Hi there - I'm Han. I write public-interest stories that connect lived experience to systems of power.

The Varsity • 23rd February 2026

Breaking barriers: Black Future Lawyers UTM hosts BHM student success panel

On February 4, Black Future Lawyers UTM (BFL UTM) hosted Breaking Barriers: A Student Success Panel to support Black students as they navigate pathways to law school and the legal profession. The panel, organized for Black History Month with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), brought together undergraduate and law students, U of T alumni, and UTM community leaders to discuss mentorship, LSAT preparation, and the challenges Black students face entering competitive and...

The Medium • 9th February 2026

Comedy, music, and dance take centre stage at MHSA open mic charity

The UTM Mental Health Student Association’s open mic night showcased student performers and raised funds for CAMH.

The Medium • 8th February 2026

Lost in Translation: Terms of Endearment

Love is a universal language. But, what does it sound like across the globe? Whilst love is in the air, here are three terms of endearment across three different languages and cultures.

Nguyen Bao Han Tran: In Vietnamese, love comes with caution.

In Vietnamese, love is rarely loud.

There is no casual “ I love you,” no easy phrase tossed at the end of phone calls. Instead, we have thương, a word that sits between care, devotion, and quiet responsibility. It doesn’t sparkle. It doesn’t flirt. It stays.

Growing up, I rarely heard the word yêu–the direct translation for love. My mother never said it. Instead, she said, Mẹ thương con. At the time, I didn’t recognize it as affection. Only later did I realize that thương carried something heavier than romance: commitment without performance.

The Medium • 8th February 2026

Who gets to love, publicly?

Valentine’s Day is often framed as a universal celebration of love. Each year, it arrives with familiar imagery: pink storefronts, romantic promotions, and social media posts that suggest love is something easily shared and widely accepted. Yet this version of Valentine’s Day tells only part of the story. A problem with the holiday is that it promotes a narrow idea of what love should look like, heterosexual, monogamous, public, and socially approved, while quietly excluding those who do not fit that mold.

NAOC • 7th February 2026

Japan’s Military Revival and North Korea’s Escalation: NATO’s New Indo-Pacific Challenge

As North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia intensifies, security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and Europe are increasingly intertwined. Nguyen Bao Han Tran analyzes how these developments have accelerated Japan’s defence transformation and prompted NATO to rethink its engagement with Indo-Pacific partners, highlighting the growing importance of transregional security coordination.

Her Campus • 2nd February 2026

Why Wanting Reassurance in Relationships Is Not a Weakness

For a long time, I thought wanting reassurance was a flaw.Not something dramatic, just a quiet insecurity I tried to keep to myself. The kind that shows up when you reread texts before sending them, or when you hesitate before asking a simple question because you don’t want to sound “too much.”So instead of saying what I mean, I soften it.I add a “lol.”I downplay how I felt.I tell myself it isn’t that deep.Somewhere along the way, many of us learn that wanting reassurance makes us seem weak. Tha...

The Varsity • 1st February 2026

Muslim Students’ Association Green Square Campaign marks 2017 mosque attack

On January 29, the UTM Muslim Students’ Association (UTMMSA) participated in the Green Square Campaign to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action Against Islamophobia. The campaign, which takes place annually in the week leading up to January 29, honours the victims and survivors of the 2017 Québec City Mosque attack and is led by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). “We all wear green felt squares pinned to our clothes to represent the green colored carpet of the Quebec City...

The Medium • 1st February 2026

New POSts, residences, and student fees coming to UTM in the 2026-2027 academic year

The Campus Affairs and Academic Affairs Committees convened to approve new budgets and to discuss academic life at UTM.

The Medium • 1st February 2026

Black liberation is an example for us all - The Medium

The world loves the language of justice until justice becomes disruptive. We praise resistance once it is safely in the past, while refusing to recognize it in the present. Once its leaders can be quoted without discomfort and its demands no longer interrupt power, liberation becomes something to celebrate rather than confront. But when Black resistance insists on action in the present, when it disrupts comfort, challenges authority, or refuses politeness, it is quickly reframed as excessive, di...

The Varsity • 26th January 2026

UTM Young Liberals panel talks Palestinian student visa delays, youth political participation

On January 21, students at UTM gathered for a panel hosted by the UTM Young Liberals club. Elected officials addressed youth political participation, and responded to student concerns about immigration delays affecting Palestinian students.The event brought together MP Amandeep Sodhi, MP Fares Al Soud, and MP Iqra Khalid, alongside Liberal Party of Ontario Chair Qasir Dar. The discussion focused on pathways into political leadership, representation in government, and the role students can play i...

The Medium • 26th January 2026

Lost in Translation: Groceries - The Medium

Grocery shopping is a mundane, everyday activity. But, the choices—the products you consume, the shops you choose, the rituals you commit to—of shoppers reveals much more than you’d think. Here are two grocery shopping experiences to follow!


