Đặng Thùy Trang — Director of External Affairs, Grab Vietnam: Success Rooted in Self-Directed Learning and Compassionate Self-Awareness

For Đặng Thùy Trang, Director of External Affairs at Grab Vietnam, the most enduring legacy of her years at the Diplomatic Academy is neither a collection of honors nor an impeccable transcript. Rather, it is the cultivation of an intrinsic capacity for self-directed learning coupled with a profound compassion for oneself. From a freshman navigating unfamiliar terrain to a seasoned leader within one of Vietnam’s premier technology firms, her journey embodies a subtle yet powerful form of resilience—one defined not by sudden leaps but by steady persistence, intentional reflection, and an ever-curious mind. For her, success is less a destination than a continuous process of adaptation and growth.

The Greatest Gift from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam: Mastering the Art of Learning

Beyond scholarships and accolades, what Đặng Thùy Trang, an alumna of the Academy’s 28th cohort, carries with her into the professional realm is a refined approach to learning and life. Reflecting on the disorientation of her freshman year, she recalls the sharp contrast between the structured environment of high school and the autonomous demands of university study. “The transition was overwhelming. In high school, instruction was explicit; in university, the onus was on me to seek knowledge independently, to question, to explore.” Yet rather than retreating, she embraced this challenge, recognizing that this formative struggle was instrumental in shaping the most vital skill she would ever develop: the ability to learn on her own terms.

This skill proved indispensable, particularly when faced with the complexities of social sciences, where no single answer suffices. The critical faculties of inquiry and skepticism—knowing how to ask the right questions and interrogate underlying assumptions—became central to her intellectual toolkit. “In a rapidly evolving field like diplomacy, coupled with the breakneck pace of the technology sector, continuous self-education is not optional but essential,” she asserts. “No external institution can perpetually provide training; the responsibility ultimately falls on the individual.”

Today, as a leader in external affairs at a cutting-edge tech company, Trang exemplifies this ethos by actively engaging with global developments, reading international media daily, and constantly interrogating prevailing models: “Why does this approach work there? Could it be adapted here?” In a world defined by relentless change, such intellectual agility is indispensable.

Fear Not the Loss of Motivation – Fear Not Knowing When to Stop

Another dimension of professional life often overlooked in academic settings is the management of motivation itself. Trang’s experience underscores an essential truth: waning motivation is neither a sign of weakness nor a symptom of incompatibility. Rather, it is a natural, even necessary, psychological response to sustained exertion. The remedy, she explains, is not forced perseverance but deliberate rest—a mindful pause that enables renewal.

“When I feel depleted, I grant myself permission to step back, to acknowledge fatigue without judgment,” she shares candidly. “Sometimes that means a few days of rest, reconnecting with friends, or simple pleasures. More often than not, I realize the crisis I perceived was less severe than it felt in the moment.”

This “kindness toward oneself” is, in Trang’s view, a critical form of resilience—one that is as vital as technical skill or professional competence. In a high-velocity environment like Grab, motivation must be nurtured and replenished, much like a battery that requires regular charging. “Recognizing that it’s okay to slow down is not a concession but a strategy,” she reflects. “Strength does not mean unrelenting effort but wise pacing—knowing when to pause and when to advance.”

Her path may lack the dramatic flourishes of cinematic narratives—no daring entrepreneurial leaps or flawless academic records—but it is precisely this steadiness, this commitment to lifelong learning and self-awareness, that propelled her from a struggling student to a prominent executive. For current students at the Diplomatic Academy poised at the threshold of their futures, Trang’s story offers a nuanced lesson: success is not defined by brilliance alone, but by the capacity to learn deeply and rest judiciously. In mastering these, you have already charted half the course.

Minh Hanh