Nurturing happiness in schools: Meaningful journey of dedicated educator
DNO - Despite originally being trained as an engineer with a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems in the United States, Mr. Duong Quang Minh chose to dedicate himself to do in-depth research on transformative education. He believes that this is the way to help people achieve a sustainable happy life.
After years of traveling to countries with advanced education systems to learn and observe, Mr. Minh returned to Vietnam and embarked on a new journey.
With a backpack in hand, he has visited cities and provinces across the country, working with families and schools to promote happiness through the practice of emotional intelligence.
The community "Teaching children in happiness", founded by him, has attracted more than 330,000 participants as of August 2025. In addition, courses such as Mindful Parenting, Parenting from Zero, Emotional Intelligence for Teenagers have been organized regularly.
According to Mr. Minh, the core of happy education is the ability to manage emotions. Young children, especially those in preschools and primary schools, need to learn how to love themselves and respect their own emotions.
Without such skills, negative feelings can easily turn into negative behaviors, harming both the child and those around them. When children learn self-love and emotional acceptance, their relationships with peers improve, schools become happier places, and academic outcomes naturally follow.
By compiling statistics from international research on emotional intelligence, Mr. Minh received the following results: In 1980, there was no research on the subject. In 1990s and 2000s, there were 3 and 10 studies, respectively. In 2010, the number increased to 168. And in 2022, around 1,500 studies on emotional intelligence were published in recognized scientific journals worldwide.
For Minh, this journey is not only about teaching in classrooms or organizing workshops. More importantly, it is about instilling in the community, especially in rural areas.
He believes that education is not merely about transmitting knowledge but also about nurturing the soul. When students are happy, parents can be at ease. When schools foster emotions and character, education becomes truly effective.