Received news of being accepted for a Chinese scholarship during the Covid-19 pandemic
In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Vu Thi Thuong received news that she had been accepted to Nanjing University with a partial scholarship from the Chinese government . She was exempted from dormitory and insurance and received a monthly allowance of 2,500 yuan, but the tuition fee of 21,000 yuan/year still had to be paid by herself.
“At that time, my parents were very happy but also worried. My family only had a small business and were not well off. But my parents encouraged me to keep going, that going out to sea was a good thing,” Thuong recalled.
Vu Thi Thuong, a female student who won a Chinese government scholarship for undergraduate and master's degrees (Photo: NVCC).
In the first school year, because she could not go to China due to social distancing, she studied online at home in Lang Son . Although online learning encountered many difficulties in terms of connection and interaction, Thuong still tried to maintain the learning rhythm.
In her second year, realizing that her financial difficulties were continuing, she decided to take a year off to focus on earning money to pay her tuition. “I helped my parents sell goods, taught part-time, or advised students on studying abroad,” Thuong said. The time off was also when she began to reorient herself.
From fear of learning foreign languages to passion for teaching
Born and raised in Lang Son, a border area with China, her parents let her learn Chinese since she was young but found the language too difficult. However, when she was in high school and passed the Chinese major at Chu Van An High School for the Gifted (Lang Son), she "discovered" the beauty of this language. A two-week summer camp in Guangxi (China) made her even more passionate about exploring the culture of the neighboring country, and determined to study abroad.
As a member of the national excellent student team in Chinese, Vu Thi Thuong had the opportunity to be directly admitted to many prestigious universities in the country. However, she decided to study abroad in China. “If you are going to learn a foreign language, you have to go there, you will learn a lot,” Thuong explained.
When she officially went to China to study, Vu Thuong's journey was not only about accumulating knowledge but also about becoming financially independent. She started tutoring to cover her expenses and gradually realized her passion for teaching.
Along with her regular studies, she also attended additional courses at the Chinese Language Education Institute, voluntarily taking the train all day just to attend extra classes and accumulate knowledge.
In addition to studying and teaching, she also created a fanpage to connect students with excellent teachers and tutors, helping young people prepare their study abroad applications and love Chinese more.
“Every step must be meticulous to convince the reviewer.”
After graduating with honors in Business Chinese from Nanjing University, she continued to win a master's scholarship in International Chinese Education from Fudan University.
In addition to Fudan - her dream school, she was also accepted into the International Relations Department of Renmin University of China, but decided to choose Fudan.
Vu Thi Thuong at the graduation ceremony at Nanjing University (Photo: NVCC).
According to Thuong, to get a full scholarship, every step in the application process must be meticulous, from introducing yourself, giving specific study directions, to convincing the school why they should choose you and award you the scholarship. “This part is extremely important because you need to show the teachers who you are, what you want to study, and why you deserve it,” she shared.
The interview round also requires careful preparation, from specialized knowledge, teaching skills, Chinese history and culture, to how to convey knowledge to students.
“I practiced the interview many times so that when I entered the real room, I could be confident and do my best,” she shared.
After her study abroad journey, she cherished the desire to return to Lang Son to establish a cultural and foreign language center, to spread the love of Chinese, connect many young people with scholarship opportunities and international exchanges.
“International students not only study to develop themselves, but also have the mission of bringing the image of Vietnam to the world.
I believe that every young person, when given the opportunity and access to global knowledge, can become a cultural ambassador, bringing the voice, identity and aspirations of the nation to international friends," Thuong shared.
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Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nu-sinh-lang-son-gianh-cu-dup-hoc-bong-cua-dh-trung-quoc-20250801153013199.htm
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