Nguyen Thi Le Quyen: Her "connection" with Korean studies
Nguyen Thi Le Quyen is a former student of the K62 class of Oriental Studies, majoring in Korean Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Even while still in university, she harbored a plan to apply for the Korean Scholarship Program and study in South Korea. Throughout her four years of university and two years after graduation, with her great love for the Korean language in particular and Korean Studies in general, Le Quyen diligently worked to realize her dream.
Le Quyen had been harboring the plan to apply for HBCP and study abroad in South Korea since she was still in school.
What was even more surprising was that Korean Studies wasn't her initial choice when she applied to university. Quyen shared that:“If I had to describe my relationship with Korean Studies in one word, it would be ‘destiny.’ I still vividly remember that time in early 2017 when the People’s Police Academy announced they would no longer be recruiting students from Group C. I felt completely lost and quite confused about my future. At that time, I read a book that almost completely changed my worldview: ‘There’s No Failure, Only Challenges’ by Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju Yung.”That very book sparked in Quyen a love for and desire to explore, study, and research South Korea. Ultimately, Quyen decided to major in Korean Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Currently, she works as a translator at LG Display Hai Phong. When asked why she decided to apply for HBCP after already having a stable job, Quyen shared:“Many people have asked me why I didn't pursue a master's degree right after graduating from university, but instead started now. Actually, from my personal perspective, I chose a major related to culture and language. The essence of language learning isn't just about diligently studying theoretical knowledge from textbooks; it also requires experience from real-world environments. To become an excellent teacher, one must first become an excellent student. Therefore, for three years, I worked as a Korean translator/interpreter at LG Display to gain practical experience, improve my language skills, and learn more about Korean culture. Working for three years before pursuing my master's degree helped me both enhance my practical skills and clearly define the career path I want to pursue in the future.”.
Le Quyen is very interested in learning about culture and language. Regarding languages, she shared: "Learning a language is not just about diligently studying theoretical knowledge from books, but also requires experience from real-world environments."
When asked about the difficulties in applying for the HBCP scholarship, she shared that the scholarship essay was the biggest challenge:“During the day I worked, and at night I rushed to write two essays: a Personal Statement and a Study Plan. For me, these two essays were the soul of my application, so I revised them many times. I asked friends to read them aloud and give feedback many times. Then I meticulously revised them again, and contacted senior students to find out more details about the major I would be studying for two years. Finally, after a month, I completed both essays.”.
As a student, Quyen was very active in scientific research; it could be said that she had a knack for research. Quyen received an Asian research scholarship and won first prize in the student scientific research competition in the 2019-2020 academic year. In both scholarship application essays, she focused on scientific research and her graduation thesis to highlight her scientific research capabilities. Le Quyen believes that:"If scientific research is a strength of yours, then focus on making it the highlight of your resume instead of listing achievements in a rambling, lengthy manner.".
Sharing her plans after completing her master's program in South Korea, Le Quyen intends to pursue a doctoral degree. Specifically, she hopes that after completing her studies, she will have the opportunity to work at Hanoi National University."I hope that I can contribute my knowledge and experience to further develop Korean Studies in Vietnam and become a bridge connecting educational cooperation between Vietnam and Korea.".
Finally, her friend asserted that:"The more I work and become involved in this industry, the more certain I am that South Korea and the Korean language may not have been my initial choice, but now it is what I want, the right choice that I have been, am, and will always pursue."Hopefully, our friend Le Quyen will successfully complete her Master's program at Kyunghee University and realize her dream of becoming a professional."A bridge connecting educational cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea".
Cap Trong Phuc Trang: From the question "why don't I try?" to a brilliant journey of conquering knowledge.
Cap Trong Phuc Trang is a former student of the K64 Oriental Studies program, majoring in Korean Studies. Phuc Trang was the valedictorian of the Oriental Studies program for the 2019-2023 graduating class and one of the top 20 valedictorians in Hanoi in 2023. During his four years at the University of Humanities, he consistently achieved impressive academic results and actively participated in student union activities and extracurricular programs.
Before becoming a student at USSH, Phuc Trang was a geography-specialized high school student at Bac Ninh Specialized High School. He won second prize in the National Excellent Student Competition and had the opportunity to be directly admitted to many universities and colleges. Faced with many wide-open opportunities, Trang chose to study Oriental Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. For Phuc Trang, Oriental Studies has always been his first choice, his number one aspiration when applying for university admission:From my high school days, applying the knowledge I gained from my Geography specialization, I realized that "learning a foreign language is like living a new life." I learned about the Faculty of Oriental Studies through stories from senior students. The faculty not only specializes in languages, but students also get to learn more about the people, history, and culture of Eastern countries..
With a passion for the Korean language, Phuc Trang has always diligently strived to improve his language skills. In his third year of university, Trang interned at LG Display Hai Phong, and this internship motivated him to further enhance his language abilities. For Trang, the best way to learn a foreign language is through..."Immerse yourself in the environment of that language"After graduating, he worked in an environment where Korean was frequently used.
When asked about the secret to getting into universities, Trang humorously compared it to: "Scholarship interviews are like beauty pageants answering questions; you need to have your answer ready before you even hear the question."
Phuc Trang also sent a message to students majoring in Korean Studies, as well as those planning to apply to HBCP:“I believe that this scholarship application process wasn't just a short two weeks or six months, but the result of a very long journey since my school days. Therefore, I believe that if we continuously strive to learn, reach for the light of knowledge, and constantly improve ourselves, that very determination will make our lives brighter and more beautiful.”Phuc Trang's Master's program at Hanyang University is about to begin. We hope he will remain steadfast and ready to conquer this challenging yet brilliant journey of knowledge.
Winning a Korean Government Scholarship is not easy, but it's entirely possible for everyone. The key is self-belief and the courage to challenge yourself and overcome your limitations. In 2024, four former students from the Korean Studies department were awarded Korean Government Scholarships. The Faculty of Oriental Studies congratulates them and hopes they will study hard and create many wonderful memories in Korea. We wish those who have applied or are considering applying for the Korean Government Scholarship continued confidence and the ability to further develop their knowledge, skills, experience, and adventures.
