TVU – Nguyen Kim Lai, a Vietnamese graduate in Chinese language from Tra Vinh University, has been awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) for international students.
Lai’s academic journey begins with a surprising twist. Initially enrolled in a Nursing program, driven by a desire to serve her community, she soon discovers a passion for language learning and teaching, particularly Mandarin Chinese. This revelation leads to a challenging decision to switch her major, requiring her to supplement many courses to catch up with her classmates.
Despite initial difficulties due to a lack of language foundation, Lai’s perseverance pays off. Starting from the second semester of her first year, she emerges as the top academic performer in her class. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Lai receives various scholarships from Tra Vinh University, including those for academic encouragement, students from difficult backgrounds with excellent achievements, and female students with outstanding academic performance.
These scholarships provide Lai with financial support and motivation to pursue her academic goals. With this support, she focuses on expanding her knowledge and improving her English, Japanese, and Korean skills, further solidifying her knowledge base.
To gain practical experience and financial support, Lai actively seeks part-time jobs as a Chinese language tutor, translator, and private tutor. In November 2023, she began working at the Victory Informatics and Foreign Language Center, progressing from an international volunteer manager to a teaching assistant and finally becoming a Chinese language teacher after graduation.
Encouraged by her teachers at the School of Chinese Language, Lai has nurtured her dream of studying abroad in China since her third year at university. China appeals to her as an ideal study destination, offering generous scholarship policies, modern facilities, and high-quality teaching for international students.
The Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) scholarship, awarded by Lai, is considered the most prestigious for outstanding international students. It offers generous benefits, including tuition waivers, accommodation waivers, insurance, and a monthly living allowance of 3,000 RMB (equivalent to 10.5 million VND). The total value of the scholarship can reach up to 1.2 billion VND.
Lai credits her success to the guidance of her academic and thesis advisor, Dr. Nguyen Phuoc Tam, the Dean of the School of Chinese Language at Tra Vinh University. She also demonstrates proactivity in her pursuit of excellence, scoring 279 on her first attempt at the HSK5 Chinese Proficiency Test and obtaining the HSK6 certification two months later.
In addition to receiving the CSC scholarship, Lai has been retained as a teaching assistant in the School of Chinese Language, allowing her to continue contributing her expertise and advancing her teaching career.
Lai’s journey is an inspiring example of overcoming obstacles through perseverance, passion, and determination. Her story of transitioning from nursing to Chinese language studies, becoming a teaching assistant, and achieving the coveted Chinese government scholarship motivates young people and students to pursue their dreams despite challenges.
By Lan Anh
TD-ĐL
