Apollo English CEO: To succeed, keep striving to make a difference

Source: Tuổi Trẻ

"I found happiness in my career when I discovered my destiny with education.”

Apollo English, a long-standing English language teaching organisation in Vietnam, has been part of the 1980s childhood through popular TV programs such as "Road to Olympia" and “Ring the Golden Bell”... For almost 30 years, and still going strong, Apollo has been at the forefront of pioneering new educational trends. Vu Dieu Trang - CEO of Apollo English, shares the educational philosophies of this organisation.

I FOUND HAPPINESS IN MY CAREER WHEN I DISCOVERED MY DESTINY WITH EDUCATION

- You’ve held positions in business administration, market development and marketing in the retail and banking industries. How did you start with Apollo English?

My predestined relationship with education was truly unexpected. Seven years ago, when I was faced with a choice, I asked myself, “In the years to come, would I enjoy doing exactly what I’m doing right now?” It wasn’t until I chose education, which I thought was traditional and stable, that I found it to be a very dynamic environment.

I took on the role of leading Apollo in Vietnam from the early days of 2020 when the pandemic showed signs of outbreak. At Apollo, the founders who are also the first teachers, always maintain their enthusiasm and eagerness to inspire the next generations. I had the opportunity to inherit the values accumulated over the past 30 years. However, it was also a challenge for me to think about what to do next to uphold such values.

DIFFICULTIES ARE PRICELESS EXPERIENCES 

- During the epidemic period, while other organisations chose to close, Apollo was a pioneer in switching to an online learning model. Were there any unforgettable memories for you and the organisation?

Absolutely. At the beginning, our teachers, students, and staff were all new to the online learning model. Personally, I experienced a significant amount of pressure when making decisions on the spot, ranging from managing the equipment, ensuring continuous teaching activities, and safeguarding the cash flow. It was also challenging to decide what to do next when no one could predict what would happen. Change is never comfortable. In order to help children and parents overcome difficulties, we chose to be the first to change.

At that time, online learning was a situational solution. It was not something parents, students, or ourselves had expected. However, we leveraged this situation as motivation to enhance our learning experience until it was well-received by our students and parents alike. Once you offer good experiences, other problems will be solved.

We are proud to have helped our students maintain their learning pace. More importantly, Apollo students, just like us, are always learning and evolving in an ever-changing world. 

Life presents us with an array of choices, and I firmly believe that after every storm, a clear blue sky emerges. We must remain resilient and steadfast to overcome these challenges. At Apollo, we chose to confront the situation at hand and remain focused on our objectives.

Vu Dieu Trang and Khalid Muhmood at Apollo English

Looking back, I'm grateful that difficulties gave us the opportunity to understand what to do for the future. The projects we are working on are expected to bring about a "revolution" in education, which is the motivation for me to dedicate myself to our mission. If we want to stay ahead, we need to become pioneers and embrace challenges.

THE LEARNING MODEL OF THE FUTURE SHOULD HELP CHILDREN BECOME LIFELONG LEARNERS

- Students today are very open-minded and creative. They never stop dreaming. Their parents also set  high academic standards. What are your thoughts on this and how is Apollo English planning to adapt to it?

The society now is vastly different from the past. At my age, some of us still struggle to determine our life’s purpose; so it’s wrong to impose our expectations on our children. 

Education should help children establish their moral values ​​and life skills, so that they can understand what they want and what makes them happy. By living with purpose, passion, and values, they will succeed and fulfil their potential in any field they choose. This is the ultimate goal of the learning model we are building with our world-leading partners.

Educators should keep in mind that what children learn today will be applied in their future careers, which could be as far as 10 years from now. Therefore, educational institutions must have a vision that extends at least 10 years ahead to prepare students for the future.

Learning is always associated with teachers, but it’s not  true that students can only learn through face-to-face interaction with them. “Ignite a love of learning” is our educational motto at Apollo, inspiring children to learn anytime, anywhere, regardless of their age. Our ultimate goal is for children to be equipped and motivated to learn through various of experiences, thereby building good study habits. Only with a lifelong love of learning can children be confident and shape their own future.

By putting students at the core of our learning experiences, educators will understand what needs to be done for the future of our students.