Dr Ly Qui Trung

This is a story about how a Western Sydney University education, combined with determination and the serendipity of a chance meeting, became the recipe for one of Vietnam’s greatest business success stories.

Studying in Australia was ground breaking in several ways for Dr Ly Qui Trung. A Bachelor of Hospitality, which he completed at Western Sydney University in 1994, set him up to become one of Vietnam’s most successful home grown entrepreneurs. It also made him one of the first Vietnamese nationals to study in a democratic country since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.

After returning to his homeland, in 2003 he established a restaurant chain called ‘Pho24’, which was recently valued at AU$20 million. Launched with $50,000, the western style fast food chain serves a traditional Vietnamese street food dish, pho noodle soup, in a comfortable restaurant environment. Conceived with Vietnam’s growing tourist population in mind, Pho24 now boasts more than 70 franchise outlets across the Asia-Pacific, including one in Melbourne.

Dr Trung comes from a family of successful restauranteurs, but was left impoverished and displaced in the fallout from the Vietnam War. At the age of 23, while working as a receptionist in a Ho Chi Minh City hotel, he met an Australian Vietnam War veteran who had returned as a businessman.

The men struck up a friendship and seeing Dr Trung's potential, the veteran offered to sponsor his education in Australia. “Vietnam was a place with a lot of memories for him, and he hoped to do something to heal the past,” he said. “He believed that giving this opportunity to a young person like me, I could come back and make a contribution.”

The veteran’s kindness wasn’t wasted on Dr Trung, who relished every opportunity to learn on his first journey outside his homeland. “It was an overwhelming culture shock,” he said. “My eyes were open to everything – not just what I learnt in class, but also the environment and the people. Studying at the University gave me the confidence and methodology to approach and solve business problems.”

After his studies, Dr Trung returned home to build his business empire. He sold Pho24 two years ago and moved to Australia, settling in Sydney with his family. His eldest son has started university, while his daughter is completing high school. “For the first time, I have the luxury to spend more time with my family,” he said.

Ever appreciative of his university education, Dr Trung regularly returns to Western Sydney University to share his story in the hope that it will help and inspire students. He is also working on a concept for a new restaurant business, with plans to be revealed next year.

Getting to this point has been a long journey, driven by hard work and passion. Reflecting on how his life may have panned out if he hadn’t met his Australian sponsor, he says: “I may have reached this point through a different direction, but I think I’d still be here because I had a dream.”