Valedictorian of International Relations and her journey of winning the prestigious scholarships

     One year after graduation, the valedictorian of International Relations in 2019 - Tran Phuong Mai achieved admirable results: being awarded a full scholarship of 100% tuition, living expenses and other expenses for 6 master's programs, including three European Union Erasmus Mundus scholarships in the fields of "Euroculture", "Global Studies" and "European Politics and Society". This is always considered the most prestigious scholarship in Europe with a very high annual “fighting rate” when only 20 - 22 scholarships are awarded per course. With the desire to have a deep understanding of Europe's politics, society and culture with a multidimensional approach, Mai decided to choose the Erasmus Mundus scholarship on "Euroculture".

     To get that achievement, the knowledge and skills in the course of studying at the Faculty of International Politics and Diplomacy at the Academy also played an important role. Four years of studying here have helped Phuong Mai become more mature; practice a diplomat’s proper and careful behaviors; sharpen her skills of being multi-dimensional thinking, flexible in all situations. International Relations is a wide and difficult major, but thanks to devoted teachers and enthusiastic friends who always support and accompany her, Mai has formed a solid background of knowledge, coherent research methods, and she is always encouraged to approach issues from a multidimensional perspective. “There are also times when I faltered or made mistakes. Though the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam is where I was given the most severe lessons, it was also the most tolerant place for me to rise again and make more efforts”, Phuong Mai shared.

     For overseas studying preparation, Phuong Mai already has a clear pathway: studying laboriously combined with active extracurricular activities in four years of the University; working one year after graduation for better understanding about her own abilities and desires; doing careful research on all types of scholarships, consulting many sources of information for a complete application preparation. In the next two-year master's program, Mai will study in 3 to 5 countries including Germany, the Netherlands and possibly Sweden, Italy and France. Mai's intention after studying overseas is returning to Vietnam to pursue diplomatic work in ministries, branches or businesses’ external departments.

     Phuong Mai is a typical example of students with “dynamism - vision -creative” at the Faculty of International Relations and Diplomacy in particular and at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam generally. With a smart strategy, careful preparation and experience gained from the Faculty and the Academy, Phuong Mai will surely achieve more success in the future, thereby setting an excellent example for the next generation of students to continue being confident and competing fairly with opportunities, whether domestically or internationally.