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Two Languages, Two Narratives : Comparing Vietnamese Scholarship On Philanthropy In English And Vietnamese Journals

Flyer conferenceNguyễn Thị Lan Thanh,
Nguyễn Hoàng Bảo Chi,
Dana R. H. Doan

20 March 2026, 5:30pm - 7pm (Vietnam Time, UTC +7)
Hosted by EFEO at Ho Chi Minh City
113 Hai Bà Trưng, quân 1

 

Research on philanthropy in majority world countries has expanded in recent years, yet this scholarship is predominantly published in English by non‑indigenous researchers. Existing studies rarely address how scholars’ positionality, particularly their linguistic and ethnic identities, influence what knowledge is included and excluded from global philanthropy scholarship. Using Vietnam as a case, and applying a systematic review method, this study synthesizes philanthropy research produced by Vietnamese scholars and compares articles published in English-language journals with those published in Vietnamese-language journals. Although there is a long history and widespread practice of philanthropy in Vietnam, nonprofit organizations face significant state oversight and skepticism, which some scholars argue also shapes academic inquiry. Our study examine whether linguistic, institutional, and geopolitical dynamics influence the topics, concepts, and methods of research published in Vietnamese language journals compared with English language journals. It contributes to calls for including indigenous scholarship, expanding multilingual evidence bases, and challenging the dominance of Anglophone voices in shaping knowledge and global understandings of philanthropy.

Nguyễn Hoàng Bảo Chi, Nguyễn Thị Lan Thanh, and Dana R. H. Doan (M.P.P, Ph.D) bring diverse yet aligned perspectives to their collaborative research on philanthropy in Vietnam. Bảo Chi, a Psychology graduate from Fulbright University Vietnam (2024), works in Đà Nẵng with disadvantaged youth through international NGO partnerships. Lan Thanh holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics with a Psychology minor from Fulbright University Vietnam (2025) and works with the ASEAN Carbon Credit Trading Platform. Dana works remotely from Vietnam for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy as Director of the Global Philanthropy Indices. Dana has over two decades of global nonprofit experience, including leadership experience in Vietnam’s philanthropy ecosystem.