Vietnamese guy graduated with 2 master's degrees, aiming to work at NASA

In 2015, while a student at the People's Security Academy, Hoang Anh submitted her resignation, surprising many because this school is a dream for many young people.

A bold decision to "reach out to the world "

“Since I was little, I dreamed of becoming a scientist after reading a story about Edison – the famous American scientist. When I was in high school, my family encouraged me to apply to the police force. At that time, I didn't think much about the job I wanted to do later. At the same time, I greatly admired the police officers, so I followed my parents' advice,” Hoang Anh said.

Throughout his time at the People's Security Academy, his passion for exploring the world always flickered within him. Hoang Anh gradually realized that science was his greatest passion. Therefore, he decided to retake the university entrance exam and became a freshman in the K61 cohort, majoring in Computer Physics in the Faculty of Engineering Physics at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, just one year later.

Nguyen Hoang Anh, born in 1997, is a former student of Lam Son High School for the Gifted in Thanh Hoa. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Hoang Anh said that he felt right at home at the Polytechnic University, quickly becoming one of the outstanding students and receiving a scholarship from the Institute of Engineering Physics for four consecutive years. The male student also won second prize in the National Student Physics Olympiad along with many other scholarships.

In addition, Hoang Anh actively participated in scientific research, publishing several articles in domestic and international journals. Through his four years of study, he became the only student to graduate early from the Talented Engineers program that year.

After graduating from university, Hoang Anh became an employee in the R&D department for seismic signal processing at the Vietnam Petroleum Institute. Despite having a stable job, he continued his education. Thanks to his outstanding academic achievements, Hoang Anh received a full scholarship for a master's degree at the Institute of Engineering Physics.

When the opportunity arose, the young man from Thanh Hoa resigned from his job at the Vietnam Petroleum Institute to pursue a master's exchange program at Politecnico di Torino University – the oldest engineering school in Italy. There, Hoang Anh studied "Physics of Complex Systems." During that time, he continued his distance learning master's program at the Institute of Engineering Physics in Vietnam.

Studying for two master's degrees simultaneously presented numerous challenges for Hoang Anh. "The most stressful period was when I had to rush back to Vietnam to defend my thesis, with only two weeks to spare, and then immediately fly to Italy to complete the program on time for graduation," the student said.

Despite facing many challenges, Hoang Anh never thought about giving up. "Every time I think about how I can contribute positive values to life, it gives me more motivation to strive," Hoang Anh said.

During his years studying abroad, the young master's graduate traveled to nearly 20 countries. With the motto "work hard, play hard," he always knew how to balance his academic work with adventurous trips amidst his packed study and research schedule.

After completing two master's programs, Hoang Anh changed direction and pursued a career in Earth Sciences at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy.

Hoang Anh poses for a photo with her teachers at the graduation ceremony at ICTP. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

After completing his year at ICTP, Hoang Anh was offered a place in Italy by several professors to continue his doctoral studies. He also received acceptance letters from numerous universities in the US and Europe, including the University of South Florida, Florida; and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hoang Anh chose the Colorado School of Mines (a highly-rated school in the US) as his next destination. In the US, he chose to pursue in-depth research in Geophysics – a branch of earth science – despite previously studying subjects more related to Physics.

" New knowledge always motivates me to explore. Earth science is a fascinating field that helps me answer many questions I've wondered about since I was a child... Much of the knowledge in earth science is also based on physics, mathematics, and programming. My previous in-depth research in physics has helped me a lot when transitioning to this field," Hoang Anh said.

Think of achieving your goal as "winning over your crush."

For Hoang Anh, one of the important goals is to successfully "hunt" for scholarships. " Think of scholarship hunting like winning over your crush; being good isn't enough, you have to be proactive and not shy," Hoang Anh said, adding that she always prioritizes proactiveness, considering it a crucial factor in winning multiple scholarships at once.

Despite pursuing a career in earth science, Hoang Anh maintains collaborations with scientists at numerous universities both domestically and internationally to exchange ideas on physics, including: Northwestern University (USA), Bologna University and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Italy), Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and Thai Nguyen University.

After completing his doctoral program, Hoang Anh plans to visit his family before returning to the US to continue pursuing his dreams. He aims to apply for a job at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) after graduation.

The male student from Thanh Hoa also revealed that he is collaborating on many projects related to Mars. NASA is probably also a target that Hoang Anh considers his "crush," something he must "win over" in the next few years. Therefore, throughout his journey pursuing his passion, Hoang Anh has never faltered because, for him, everything is about enjoyment.

Hoang Anh and his colleagues in the US. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Many of Hoang Anh's friends in the US commented that this young man from Vietnam, despite pursuing complex fields, is very simple and approachable. Wherever he studied, Hoang Anh received much affection from his friends and teachers.

Comment (0)