Men is currently a student in the Chemistry Faculty at the University of Natural Sciences, a member school of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She recently won the BenQ Materials scholarship, an international scholarship from a leading technology and electronics corporation granted to students pursuing materials science.

Men will receive funding for a two-year master’s program at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan (China), along with a job guarantee upon graduation for an equivalent duration. 

Men’s parents are petty street vendors in Hung Yen who work early morning to late night, enduring sun and rain while struggling financially. Because of their hard work, Men said she found motivation to strive harder in her studies.

"Despite hardships, my parents always gave me the freedom to choose my own path and trusted me completely. To me, that’s the greatest blessing," Men said.

Before joining the Chemistry Faculty at the University of Natural Sciences, Men said she found chemistry complex and difficult, even struggling with the subject. 

Men’s perspective changed in 10th grade when her chemistry teacher helped her build a strong foundation and turned dry lessons into engaging ones. This sparked her interest and inspired her to pursue a chemistry-related field.

After passing the high school graduation exam, Men was admitted to the high-quality Chemistry and Pharmaceutical training program at the University of Natural Sciences. 

In her early university years, adjusting to a new environment as a reserved and somewhat insecure person posed challenges for her.

"Even so, I always prioritized my studies and tried not to let other factors affect me. Fortunately, studying at this university gave me access to a highly academic environment, with solid foundations in chemistry," Men said.

Initially, studying abroad wasn’t on her radar, but in her second year, with guidance from her chemistry professors, Men realized that studying overseas would offer opportunities to gain experience and learn in an international environment. She became particularly interested in universities in Asia, such as those in Taiwan (China), Singapore, and South Korea.

The opportunity came when Men learned about a summer exchange program at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, which included the selection process for the BenQ Materials scholarship. After careful consideration, Men prepared her application and interview, emphasizing her personal goals and potential for growth.

At that time, the female student had a GPA of 3.65/4.0 and had earned the title of “Five-Good Student” at the university level for two consecutive years. Starting in her second year, Men joined the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory of the Faculty of Chemistry to enhance her research capabilities.

During the interview, she demonstrated clear thinking, well-defined academic goals, a solid research orientation, and thoughtful reflections on studying and living in Taiwan.

"Overall, I believe my application highlighted strengths that aligned well with the scholarship’s criteria. I clearly stated my intention to pursue development in the field of advanced materials applied to medical devices. Perhaps this alignment was what helped me get selected," Men said.

Despite her thorough preparation, she was still surprised, and even found it “hard to believe” when she was informed that she had secured the scholarship.

As her advisor in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Lab, Associate Prof Dr Mac Dinh Hung said he is impressed by Men’s determination.

"Winning a master’s scholarship while still in the third year of undergraduate studies, like Men did, is rare. It speaks to her strong effort and determination," said Hung.

Currently, Men is focusing on completing her undergraduate program in Chemistry at the University of Natural Sciences, while also improving her English and Chinese to adapt to the international learning environment ahead.

She plans to pursue research in the field of materials science, with a focus on areas that hold strong potential for application in science and technology.

Thuy Nga