Tran Ky Anh, a former student at Viet Duc High School in Hanoi, has graduated from National Economics University with a perfect 4.0/4.0 GPA. Despite finishing as the university’s valedictorian, Ky Anh does not see the achievement as a destination.

Learning beyond textbooks

Ky Anh had been active in a wide range of school activities since high school, from music and acting to volunteering and working as an MC. Naturally energetic and eager to try new things, he wanted a university environment that would give him plenty of room to explore. He chose National Economics University because he believed it suited both his personality and his aspirations.

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Tran Ky Anh graduates from National Economics University with a perfect 4.0/4.0 GPA. Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee

When he was admitted, Ky Anh did not set himself the goal of graduating with a 4.0 GPA. In his first semester, he expected only around a C+ in Management Information Systems, a B in Philosophy and an A in Microeconomics. Instead, he earned an A+ in all three subjects, far exceeding his expectations. The results gave him added motivation, helping him find his rhythm and maintain strong academic performance throughout the semesters that followed.

According to Ky Anh, what helped him sustain those results over four years was not an obsession with maintaining a perfect GPA, but rather a relaxed attitude toward grades.

“I still gave every subject my best, but I didn’t put unnecessary pressure on myself. Perhaps that mindset is what helped me keep going for the long haul,” he said.

Ky Anh allocated his study time differently depending on the subject. With a natural interest and strength in calculation-heavy courses, he tried to master the material during class, reducing the amount of time needed for revision later.

For subjects requiring more memorization or involving political theory, however, he started preparing earlier, reviewing the material in several rounds, closely following his lecturers’ guidance and seeking additional resources from student groups.

“Managing time effectively means knowing where your strengths and weaknesses lie so you can put your effort where it matters most. I also try to make the most of coursework components that I can control, such as attending every class and actively contributing ideas or arguments that might leave an impression on lecturers,” Ky Anh said.

He also used AI to generate additional questions and scenarios that could potentially appear in exams. The approach helped him identify which areas he had already mastered and focus more closely on material he had yet to fully understand.

Multiple wins in business and entrepreneurship competitions

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Ky Anh has won multiple business and entrepreneurship competitions. Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee

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Ky Anh at his graduation ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee

Ky Anh is the co-author of four papers published in the proceedings of international scientific conferences and one article in a domestic journal. His early research focused on international business, closely related to his major. As his interest in supply chains deepened, he later shifted his research toward food supply chains.

With a strong interest in data, Ky Anh took primary responsibility for data processing and analysis. In his view, the hardest part of research is not necessarily running models or processing datasets, but turning the results into a meaningful story.

“Getting the data and producing statistical results is one thing. Explaining why those results emerged, what they mean and what can be learned from them is another matter entirely,” Ky Anh said.

On several occasions, research findings differed from what he had initially expected, forcing him to return to the literature and, at times, reconsider the research question itself.

Those skills later proved valuable when Ky Anh entered competitions centered on real-world problems.

“When I look at a dataset or a business problem, I’ve developed the habit of not stopping at ‘What are the numbers telling me?’ I then ask, ‘So what should we do with this information?’ That is probably the greatest value I’ve gained from scientific research,” he said.

During his four years at university, Ky Anh entered and won a number of business and entrepreneurship competitions. His experience as an MC also helped him present ideas concisely, clearly and accessibly throughout the different competition rounds.

Ky Anh believes that participating in extracurricular activities did not distract him from his studies. On the contrary, those experiences gave him a more practical perspective.

“University courses provide the foundation for thinking, while competitions, research and real-world experiences help students understand when to apply that knowledge and how it needs to be adapted.

“Learning outside the classroom is therefore not about replacing what you learn in class. It helps you return to the classroom with a clearer understanding of what that knowledge is for and why you need to learn it. If you want to study well, you shouldn’t just study,” he said.

For now, Ky Anh has not set his sights on any specific position. Instead, he establishes milestones for different stages of his journey: when to keep exploring, when to make choices, and when to narrow his focus and commit to developing deeper expertise in a particular direction.

“For me, exploring widely is ultimately about discovering what I’m good at and what makes me happy, not about remaining forever caught between too many choices,” Ky Anh said.

Thuy Nga