Mai Ha An, 26 years old, is pursuing a Master's degree in Comparative International Relations, specializing in Global Studies, at Ca' Foscari University.

Ha An in Venice.

Speaking to a reporter from the Vietnam Student News section of Tien Phong newspaper, she said she was one of 30 international students with outstanding academic achievements who were awarded a full scholarship for a master's program.

Types of scholarships for studying in Italy

Thanks to a recommendation from an older sister who studied and now lives in Italy, Ha An learned about the international student scholarship at Ca' Foscari University. This was the first scholarship she applied for, and she was successful.
Founded in the 19th century, Ca' Foscari University is one of Italy's most prestigious higher education institutions. According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, the university is among the top 3% of universities worldwide. Many of its social science disciplines have consistently ranked in the top 100-150 globally.

Ha An in front of the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

According to Ha An, if international students want to study in Italy with a scholarship, they can consider three main types of scholarships:
- The government scholarship “Invest Your Talent in Italy” and the scholarship from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). These are the two scholarships with the highest funding levels and the highest competition.
- University scholarships are available for international students with outstanding academic achievements. Each university will have its own requirements and evaluation criteria for awarding scholarships.
- Regional scholarships are available for students from low-income families.
Ca' Foscari University scholarships are awarded based on an assessment of factors including academic performance, language proficiency certificates, letters of recommendation, and a short motivational video.
The school does not require an interview round; scholarships are awarded based solely on the aforementioned application. This is an advantage, but it can also be a disadvantage, as applicants must prepare a very thorough application to stand out among hundreds of other applicants.
She noted that Italian universities often place great importance on academic achievement. Therefore, a high GPA or research experience during undergraduate studies would be a significant advantage when applying for a master's scholarship. For the Ca' Foscari University scholarship, undergraduate academic achievement is the most important criterion (60/98 points). In addition, applicants also need letters of recommendation (16/98 points), a motivational video (15/98 points), and language proficiency certificates (7/98 points). In the motivational video, applicants need to clearly demonstrate their goals, study plan, and expectations for the program. Understanding of the field of study and the subjects in the program should also be mentioned in the video. Scholarship essays for Italian universities are usually concise and to the point. Most importantly, applicants must clearly demonstrate their goals and consistency throughout their studies, research, and work experience. Ha An's course has about 40% international students, only 3-4 students from Southeast Asia, and she is the only Vietnamese student. Because the course is taught entirely in English, she doesn't need to learn Italian. She also considers Italy to be quite generous in granting scholarships and offering a wide variety of courses in English.

Life in the world's most romantic city.

Mai Ha An is a former student of International Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. There, she was inspired by many stories and experiences of studying and working abroad from her professors and seniors. Her dream of studying abroad began to take shape from that time.
Previously, she had participated in exchange programs in China and Thailand, and had a brief work experience in the Philippines. Exposure to different cultures and meeting international friends helped her clearly understand the benefits that a multinational, multicultural learning environment can offer.

Ha An (in black shirt, third from the right) and members of the Vietnamese Student Association in Venice.

After graduating with honors in 2019, she became a visiting lecturer in the Department of International Studies and worked in the International Cooperation office of a research institution. After nearly three years of working, the girl from Hanoi decided to study abroad to realize her dream.
Ha An shared: “Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, romantic yet very dynamic. Italy has delicious food, pleasant weather, affordable living costs, and many unique tourist attractions.”
During her study abroad journey, what impressed her most was the friendly and open-minded people, quite similar to Vietnamese people. Ha An observed that her classmates all enjoyed interacting, talking, and working with international students. Although she could effectively live and study using only English, she still advised everyone to learn conversational Italian before studying abroad. This helps with faster integration and makes it easier to find part-time jobs. In addition, understanding the local language also helps to gain a deeper understanding of the culture of a poetic and romantic country like Italy.
In her first few months in Italy, Ha An had to work very hard to keep up with her classmates. Many topics in the curriculum were completely new to her, but her classmates had already learned them in high school or university. She had to read many materials and diligently ask her lecturers for help to supplement her knowledge. Both in her studies and in her daily life, she received enthusiastic support from locals, which helped her adapt more quickly to life in a foreign country. Thanks to this, after the initial awkwardness, she felt more confident and achieved perfect scores in many subjects in her program.

"Of course, studying abroad can't be as comfortable as being at home. At home, my parents helped me with many things, but studying abroad requires complete independence. However, thanks to that, I feel I've matured a lot in a short period of time," Ha An confided.
During her first year, Ha An traveled extensively within Italy and to nearly 10 other European countries, including Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Austria. Before graduating, she hopes to explore even more famous destinations.

Ha An visited a museum in Spain.

Ha Anh and her mother are traveling in Switzerland.

She also shared her joy, saying that thanks to studying in Italy, she was able to take her mother on a trip to several European countries this past summer. She concluded: "I feel that studying abroad was absolutely the right decision. This is a great opportunity for young people to train and develop themselves both intellectually and mentally."