10 years, 3 master's degrees.

The day Khuu Hoang Nhat Minh received his third master's degree and brought it home marked the emotional conclusion of his nearly 10-year journey of pursuing knowledge abroad.

There were no fireworks, no loud pronouncements, just a moment of silence – enough for the young man to feel as if "dust had gotten in his eyes."

"When a learning cycle that lasted nearly 10 years comes to an end, there are moments that are truly difficult to describe," Minh shared.

From 2018 to 2025, he completed three master's programs at three leading universities: Applied Linguistics (Distinction) at Curtin University (Australia), English Literature (Merit) at the University of Nottingham (UK), and a Master of Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge (UK). Three degrees, three different fields, but connected by a common thread: education .

Nhat Minh (right) and his mother on the day he received his master's degree at the University of Cambridge, England, in April 2024.

When learning becomes an escape.

Khuu Hoang Nhat Minh (born in 1993) was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City. He attended Nguyen Thuong Hien High School and graduated with honors in Professional Communication from RMIT University in 2015.

At that time, her career path was still uncertain, and her dream of pursuing a career in education wasn't yet clearly defined. But over the years, from tutoring to earning her bachelor's degree, Minh became a lecturer teaching the university preparatory English program at the International Training Office, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.

From his final year of university, Minh began working on educational startup projects, and teaching gradually grew alongside him. In 2023, he was invited to train the national team of gifted students at a specialized school. The keyword "education" thus became increasingly important in Minh's future career path.

For many young people, continuing their education is about "upgrading their qualifications" or "gaining an advantage." For Minh, there were periods when studying was simply a way to avoid getting stuck in the difficulties of the present.

The decision to apply to Cambridge University in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is a case in point. With businesses struggling, resources tight, and himself in a leadership role, that choice felt like a gamble. Instead of waiting for things to improve, he chose to change himself first.

“ I believe my team needs more than just a boss with expertise. They need a better leader to navigate this uncertain period together ,” Minh shared.

While many young people are advised to "choose one path and see it through," Minh chose to build his skills in a multi-faceted way: Language – Literature – Entrepreneurship. "If skills are developed in a straight line, personnel easily become vulnerable to major changes ," he observed.

According to him, these three seemingly unrelated fields actually complement each other towards the same goal: sustainable education – understanding learners, possessing expertise, and having sufficient management capabilities.

Nhat Minh speaks at a reunion of Curtin University master's program alumni in November 2023.

Starting out with a degree in Communications, his shift to education and languages ​​led him to doubt himself on several occasions. However, instead of seeing it as a weakness, he chose to turn it into an advantage.

"Flexibility isn't about doing many things superficially, but about strengthening interdisciplinary understanding to survive and adapt in the long term ," he said. Looking back on his three academic journeys, Minh doesn't consider any of them the "most difficult."

For him, each program was chosen at the right time when he needed it most. Curtin University gave him a formal foundation in education, improved his teaching techniques, and opened up a path to teacher training. Nottingham University helped him gain a deeper understanding of languages, directly supporting his work in nurturing gifted students. And Cambridge University forced him to step out of the comfort zone of a classroom teacher to confront data, managerial thinking, and leadership responsibilities.

"For me, learning is more about healing. I learn to address my very real problems at each stage ," he shared.

Dreams don't need to follow a schedule.

Having initially aimed for Stanford by age 36 but ending up at Cambridge at 28, Minh believes that dreams don't always follow a predetermined path. " Dreams are like the finish line in a bicycle race. You can visualize the destination, but the speed and the route always need to be adjusted ," he said.

Nhat Minh and his mother on the day he received his Master's degree from Curtin University, Australia, in November 2022.

For him, Cambridge and Stanford both represent the highest standards. More importantly, it was the moment he realized he had become a competent and mature version of himself, ready to enter those environments. If he had to choose one factor that helped him go the distance, Minh wouldn't choose talent.

"I'm not exceptionally intelligent. Because I know my limitations, I compensate with perseverance and discipline," he said.

Minh considers himself resilient enough to go the distance, and daring enough to set goals that might sound a little crazy. In his list of things he's grateful for, family is always the first thing he mentions.

" Not everyone receives the support they need when they want to continue their studies while juggling work ," he shared.

In addition, there are teachers with open minds, willing to create opportunities for the next generation when they see the seriousness of the profession. Concluding his first ten-year plan after graduation, Minh didn't talk much about new heights, but rather about his desire to become a pillar of support.

"In the next 10 years, I hope to be a giant for the young people around me ," he expressed his dream of blending the best of global education with Vietnamese education to contribute to raising the level of young Vietnamese people.

Having earned three master's degrees from two countries, the UK and Australia, when asked about a future degree in the US, Minh smiled and said, " Perhaps, Stanford University!?"

For young people struggling at a crossroads, Khuu Hoang Nhat Minh's journey perhaps offers a simple message: there's no need to rush, no need to go straight – just be persistent, strong, and courageous enough not to give up halfway.

Le Thu

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/10-nam-3-tam-bang-thac-si-ar993760.html