Opportunities are always available for everyone!

The Star of January for the 2009-2010 academic year at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities is Dao Hai Phuong, a K51 student from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication. Not only is she academically excellent and has a strong record of achievements in student union and association activities, but Dao Hai Phuong is also recognized by her teachers and friends as a "multitalented" individual, highly ambitious, and willing to try her hand in areas of interest. In early 2010, Hai Phuong was one of two representatives of Vietnam National University students to participate in the "First Southeast Asian Education Cooperation Dialogue" in Thailand and the "Let Vietnam Take Off" Forum at the Hanoi Student Festival. Let's hear her share her secrets and plans. - Hi Hai Phuong, what does the "Star of January" title you just received mean to you?I feel truly honored and happy to be one of the 247 students nationwide to receive this award. Perhaps this is the biggest award I've ever received (laughs), and I was quite surprised when I was informed of it by the University's Youth Union. This is the result of my hard work and efforts over the past period, and it also motivates me to continue striving even harder.Let's start with your field of study. Why are you interested in journalism?My father is a journalist, so from a young age I was exposed to this interesting profession, being introduced to cameras by him and even going to work with him. On the other hand, participating in group activities made me enjoy dynamic work that is always changing and new every day. At that time, I didn't know if journalism was truly right for me, I only knew I had a very clear intention: I wanted to study journalism. Therefore, I didn't hesitate to apply to the Faculty of Journalism and Communication at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, becoming the fourth member of my family to be a student at this university (my father – Faculty of Literature, University of Hanoi; my older sister – K46 International Studies; my brother-in-law – K46 Tourism Studies; and myself). To this day, I still think it was a completely correct decision. If I hadn't applied to journalism, my second choice at that time would have been fashion design. [img class="caption" src="images/stories/2010/01/13/seu1.jpg" border="0" width="580"/>
- How much of your daily time does studying take up? What are your study secrets?I don't have a fixed schedule for studying; for me, everything always needs flexibility, and I can study anytime, anywhere. My field of study is quite unique, and the only source of learning isn't just books; I have to learn a lot from real-world experience. As Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai always reminds journalism students: "Journalism is a profession you can learn, but you can't teach it." Each person will have their own way of "learning," and learning isn't limited to a specific amount of knowledge. In the beginning, when studying general subjects, I diligently prepared outlines and found it a very good method for absorbing knowledge without rote memorization. But for specialized subjects, that's not enough; you have to learn from real-world experience, from individual newspapers, daily news sources, and many other factors. The Faculty of Journalism and Communication at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities does not divide students into separate specializations, thus requiring them to possess a full range of skills to work in all types of journalism. This creates many opportunities but also puts pressure on students. In my opinion, this is a good opportunity because I want to try my hand at all fields to discover my strengths.- Did the university's change in training format from a semester-based system to a credit-based system cause you any difficulties in your studies, and how did you overcome them?The credit-based training system encourages student initiative, and I think journalism students have many choices within this environment. Our specialized courses are also quite suitable for this training format, for example: Advertising, PR, Radio, Television, Print Journalism Practice… because students have to work in real-world situations, and class time is only for instructors to provide guidance and discuss theory with students. The reduced class time allows me to do more other work, but it also requires me to have a reasonable self-study method because the amount of knowledge absorbed in class is quite limited. The credit-based training system is new, so there are still many issues to address, but I believe that once it runs smoothly, it will truly be an attractive and effective learning environment. [img class="caption" src="images/stories/2010/01/13/seu2.jpg" border="0" width="580"/>
- Having held numerous positions within the Youth Union and Student Association of the University and of VNU, many people perceive you as "greedy" and overly perfectionistic in your work?It seems that if I'm not busy, I feel restless and like something is missing. That's why my roommates and classmates always wonder, "What does she do that she's always rushing around, always busy?" Actually, I'm quite ambitious, juggling many roles at once and wanting to do well in each: I want to excel academically since it's my final year, I want to get involved in every student union activity, and I even have a part-time job. In my work, I'm also a perfectionist, because I believe that "everything will eventually be alright, and if it's not alright yet, then it's not the end," so everything can be solved. However, sometimes being too much of a perfectionist isn't good. Perhaps that's why I'm able to excel in many areas. I truly have to thank everything I've had during my four years of university. It's probably the most meaningful time of my life, a time when I learned, grew, and made wonderful friends... In particular, I want to thank the staff in the Student Union Office, the students in the Executive Committee, and the faculty members who have always stood by me and supported me.- One of the areas of activity for the Student Union that you have been very successful in over the past year is communication work. Could you tell us a little about what you have done and your new ideas for the future?It wouldn't be entirely accurate to say we were a success, but my colleagues and I in the Student Union Secretariat have put in a lot of effort in our communication work to promote the Union's activities as effectively as possible. When I became a member of the Executive Committee of the Student Union and later a member of the Secretariat, because I majored in Journalism, I was often assigned to handle this area of ​​work. It sounds impressive, but in reality, it hasn't quite lived up to expectations. My main job was promoting the programs through articles before, during, and after events via various media channels such as forums, the school website, and other available channels. The program we felt was the most complete and perfect was the Miss Humanities 2009 competition. With a dedicated information channel on tamtay.vn, all relevant information was quickly updated, making it very convenient for both contestants and the organizing committee throughout the event, and the competition also gained more recognition. In my opinion, communication efforts within the student union activities of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities have shown significant development and impact in the last year or two. Thanks to this, the activities of the university's student union have reached a wider student body. Even though I'm about to graduate, I will continue to contribute in any way I can to this area of ​​work.