Vu Thi Thanh Nhan, born in 2003, graduated six months early as a pharmaceutical chemistry student at the University of Natural Sciences, a member of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNUH). She then earned a full PhD scholarship in chemistry from the National University of Singapore, a top-tier institution in Asia.

Teachers and classmates describe Nhan as determined and resilient, with big dreams. However, Nhan believes her greatest motivation for pursuing her goals comes from her parents.

Born in HaiDuong, Nhan had witnessed her father’s difficulties with Parkinson’s disease since she entered the third grade. The condition robbed him of control over his movements and daily activities. By the time Nhan entered grade 12, her mother, a civil engineer, chose to work closer to home to care for her husband.

Understanding her father’s struggles and her mother’s sacrifices, Nhan always took her studies seriously. She won provincial chemistry awards in grades 10 and 11.

Teachers advised her to study economics, a field with better job prospects after graduation. Yet Nhan clung to her dream of pursuing pharmaceutical chemistry, hoping to develop a drug to cure her father’s illness.

In 2021, Nhan scored 25.55 on her university entrance exam and gained admission to the pharmaceutical chemistry program at the University of Natural Sciences. Upon starting her studies, Nhan realized this was a special field. Encouraged by her teachers, she began to nurture the idea of pursuing international education.

With a clear goal from the outset, Nhan maintained an outstanding GPA. In her second year, she joined the pharmaceutical chemistry and organic synthesis lab at the university led by Associate Professor Mac Dinh Hung who had guided many students to secure postgraduate scholarships in Europe and Asia.

Nhan actively participated in research alongside her professor and senior peers. By her third year, after nine months of work, she had published a Q1 international journal article as the lead author. Her research focused on a new selective synthesis method for furan and dihydrofuran derivatives—compounds with applications in antibacterials, antibiotics, cosmetics, and perfumes.

Also in her third year, Nhan represented her university to attend a summer camp at the National University of Singapore, where she presented her research findings. She saw it as a valuable chance to explore whether an international environment suited her.

During the two-week trip in July 2024, Nhan shared her latest research outcomes, attended lectures by professors on cutting-edge global research topics, and explored advanced, modern laboratories.

"That trip opened up a multidimensional perspective for me. Stepping into a new environment and interacting with highly skilled teachers and peers in the field, I wanted to venture further into the big world. It also fueled my determination to seek a PhD scholarship," Nhan said.

Upon returning, Nhan began preparing her application. Connections made during the trip helped her reach out to some professors in Singapore. After researching their work and publications, she emailed two professors whose research aligned with her interests. One of them, the head of the chemistry department at the National University of Singapore, chose her.

Nhan noted that at the time of applying, she had a GPA of 3.76, one Q1 international article, several school research awards, and corporate scholarships. In her essay, she wrote about the powerful motivation driving her pursuit of pharmaceutical chemistry—watching her father battle Parkinson’s disease.

"Though my father’s departure left a profound loss, it also ignited a fierce determination in me to contribute to developing effective therapies for diseases like his," Nhan wrote in her essay.

With years of effort and a serious commitment to her chosen path, Nhan secured a full PhD scholarship at the National University of Singapore. Associate Professor Mac Dinh Hung, Nhan’s research mentor in Vietnam, praised Nhan’s abilities and praised her strong willpower. 

Joining the lab early, Nhan worked diligently on experiments, especially in her final third-year phase at the University of Natural Sciences. As a result, she and her research group published an article in the prestigious journal Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis in the field of organic chemistry.

After graduating early in January, Nhan took on roles as a teaching assistant and continued some research. This August, she will head to Singapore to pursue her studies for the PhD. Nhan aims to further hone her expertise to contribute to drug production processes in the future.

Thuy Nga