Nữ sinh giành học bổng thạc sĩ danh giá châu Âu khi chưa tốt nghiệp đại học

Nguyen Minh Hang, a final-year student in the Chemistry Talent Program at the University of Science , has excellently won a full Erasmus Mundus Master's scholarship from the European Union. This scholarship allows Hang to participate in a two-year course in several countries, with the first year spent in Spain and France.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity. I hope to take another step forward from researching chemistry in the laboratory to applying it in practice," Minh Hang shared.

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Nguyen Minh Hang is currently a final-year student in the Chemistry Talent Program at the University of Science. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Having been a former chemistry student at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted ( Nam Dinh ) and a winner of the national excellent student competition in 11th grade, Hang applied to the University of Science to have the opportunity to delve deeper into chemistry. Having been accepted into the Chemistry Talent Program, she was mentored by leading professors, gradually opening up new avenues of research.

"When I started studying, I realized that chemistry has many sub-fields. Each person can possess a unique strength, and if you grasp it and persevere in pursuing it, you can develop within those branches."

Following her professors' advice, during her first summer, Hang applied to join the research lab on Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Organic Synthesis under Associate Professor Dr. Mac Dinh Hung. Initially, lacking experience, she was assigned to read research papers to better understand the research direction. After about two months of familiarizing herself with the field and grasping the basic principles, Hang was entrusted with a research topic by her professor.

In less than a year, the female student had her first paper published as the main author in the European Journal of Organic Chemistry , a Q1 journal (the most prestigious group). Hang's research topic involved the synthesis of organic compounds containing sulfur from pure sulfur.

"The unique aspect of research is that different problems can arise at each stage. Even with prior warnings from the professor, the whole team sometimes panics when problems occur. Nevertheless, the final result is always an overwhelming feeling, making the research process exciting," Hang said.

This topic also helped Hang win first prize at the university-level student scientific research conference and third prize at the ministerial-level scientific research conference. At these conferences, the female student had the opportunity to present and receive feedback from scientists in the same field, which sparked ideas for her next research.

Hang previously did a two-month internship in the US. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

At the beginning of her third year, Hang represented her school in an 8-day exchange program in Japan, where she attended lectures on the applications of chemistry in daily life, energy, the environment, semiconductors, and visited the national research center for particle accelerators.

That trip made Hang realize that chemistry not only creates new substances but also has many other applications, so upon returning, the student began to explore the application of chemistry to solve real-life problems.

A turning point from an internship program.

In the summer of 2024, upon learning about the annual internship program at Honeywell Corporation (USA), Hang decided to give it a try. “I researched and learned that the corporation has a branch working on green fuels using biofuels or hydrogen energy. I found this field quite interesting and wanted to participate to keep up with the latest developments in the energy and environment sectors,” the student shared.

Outperforming many other candidates, Hang secured a two-month internship opportunity in the US and directly participated in the production process of water electrolysis membranes during that time.

At the end of her internship, Hang was praised by the management for her proactive attitude, willingness to learn, and openness to receiving constructive feedback. She also felt that this experience helped her "narrow down her future career path."

"I am very interested in the field of membrane technology in the energy industry and I am even more confident about my future career path," Minh Hang said.

Minh Hang has just been awarded a full Erasmus Mundus master's scholarship from the European Union. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Upon returning from her internship, Hang applied for a master's program under the Erasmus Mundus scholarship. With a shift in her research focus from organic chemistry to membrane engineering, Hang realized that further education was necessary to expand her knowledge, especially in chemical engineering technology, giving her a solid foundation before applying it in practice.

At the time of application, Hang had an IELTS score of 8.0, a GPA of 3.87 - the highest in the entire department, and a Q1 international publication. In addition, she had research and internship experience in a field closely related to her master's program.

Thanks to her demonstrated in-depth research capabilities and commitment to her field of study, Hang received a full Erasmus Mundus scholarship for two years to pursue a Master's degree in Membrane Engineering. In addition to tuition fees, she will receive 1,400 euros per month for living expenses.

As Hang's partner in the lab since her second year, Associate Professor Mac Dinh Hung was impressed by his student's diligence, passion for research, and clear goals and plans.

“Hang has a very impressive profile. In addition to research and internship experience, she also has top grades in the department. She is probably one of the most 'superstar' students in the Chemistry department,” said Associate Professor Mac Dinh Hung.

Minh Hang said that after completing her master's program, she hopes to continue pursuing a doctoral program and participate in the process of building and developing new applications in the field of green energy.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nu-sinh-gianh-hoc-bong-danh-gia-chau-au-khi-chua-tot-nghiep-2396556.html