- We understand that you contributed significantly to the editing and layout of the "Voluntary" newspaper - the brainchild of the Youth Union of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Could you share something about this work?It seems I have a special connection with "Volunteering." Before joining Volunteering, I was in charge of organizing the campaign reporter team for the 2008 summer volunteer program. One time, while talking with Mr. Pham Huy Cuong – Vice Secretary and President of the Student Union – I confided that I was interested in both of these jobs, so he encouraged me to do them. I hadn't had a chance to ask senior students for their experience, but I proactively implemented my own ideas. After campaigning and notifying the classes, the volunteer reporter team finalized a list of 21 reporters. I organized meetings, assigned teams, established operating regulations, made ID cards, bought notebooks and pens… and maintained contact with the team members throughout the campaign. At that time, although I was called the "team leader," I didn't directly volunteer; I stayed at home acting as a liaison, and my responsibility was in… post-production. For the first issue of "Tu Nguyen" (Voluntary), I had absolutely no experience; everything had to be figured out from scratch. I relied on my friend from the Industrial Design department for the design, and we stayed up many nights to finish it because she wasn't very skilled in newspaper design either. Luckily, I was taking a course on Print Design and Layout in class. Although I didn't learn the technical aspects, the Tim Harrower textbook provided by Ms. Nguyen Thu Giang helped me grasp the basic design principles, and I was eager to apply them to "Tu Nguyen." So I started exploring Quark (a fairly common newspaper design software), and the more I explored, the more fascinating it became. I ended up taking on both the editing and design roles. After each issue of "Tu Nguyen," I felt much more confident and inspired, developing a passion for the work. Of all the issues, I remember most vividly the Voluntary Issue 16, a special issue dedicated to the K50 cohort because it featured some of the seniors I greatly admired, and Voluntary Issue 18, which celebrated the recent VI Congress of the University's Youth Union. I completed the editing and design in just… 2 days. I'm also very proud that our university's newspaper has been highly appreciated by other universities in the National University system. I hope that with my contributions to Voluntary, the newspaper will continue to grow and be loved by more students.- You represented Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) students at the "Let Vietnam Take Off" forum during the Hanoi Student Festival in January 2010 and the first Southeast Asian Education Cooperation Dialogue in February 2010. What contributions did you plan to make at these two events?I recently participated in the forum "Let Vietnam Take Flight" at the Hanoi Student Festival. It was a very interesting forum where students had the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with important figures such as Dr. Nguyen Si Dung (Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Office), economist Pham Chi Lan, and history professor Le Van Lan. The students and guests enthusiastically shared insightful perspectives on issues related to elevating Vietnam's standing in the current era. Participating in the forum, I contributed my opinions from the perspective of a journalism student, recognizing the responsibility of young people in foreign affairs and promoting Vietnam's image to the international community. I am fortunate to be one of two representatives from the Vietnam National University (VNU) participating in the first Southeast Asian Education Cooperation Dialogue, jointly organized by AUN and Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. The theme of this dialogue is "Student Participation in University Governance," which I find fascinating and practical in today's era. It seems the two events I'm participating in are quite related, because when I participated in the Dialogue in Thailand, I had the responsibility of representing the voice of Vietnamese students in the dialogue content and promoting the image of Vietnam to fellow Asian students. This is a great opportunity for me to broaden my horizons and hone my skills by participating in international forums. I am preparing everything to participate with the best possible results. In my opinion, for students to actively participate in the university governance process, the two-way communication channel between students and the university must be invested in effectively. I will focus on this point and consult with my professors to develop the most appropriate arguments. [img class="caption" src="images/stories/2010/01/13/seu3.jpg" border="0" width="580"/>
- It seems you possess many qualities a student desires: academic excellence, a highly active participation in work and extracurricular activities, and with your experience, a promising career seems to be within reach. Can you share your success story with everyone? In my opinion, opportunities are available to everyone. My starting point was the same as all other students; I had to work very hard to achieve what I have now, and this is certainly just the beginning. "God-given" opportunities are rare, so we must create them ourselves and seize them in different ways. I see that young people today have many opportunities to prove and develop their abilities. Compared to many others, what I have is nothing special, but I believe I can create opportunities to go further within my capabilities.- What are some of your future plans?My immediate plan is to graduate with honors and create a really good graduation television project as a gift for my dad. I also really want to experience an educational environment abroad, but I probably won't go to study overseas; instead, I'll look for short-term journalism courses to participate in. My future career aspirations are in television or PR. My current part-time job will also give me valuable experience for future career development. - Thank you, Hai Phuong, for the conversation.