Crawford School of Public Policy

Crawford School introduces our fantastic staff, so you can get to meet the people of Asia and the Pacific’s leading graduate policy school.

In this Q&A Research Fellow Dr Thang Do discusses why renewable energy is no longer an unaffordable luxury for developing nations, and tells us about staying at home as an opportunity.

What do you enjoy most about working at Crawford School?

I enjoy the multicultural working environment where we can share various things with colleagues and students.

What is the most interesting development in your research area?

Renewable energy was considered luxurious and a far future for developing countries. However, a recent solar PV boom in Vietnam suggests that it is becoming more affordable, practical, and desirable. This is mainly due to rapidly declining technology costs and enabling government policies such as feed-in-tariffs. Ample opportunities exist for Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries to transit to a renewable electricity system.

Can you tell us about one of your funniest/most special moments when teaching a class?

There were two students named Siobhan in my class. When I called up their names to check for attendance, no one replied. However, afterwards, the students came to me saying that I did not call their names. It was my fault in mispronouncing their names. It was a new lesson about English names for me. The students did not take it seriously though, knowing that I was from a non-English speaking background. I also had apologised in advance.

If you could go back and choose a different career path, what would it be?

I am happy with this current path. I can reflect lots of my work experience in research and teaching.

Can you give us your top three tips about how to stay positive during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Keep in touch with colleagues, friends, and family members virtually. Regularly exercise. Think about staying at home as an opportunity, for example there’s more time to enjoy the backyard.