really grateful, and it cheered my mum up too as it relieved some of the financial burden for her. Then I went out for dinner and drinks to celebrate with my family and teammates.
How did you first hear about the QS ImpACT Scholarship?
I heard about it before I applied for any MBA programmes. It’s quite difficult to find out about scholarships in Vietnam, but I saw an advertisement about it at a couple of events, and later at the QS event itself. Then I did a Google search to find out more and eventually I applied.
Did you find the QS event helpful?
I attended a QS event in a five-star hotel in Hanoi. It was really well organised and they let me know what it involved in advance by email, including how to check in.
Representatives from different schools were in the main area and I had one-on-one discissions with them which were very helpful.
In fact, I think the QS event was the only one that gave me this opportunity, and that was where I spoke to someone from the business school and that conversation is the reason I’m here in the UK now!
How did you decide where to study?
I started with the destination and I decided on the UK as I think it’s well-known for MBAs and that will help me when I go back to Vietnam.
Then I looked at the QS rankings for MBA programmes here – looking at the summaries but also checking the costs and tuition fees to make sure I’d have sufficient funds.
From there I looked on university websites and spoke to alumni which gave me a good insight into the various MBA programmes and schools.
Testimonials
How is your experience of studying in the UK so far?
When we first arrived, the school hosted a dinner party with the Dean in really nice restaurant which was a great icebreaker.
I'm really grateful that the course is quite comprehensive. There are two sides to it – firstly the technical side, so finance, business and strategy. And then the side which examines your leadership style and how to build yourself as a manager, which is the most valuable part for me.
The class is also quite diverse with people from various nationalities, and different people bring different perspectives and personalities. It's quite a collaborative community and I really enjoy it, even though sometimes it's very intense.
What are you enjoying most about studying in the UK?
People have given me really clear feedback on my management style. I have a great teammate who has helped me learn how to soften what I say because as a manager, you need to control your emotions.
But studying isn’t only about what you learn. For me, it’s the chance to live far away from home as I was born and grew up in Hanoi. But here, I have to do everything for myself – like buying groceries for example – and that was quite challenging for me at first, but it’s a really great experience.
I've also visited London as part of my course, and I had the chance to go to Edinburgh over Christmas where I could absorb the amazing architecture and culture, which was brilliant. Sometimes I really miss home though, so it’s a combination of emotions.
How are you going to use your MBA to further your career?
It’s all about leadership and understanding what style of management I have. I’m learning that I have to control my feelings more, for example, and let others express themselves and communicate how they’re feeling.
Understanding myself in this way will help me become a better leader and be successful in my future career.
What advice would you give other students who want to study overseas?
The key thing is being sure about what you want to study. If you want to study an MBA, your target school and country will be different from someone studying a different master's programme.
So, think about your career future – maybe consult with a friend or someone from within your desired sector – and that will help you identify what you want to study.
Once you decide on a master’s programme, go to an event like those run by QS where you can meet people from different schools to see what they can offer you, and ask a lot of questions to get their viewpoint.
When you’ve narrowed it down to five schools, look on their websites and contact alumni on LinkedIn so you can find out more about the culture there. Then focus on one or two schools and send a strong application.
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