Unlocking Cross-Border Collaboration through Australia-Vietnam Networks
Catalysing regional partnerships through professional placement and shared expertise
Overview
Vietnamese participant Tuyen (Kelly) Vo, Founder & CEO, Dear Our Community (middle), with Zoë Mander-Jones, CEO, Strategic Development Group (left), and her Australian host, Ha Nguyen, Managing Director, Advanced Partners (right), during Kelly’s professional placement in Melbourne
Strategic Development Group (Strategic) implemented the Professional Placements Program on behalf of the Australian Government, to enable Australian and Southeast Asian businesses to send and receive early- to mid-career professionals for international professional placements. Through this program, Strategic has enabled knowledge exchange and capacity-building opportunities for 58 businesses, fostering enduring business-to-business relationships grounded in strong people-to-people connections.
In October 2025, an Australian accounting, tax and advisory firm, Advanced Partners, hosted the Founder & CEO of a Vietnamese social enterprise, Dear Our Community, for a three-week business placement through the Professional Placements program.
Participating organisations
Two organisations participated in this professional placement.
Vietnamese Business: Dear Our Community
Skills development social enterprise, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Dear Our Community is a Vietnam-based social enterprise that delivers skills training, career development resources and impact-driven job pathways for young professionals. Through capacity-building programs, youth-focused sustainability incubators, and stakeholder forums, Dear Our Community helps emerging professionals build meaningful careers while contributing positively to society.
The Opportunity: Dear Our Community had been exploring opportunities to expand their footprint in the region and in Australia by establishing stronger partnerships with Australian companies, investors, and networks. The program enabled Dear Our Community to send their Founder & CEO, Tuyen (Kelly) Vo, to directly engage with Australian business networks in the sustainability and youth-focused sectors.
As articulated by Kelly, Dear Our Community viewed this placement as an opportunity to:
“Open pathways for collaboration and joint programs that will accelerate DOC’s expansion and growth, particularly by linking our Vietnam-based ecosystem with Australian expertise and resources.
Position Dear Our Community as a trusted partner for cross-border initiatives, thereby enhancing our visibility and capacity to attract partnerships and investment from Australia.”
Australian Business: Advanced Partners
Accounting, tax and advisory firm, Melbourne, Australia
Advanced Partners is an Australian tax, accounting, and business advisory firm supporting trade and investment between Australia and Vietnam. They advise Vietnamese SMEs and corporates expanding into Australia and help Australian businesses navigate Vietnam’s tax and regulatory environment.
The Opportunity: By hosting Kelly, Advanced Partners sought to deepen their understanding of Vietnam’s business networks and strengthen their team’s capability in regional market dynamics, cultural business practices, and cross‑border collaboration. The placement was designed to build an enduring relationship with Dear Our Community and create future pathways for collaboration across sustainability, ESG, community development, and education.
It also supported the firm’s long-term ambition to strengthen partnerships and drive deeper collaboration through the Australian Alumni Business Network – a platform of over 100,000 alumni that advances business cooperation, entrepreneurship, economic development, and sustainability while reinforcing Australia-Vietnam ties.
“Kelly’s insights will contribute to capacity building within our firm by equipping our team with more nuanced perspectives on regional market dynamics, cultural approaches to business, and cross-border collaboration. This knowledge will strengthen our ability to advise both Australian & Vietnamese business clients with interests in bilateral trades more broadly.
We see this placement as an important step towards building strategic, people-to-people links that will generate both immediate and longer-term value for our organisations and partners.”
Placement outcomes
During the placement, Kelly was immersed in the Australian market and regulatory environment, while building networks and gaining first-hand exposure to the firm’s business culture, client management practices, and professional standards.
“As the organisation responsible for managing and developing the Australian Alumni Business Network, strengthening relationships with Australian partners and stakeholders is a strategic priority for us. This placement supported our objective of increasing awareness of opportunities in the Vietnam market, generating greater interest from Australian companies and partners, and facilitating connections with potential Vietnamese partners within our network.
In parallel, our organisation has plans to expand its footprint in Australia for our sustainability initiatives for youth in Southeast Asia region. Being on the ground allowed me to identify and engage with a number of potential partners from universities and business contacts to support future collaboration and expansion.”
Kelly and Ha collaborated on key initiatives, including the inaugural Australia-Vietnam Business Forum. Delivered in Vietnam in December 2025 under the Australian Alumni Business Network, the forum brought together leaders from both countries to explore opportunities for cooperation in the digital economy and education sectors. Kelly’s collaboration with her host, Ha Nguyen, during the placement contributed to the event’s strong success, with attendance from senior representatives including the Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the Deputy Ambassador of Australia to Vietnam, the Australian Minister for Education (online), Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, and more than 250 alumni, business leaders, and sector experts.
Vietnamese participant Tuyen (Kelly) Vo, Founder & CEO, Dear Our Community (left), with Zoë Mander-Jones, CEO, Strategic Development Group (middle), and her Australian host, Ha Nguyen, Managing Director, Advanced Partners (right), during Kelly’s professional placement in Melbourne
Reflecting on the outcome, Ha Nguyen of Advanced Partners shared the following feedback:
“This outcome highlights the effectiveness of the professional placement program in turning ideas into tangible results in a short timeframe…
Working closely with Kelly has allowed us to gain deeper insights into Vietnamese businesses and their operating environment, which has broadened our cross-cultural understanding and strengthened our capability to better support our clients with international connections. Through this collaboration, we’ve also established new networks and potential partnerships in Vietnam, a benefit that extends well beyond this placement.
Beyond work, Kelly and I have built a beautiful friendship and a strong personal bond, one that I know will continue to support us both well into the future.”
Reflecting further outcomes, Kelly shared the following feedback:
“The program played a key role in expanding our business network in Australia. As a direct result of the placement, we have initiated collaborations to co-host webinars and events with organisations such as the City of Melbourne and the Vietnam–Australia Scholars & Experts Association (VASEA). These initiatives aim to connect Australian-based researchers and solution providers with alumni-led businesses in Vietnam, fostering business partnerships, investment and knowledge exchange.”
Mutual Benefits and Broader Impact from this Placement
Deepened understanding of cultural and operating environments to support effective collaboration
Created pathways for ongoing partnerships and joint initiatives
Strengthened cross-border capability through shared practical insights and market exposure
Expanded bilateral networks across business, government, and alumni ecosystems
Conclusion
Kelly’s placement reflected what the program sought to achieve – fostering meaningful people-to-people connections that enable businesses in Australia and Southeast Asia to connect, collaborate, and grow together. It strengthened relationships, facilitated the exchange of expertise, and established a foundation for ongoing collaboration across shared priority areas.
Beyond the two organisations, the placement has already delivered tangible benefits, with its impact extending across the Australian Alumni Business Network, strengthening connections within Australia-Vietnam alumni networks and opening pathways for deeper bilateral business engagement.
About the Professional Placements program
The Professional Placements Program was an 18-month pilot program funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. The program offered support to Australian and Southeast Asian businesses to send or host temporary professional placements of young professionals between Australia and Southeast Asia. Countries included Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
