Pham Phuong Doanh and Pham Thi Hong Hoa have graduated as valedictorians from the University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City, both with a GPA of 3.96. Doanh also holds an IELTS 8.0, while Hoa scored 865 on the TOEIC.

Two valedictorians share a 3.96 GPA

The University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City (UEF) recently held a graduation ceremony for 2,815 new bachelor’s degree recipients from the 2022 and 2023 cohorts across 34 majors, along with 211 new master’s graduates in six disciplines and two new doctoral graduates in Business Administration.

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Pham Phuong Doanh and her mother on graduation day. Photo: Ngoc Bich

Pham Phuong Doanh, the valedictorian of the Law program, graduated with a GPA of 3.96 and an IELTS score of 8.0. Beyond her outstanding academic performance, Doanh also recorded achievements in scientific research and actively participated in international exchange activities, supported by her strong command of English.

During her studies, her language skills gave Doanh the confidence to use English in a range of international activities. One highlight was assisting American students during a summer study program organized by the University of Pittsburgh at UEF, while also building connections with students from various other countries.

According to Doanh, the biggest lesson she learned during her university years was the importance of developing skills that textbooks alone cannot fully teach. At UEF, she learned how to connect and work with others while actively participating in extracurricular activities, competitions and projects. These experiences helped her strengthen her communication and collaboration skills and learn how to work with people who have different personalities and approaches.

Reflecting on how she balanced her studies and personal life while achieving such strong academic results, Doanh said there is no such thing as perfect balance. At certain stages, students have to prioritize one thing and accept trade-offs elsewhere.

“What matters is not trying to divide your time equally among everything, but identifying what needs to take priority at each stage and managing your time accordingly,” Doanh said.

The valedictorian added that she was fortunate to have the support and companionship of her family throughout her studies. For Doanh, academic competitions were also an important part of her personal growth. Each competition exposed her to different areas of legal knowledge while giving her opportunities to learn from students at other universities, helping sharpen her thinking, interpersonal skills and approach to problem-solving.

Doanh’s biggest goal is to pursue a master’s degree specializing in criminal law, a field she chose and has followed since the beginning of university. For now, she also wants to gain practical work experience, which she believes will give her a more comprehensive perspective and provide an important foundation for future academic research.

Alongside Pham Phuong Doanh, Pham Thi Hong Hoa, valedictorian of the Logistics and Supply Chain Management program, also graduated with a GPA of 3.96 and a TOEIC score of 865. The two are among the valedictorians with the highest graduation scores in the university’s history.

All graduates meet foreign-language standard equivalent to IELTS 5.5 or above

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New graduates of the University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Phong Doan

Many new graduates at UEF achieved strong academic and personal development results, reflected in their cumulative GPAs. Students graduating with excellent or very good classifications accounted for 15.4% of the total.

A number of students completed their programs ahead of schedule while recording notable academic and language achievements. They included Vo Ngoc Minh Thao, valedictorian of International Business, with a GPA of 3.89 and TOEIC score of 865; Ho Ngoc Minh Uyen, valedictorian of Human Resource Management, with a GPA of 3.87 and TOEIC score of 920; and Ngo Thi Uyen Trang, valedictorian of Chinese Language, with a GPA of 3.89.

Among the graduates honored was Nguyen Van Dang, an International Business major who distinguished himself with a string of achievements in the arts and sports at both national and international levels.

Dang won two gold medals at the 2023 National Youth Taekwondo Championships in Hanoi; one gold at the 2024 National Taekwondo Championships in Gia Lai; one gold at the 2025 National Taekwondo Club Championships in Thai Nguyen; one gold and one silver at the 2023 Ho Chi Minh City Student Taekwondo Championships; one silver at the 2024 National Student Taekwondo Championships in Thai Nguyen; and one silver at the 2024 ASEAN University Games Taekwondo competition in Indonesia.

In the arts, Dang won the 2025 Dalat Best Dance Crew – Hoa Sen Home International Cup and took third place at UEF Got Talent 2025.

According to Le Dung, head of UEF’s Academic Affairs Office, the graduation results reflect the students’ hard work and serious commitment to learning across the university’s academic programs. The graduates not only completed their studies ahead of schedule with strong results but also actively participated in scientific research and extracurricular activities. All graduating students met a foreign-language proficiency standard equivalent to IELTS 5.5 or above.

The graduation ceremony covered students from a wide range of disciplines, including Information Technology, Data Science, Graphic Design, E-commerce, Real Estate, International Business, International Economics, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Law, Economic Law, International Law, Marketing, Event Management, Korean Language, Chinese Language, Public Relations, Psychology, Multimedia Communications, International Relations, Tourism and Travel Service Management, Hospitality Management, Restaurant and Food Service Management, Commercial Business, Business Administration, Human Resource Management, Financial Technology, Accounting, Auditing, Finance and Banking, International Finance and English Language.

Le Huyen