The founder and CEO of MindChamps – an award-winning international early learning centre grounded in neuroscience, psychology, and education – has received an honorary doctorate from Western Sydney University.
David Chiem arrived in Australia as a refugee, and his journey to Australia, upbringing in Parramatta, and study experience at WSU’s Theatre Nepean shaped the outcome of MindChamps.
“Arriving in Australia by boat from Vietnam, my father said to us, ‘For every one of us who made it, someone died’. This mindset encouraged gratitude and instilled in me the importance of seizing every opportunity and not feeling entitled,” Chiem said.
“I saw that in education, and in the unpredictable AI world of today, mindset is everything. It’s not about learning the ABC’s, it’s about the mindset of the learner, and nurturing the three minds as explored in my book, The 3-Mind Revolution; the Champion Mind, the Creative Mind and the Learning Mind. When these mindsets are developed, you will become unstoppable, and that’s in our patented global model of early education.
“My upbringing allowed me to believe in the power of mindset and that anything is possible, and that is the cornerstone of everything I have been able to achieve today.”
To receive an honorary doctorate from WSU for his significant contributions to education and fostering a lifelong love of learning in children was a proud moment for Chiem and his family.
“My parents always wanted me to be a doctor, and this doctorate means I finally achieved it – not through medicine, which was the original ambition from my father, but in a different and unique way,” Chiem said.
“What meant most to me was not the letters behind the name, but specifically having my parents there for the moment on the day. That means the world to me, because it’s something special to them.
“At MindChamps we nurture not just the children, but the parents themselves. For every child, and every person, it’s so important to feel that your parents are proud of you. No matter who we are, what we do, or what we become.”
Nathan Taylor is Parra News' sports journalist. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked in western Sydney media for more than a decade.
Ally Hall joined the team 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia.