Cu Khanh Linh is a student at Vietnam Japan University, a member school of Hanoi National University.

“I had an interesting experience when spending the semester at Kansai University,” Linh said.

She joined startup projects in Kansai area and took field trips to businesses. In addition to studying, she absorbed local cultural values and had experiences with other international students. This inspired her to return to Japan.

Linh began cherishing the dream of studying in Japan when she was a student at the To Hoang Secondary School in Hanoi. She chose to study Japanese as the second foreign language. 

It was difficult for Linh to study Japanese, especially remembering the script. But she quickly overcame obstacles to have good Japanese skills and become one of the two students sent to a summer camp in Japan.

The communications and cultural exchange with friends and international experts then motivated Linh to study Japanese language in a methodical way. She became a student majoring in Japanese at the High School for the Gifted in Foreign Languages. Later she applied for Vietnam-Japan University in 2021.

At the school, Linh obtained a scholarship for three consecutive semesters with the GPA (grade point average) of 3.6/4. The achievement helped her become an outstanding student chosen by the school to receive and communicate with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during his visit to Vietnam.

“Just within 10 minutes, I could communicate and dialogue with Japanese leaders, which made me feel proud. This is a milestone in my life as a student,” she said.

When a third-year student, she decided to ‘go out of the safety line’ to find what she could do. She began seeking student exchange programs. Short-term exchange programs last several days, while student exchange programs last one semester or longer. In addition to high GPAs, students need to write an essay and meet other criteria.

In July 2022, Linh was given a full scholarship for the academic exchange program organized by the Japan Agency for Science and Technology Development, lasting 10 days, which gave her the chance to attend lectures and related courses.

During that time, Linh experienced Japan's most advanced revolutionary technologies. She was impressed by the Japanese people’s discipline, punctuality, meticulousness and hardworking style.

After the trip, Linh applied for the semester-lasting student exchange program at Kansai University. This is one of a few schools granting scholarships to exchange students, so it is always very competitive. In addition to other requirements, students must have N2-level certificates in Japanese skills, and submit an essay and a research work.

Linh wrote about why she chose to study at the school and why she was a suitable candidate for the exchange program.

“My essay and my activities and experiences might be not the most excellent among candidates, but they might be suitable to the criteria set by the school. The school decided to choose me,” Linh explained.

After one semester of studying in Japan, she returned to Vietnam. However, she still wants to try to apply for a scholarship to transfer credits to study at Waseda University for two years.

In her new essay, Linh described how she once was shocked when she came to Japan for the first time because of the strange environment, but adapted quickly to the new conditions. She lacked confidence when seeing the students around her, who "know many things and have sharp critical thinking". But she has changed to get ready to receive new ways of thinking.

Her sincerity in sharing her experiences helped Linh get the nod from Waseda University, the school with the lowest student acceptance rate in Japan. 

Linh plans to leave for Japan in August, spend two years in Japan, and obtain a bachelor’s degree at Waseda University.

Thuy Nga