The scientific journey of a Hanoi girl who won 3 scholarships in France

Le Huyen Trang, 23 years old, is studying for a master's degree in Computer & Network Systems at Paris-Saclay University. She graduated from the French-Vietnamese Information Technology (IT-EP) program at Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) and is a former student of the IT specialized class at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.

Page in Portugal during summer internship 2025.

Talking to a reporter from the Vietnamese Student Page, Tien Phong Newspaper, Trang shared: “My biggest goal when studying abroad is to work in leading research laboratories, to participate in projects that have an impact in enhancing security and data protection, especially in distributed environments and network applications such as medicine and health care.”

In France, Trang conducts research on how to protect and share sensitive data, especially genomic data, in biomedical research. Genomic data is very important and sensitive information about the human body, so protecting and handling it safely is essential, especially in the medical and biological research fields.

“For example, if a hospital shares patient information or genetic data for research purposes, this method allows the data to be shared securely. I also learned how to use blockchain technology and privacy-preserving methods such as Differential Privacy to ensure security and transparency in data sharing systems,” she explained.

Page explores some tourist destinations in Portugal.

In France, Trang is one of 30 foreign students receiving the Bourse Studely 2024 scholarship. She also won an Erasmus+ scholarship and an IDEX Paris-Saclay summer internship at the University of Porto, Portugal. Here, under the guidance of Associate Professor Dr. João Vilela and Dr. Mariana Cunha, Trang participated in the process of building Privkit - a GPS data security system for users with many different types of vehicles.

With the belief that 'Knowledge takes you to beautiful places', on her journey, through her efforts to learn and try, Trang has had the opportunity to meet friends who are always enthusiastic to help, teachers who love science, are passionate about research and inspire knowledge. About to enter the second year of her master's degree, Trang is ready to apply for doctoral programs, with the desire to continue her scientific journey and explore the vast world.

Trang's memorable moments in France when she first went to study abroad.

Mother - The first teacher

The decision that brought Trang to the Information Technology industry was not an easy one, but it was a meaningful one. Because that journey started with her late mother - who was a lecturer at the University of Transport, and who also inspired her passion for math and science.

From a young age, her mother accompanied her from the first math problems, patiently teaching her each calculation. To Trang, her mother has always been a model of perseverance and dedication, with the image of staying up late to work diligently or the technical drawings covering the walls of the house. It was her mother who guided Trang to pursue a career in information technology and was also the one who ignited the flame of love for science in her.

Page on the 2023 summer academic exchange trip in Hokkaido, Japan.

Trang remembers the night before the 10th grade entrance exam, the electricity suddenly went out in the middle of a hot summer day, her mother stayed up all night to fan her to sleep. Then when she received the admission notice to the Ams specialized school, the two of them hugged each other and cried with happiness.

This is even more meaningful because since childhood, Trang had to face prejudice against boys, when many relatives thought that girls studying hard was useless. Her mother always protected Trang and her sister from all criticism, telling them that no matter how difficult the path was, they had to try their best on the path of education.

However, the happy days were short-lived, Trang had to face a big change when her mother fell ill and passed away not long after. Since then, Trang always remembered her mother's proud eyes when she found out her high school exam results as motivation to overcome all challenges to reach her dream.

During her university years, the pressure from the massive amount of knowledge in the French language program made Trang want to give up many times. Each time, she remembered her mother - a former student of Bách Khoa, who left her many valuable documents and a spirit of never giving up.

Trang's memories at the French Club and Fintech Club during college.

“I always remember that my mother received a scholarship, graduated with honors in Automation, and was good at Russian and English. The valuable books and dictionaries that my mother left behind were not only a treasure trove of knowledge but also a priceless spiritual legacy, giving me the will to never stop learning,” Trang confided.

Sister – Companion

Not only her mother, Trang is also lucky to have an older sister who studies in the same major and at the same school. She is the one who guided Trang from the first days of her confusion with French, helping her build a solid foundation to keep up with the study program. Not only is she a guide, her older sister is also a great source of encouragement, giving Trang the strength to overcome all difficulties.

However, Trang also suffered a lot of pressure from having a talented older sister who was the president of the school's French Club. Instead of being weighed down by the pressure, Trang turned it into motivation to try to be worthy of her sister's trust and expectations.

Thanks to her sister's valuable guidance, Trang started doing research in the lab in her third year and attended professional conferences. In particular, it was her sister who guided Trang to write her first research paper, helping her approach leading experts in the field of information technology.

Sister and Trang when studying together at HUST and when seeing Trang off to study abroad.

Lunar New Year 2025 is Trang’s first Tet in a foreign land. Her sister packed and sent her a gift box from Vietnam: warm clothes, personal belongings, a handwritten letter and a small amount of money - the amount she saved up for a year of working. Reading her sister’s letter, Trang could not hold back her tears as her sister only wished her to study well, because “the dream of studying abroad is not only yours but also mine, and is also my mother’s wish in heaven”.

The Shining Best Friends

After being admitted to Ams, the pain of losing her mother almost made Trang collapse. Luckily, she always had great friends by her side. They were not only her spiritual support, but also her motivation to get up and keep going.

They were also the ones who inspired Trang to improve her English, from zero to IELTS certificate and exemption from the English entrance exam, something she never thought of.

Trang's close high school friends.

That friendship not only accompanied Trang during her youth, but also through the challenges of adulthood. Each person shined in their own way, becoming excellent students at prestigious schools at home and abroad. Despite the geographical distance or differences in profession, sincerity and willingness to help each other still kept this friendship strong.

In addition, Trang also did not forget the teachers at Bach Khoa who supported her in the process of studying, researching, applying for a master's degree and being admitted to the world's 70th ranked university (QS Ranking 2026) with a passing rate of only about 5%.

Trang is grateful to Dr. Do Ba Lam for believing in her and giving her the opportunity to become the first President of the BK Fintech Club, Dr. Le Xuan Thanh - her project supervisor, and Dr. Tran Hai Anh - who did not hesitate to contact the school to send a letter of recommendation, helping Trang build an impressive profile. The French teacher helped Trang edit her profile, gave her useful advice, and even wrote a letter to the school to confirm her French foundation.

Trang and friends in Paris.

On her academic path at Paris-Saclay, Trang nurtured her dream of becoming a lecturer, continuing the loving values left by her mother and teachers. For her, success is not just a degree or achievement, but the ability to inspire passion for science in the younger generation, so that knowledge can truly bring people to beautiful lands.

Source: https://svvn.tienphong.vn/hanh-trinh-khoa-hoc-cua-co-gai-ha-noi-gianh-3-hoc-bong-tren-dat-phap-post1772686.tpo