Nguyen Bao Han Tran: Plans lost in translation.


I go grocery shopping with a list and a plan every time. I tell myself this is the trip where I’ll stay disciplined and save money.


That plan usually collapses the moment I walk through the door.


Be...

The Varsity • 18th January 2026

Eight arrested during anti-immigrant protest and counter-protest

On January 10 at 1:00 pm, anti-immigrant protesters gathered at Nathan Phillips Square before marching through downtown Toronto to the Eaton Centre, drawing a strong counter-protest and police presence. During the protest and counter-protest, Toronto Police Service (TPS) arrested eight individuals, three of whom were charged with assaulting a peace officer.Anti-immigrant demonstrators held signs that read “Make Canada Great Again” and “Stop the invasion” as families spent the Saturday afternoon...

The Medium • 18th January 2026

Women Deserve Partners, Not Projects

Emotional labour, mental load, and male incompetence have become common struggles in heterosexual relationships. When women speak about these issues online, they are often blamed instead of supported, turning accountability into shame and leaving women responsible for problems they did not create.

Her Campus • 9th January 2026

Virginity Is a Choice, Not a Measure of Worth

Growing up in a traditional Vietnamese household, I was taught that a woman’s virginity is tied to her worth. Losing it meant losing something important about myself. That belief followed me through childhood and into adulthood, lingering even when I no longer resonated with it.In my family, sex was never a topic of discussion. The word itself felt forbidden. There were no conversations about consent, no explanations of safe sex, no room for curiosity. Asking questions was met with criticism: go...

Synergy: The Journal of Contemporary Asian Studies • 5th January 2026

Steel or Fish? Wealth, Power, and Environmental Accountability under Authoritarian Rule in Vietnam’s Formosa Steel Plant Disaster

Synergy: The Journal of Contemporary Asian Studies • 4th January 2026

Vietnam Policy Proposal on Enhanced Non-Aligned Hedging in the South China Sea

The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most contested maritime regions, where escalating coercion threatens regional stability and Vietnam’s sovereignty. As great-power rivalry intensifies, Vietnam must adopt a strategy that protects its territorial integrity without sacrificing autonomy. This memo argues that an Enhanced Non-Aligned Hedging approach offers the most sustainable path forward. By strengthening deterrence through targeted military modernization while deepening multilateral cooperation and strictly upholding the “Four No’s,” Vietnam can manage risks, counter coercive behavior, and preserve strategic flexibility. This balanced strategy positions Vietnam to defend its interests effectively while avoiding entrapment or escalation in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment.

Photo by Vo Thuy Tien on Pexels

Folia • 10th December 2025

From Page to Planet- A Lullaby Carried by The Wind

A gentle meditation on childhood, memory, and the voice of nature that follows us across distance and time. Written first in Vietnamese and later translated into English, this bilingual poem explores how wind, light, and landscape become the earliest language we ever learn and the one that never leaves us.

6th December 2025

Steven Donziger and the Lago Agrio Case- A Battle Between Heroism and Corruption

The Lago Agrio case reveals how fragile justice becomes when corporate power collides with human suffering. For decades, Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon lived with poisoned water, toxic waste pits, and the long-term health consequences of Texaco’s oil operations. Steven Donziger, the lawyer who took on their fight, helped win a historic $9.5 billion judgment, but soon found himself targeted by Chevron’s vast legal machine. To some, he is a hero who stood up to a corporate giant; to others, a lawyer who crossed ethical lines. This tension between advocacy and accusation exposes the deeper truth of Lago Agrio: the real tragedy is not Donziger’s reputation, but the communities still living with contamination and injustice. The case stands as a stark reminder that environmental justice is never guaranteed; it must be fought for against systems built to resist accountability.

The Medium • 17th November 2025

Independence isn’t what I thought it would be  - The Medium

Moving out for university feels exciting, until the homesickness and quiet nights hit. Here’s what living alone taught me about true independence. 


The Fantasy of Freedom 


It all sounds thrilling at first: the idea of moving away, starting fresh, and finally being independent. Maybe it’s because of all the movies we watched, showing people finding themselves in big cities? Or maybe it’s the dream of proving to yourself that you can make it on your own? 


But, when I actually moved away f...

Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels

4th August 2025

8 Facts About Clean Water Access and Poverty in Vietnam

Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels

9th December 2024

How Teachers Shape Students: A Qualitative Study on Motivation, Emotion, and Growth at Dawson College

This study examines how teacher behavior and communication shape student motivation, emotional well-being, and academic growth at Dawson College. Through interviews with six students from different programs, the findings show that supportive, clear, and engaged teaching strengthens confidence and learning, while dismissive or rigid approaches create anxiety and hinder progress. The study highlights the powerful role teachers play in shaping both academic outcomes and students’ overall sense of belonging and capability.