Today, the Communications Department of the Faculty of Computer Science is honored to have a conversation with Ms. Doan Vu Mai Phuong (one of two former students of the Faculty of Computer Science who were awarded the Mext Scholarship and are continuing their studies for a Master's degree). Without further ado, let's learn about Mai Phuong's story!
Before we begin our conversation, I must share that: At the end of April 2020, I had the opportunity to chat with Mai Phuong, and I clearly remember her sharing , “I feel that during my year abroad, I learned new knowledge from developed countries. Because their facilities are good and modern, their teaching methods are different, and I was able to develop many skills, such as teamwork, report writing, essay writing, and even reading comprehension. I also plan to try to find a scholarship to pursue a Master's degree! That's my immediate goal.” And more than a year later, I met Mai Phuong again to talk about the short-term goals she has achieved.
Doan Vu Mai Phuong - former student of class 60MNE
First of all, BTT would like to thank Mai Phuong for taking the time to share her story. To give readers a clearer understanding of Mai Phuong, could you please introduce yourself and your current work?
Hi everyone, I'm Doan Vu Mai Phuong - a former student of class 60MNE. After graduating, I planned to pursue a Master's degree, so I took a gap year at home to relax and go hiking. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I stayed home and studied several languages, including Japanese, Chinese, English, and French. With my existing foundation in these languages, I'm currently making ends meet by doing translation projects and tutoring.
We understand that Mai Phuong recently received the Mext Scholarship. We hope you can share the reasons and motivations behind your decision to pursue a Master's degree with our readers.
My motivation for pursuing a Master's degree was simply to specialize in a field. In particular, during my time as an undergraduate, I learned from my professors and senior students about their experiences, which made me more interested in research than engineering. That's why I decided to "go find my own path."
How did Mai Phuong come to know about the Mext Scholarship? And what requirements does Mai Phuong need to prepare to participate in the selection process? What does Mai Phuong consider the most challenging aspect?
I had been researching MEXT for a while, and I found that this program is quite famous in the field of studying in Japan, and also in my field of study. The main point is that MEXT invests a lot of money in its students, so when the opportunity arose, I decided to apply. For MEXT scholarship application requirements, you need a good academic transcript, a CV with plenty of academic activities, and strong English skills. Specific requirements vary depending on the program; you can find more information on the MEXT website.
Before deciding to study abroad, Mai Phuong must have had a wonderful time as a student at the University of Construction, right? Besides studying in the classroom, what other activities did you participate in that helped you after graduation?
For me, participating in student scientific research was most beneficial in pursuing my Master's degree because I gained some lab skills. This greatly supported me in my academic pursuits and in participating in research abroad.
Mai Phuong, could you share a memorable student memory with our readers? Are there any teachers, classmates, or places that you remember and cherish the most?
What I remember most isn't the lecture hall, but building A1 (laughs). Because I participated in quite a few exchanges, I had to constantly run back and forth to do paperwork there, both before and after I left, and even when rearranging my catch-up classes in Vietnam. It's so tiring!
Haha, I remember Ms. Minh from the department office, because every time I had to do paperwork, she would glare at me because I went on so many exchange programs that there were so many procedures.
It is known that while she was a student, Mai Phuong participated in the Erasmus scholarship to Poland for one semester in 2018 and the NTNU scholarship to Norway (2019) for one semester. Could you share a little about the life of Vietnamese international students in these two cold countries with our readers?
In the countries I've visited, the nature is so beautiful that the international students there, outside of class, spend weekends and holidays hiking, trekking, or boating together. Because of that, I now really enjoy hiking, but then Covid came and I got bored... In cold countries, from October to February there's hardly any sunshine and the snow is neck-high, making going to school much more difficult than in my home country. Oh, I'll never forget the feeling of using flashlights and snowshoes to drag each other to school.
Those are truly interesting stories, aren't they? Once again, BTT would like to thank Mai Phuong for sharing these stories with our readers. Your beautiful Thanh Xuan district. I hope Mai Phuong's future path will be smooth sailing. I wish Mai Phuong much luck in life, good health, and the achievement of her goals!
Environmental Engineering Faculty Communications Team
Editor: Gemini Do Lam
Photo: Provided by the subject
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