DAAD - TUAF Scholarship Program is a master's scholarship program fully funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD in 2021 with the training field of Environmental Science. The participating candidates had to pass a number of challenging application rounds to receive this valuable scholarship and so far they have completed the first semester of the program. So who are these 10 "excellent" environmental bachelors and what experiences did they go through after 1 master's period at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry. Let's listen to their stories.

1. KING JOSHUA REYES (Philippines)

“For the first 6 months of the course I had to attend online classes due to the COVID-19 epidemic. At first, I admit it was pretty hard to cope due to some unavoidable technical reasons, etc. however, our lecturers made sure that the classes were interactive and engaging. During this period, I synthesized the research project that I am going to work on for this master's program. While studying, I have already begun working on my independent research. In addition, I have attended several online seminars to drastically improve my skills and knowledge on modern technologies and their applications to solve environmental issues that we are facing now. Last February 2022, I was finally able to fly to Vietnam to attend offline lessons. Of course, I need to undergo the mandatory quarantine before integrating into life here and the advanced program staff always made sure about my health status. Overall, the start of the course was quite interesting and I am looking forward to the upcoming scientific activities.”

2. GERALD GUMERA AGUILAR (Philippines)

“Although the classes were held online, I was so excited to meet and interact with international friends as well as professors. In this course, we have professors from the United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines and they are very enthusiastic as well as experts in the field of environment. I am very happy that I have had the opportunity to widen my network of connections which is very important for my professional development and as a public servant in my country. Honestly, research activities are quite new to me and I am very grateful to all our professors who guided us to gain knowledge on how to do research. As well, I am thankful to DAAD-TUAF partnership because they provided us learning and development interventions like workshops, trainings and seminars and allowed us to attend conferences which were delivered by TUAF itself and other international universities in Germany, Indonesia, Australia and Taiwan. I have learned a lot of valuable things and I am looking forward that once I go back to my country, I can contribute something to its development especially to our province."

3. RYAN JAY A. OGAO-OGAO (Philippines)

“Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry is such a diverse university, and it has helped me make many new friends with different cultures. One of the thing I like most about TUAF is the people here. The professors and AEP office staff are very friendly and always ready to help when we have a problem. They bring a sense of belonging and I feel like I have found a new home in this place. The welcoming atmosphere, community spirit, picturesque location, and excellent opportunities, in addition to high educational standards make TUAF the best student experience in Vietnam. My advice to future DAAD-TUAF students who come here for the first time is not to be scared. They should know that we have a community here that will support them. DAAD-TUAF has been behind me from the very first day. Thanks to DAAD-TUAF!”

4. KHUZAIMAH KHOIRUNNISA (Indonesia)

“In addition to supporting tuition fees, monthly living expenses, research fees, insurance and travel cost, the DAAD – TUAF scholarship also allows us to register for summer courses at German universities. I do enjoy all the benefits offered by this scholarship and you can even save the allowance because it is a lot. Besides quality classes, the university also organizes many extra-curricular activities such as workshops, field trips, international students' cultural day to welcome new students, and other fun activities. In addition, the campus is very large and can accommodate all sports activities to improve students' health. Moreover, Vietnam is a great country to visit. I traveled to Hanoi and the cost was quite cheap compared to the quality of travel: beautiful scenery and extremely delicious food.”

5. AHMAD GHOZALI ARDIANSYAH (Indonesia)

“I had the opportunity to participate in a two-day workshop with the theme Interdisciplinary conference and training on climate change research and teaching, which was co-hosted by JICA and TUAF. There was also a field excursion to the Smart Agriculture model at the tea village in Thai Nguyen as part of this training. The workshop was really informative, with innovative experiments and fairly fascinating techniques to combat climate change in a variety of areas, including agriculture, food security, and the environment. I am also grateful because Dr. Aaron from the United States taught a subject called Research Methodology in the Environment in the first semester. It allowed me to plan ahead of time what issue I would investigate for my research.”

6. THET HNIN SWE (Myanmar)

“I had the opportunity to develop my language skills (both Vietnamese and English) while studying abroad here. My country does not speak English, so my English has improved a lot. One of the best things for me about studying here is the opportunity to make many international friends from the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Germany, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.”

7. LE THI THU THAO (Vietnam)

“In the first semester, we went through 7 subjects and there are 2 subjects that interest me the most:  Soil, Water and Environment by Dr. Arinafril and Environmental Analysis by Mr. Nikki Dagamac. The teachers' teaching methods are also very interesting and make it easier for me to absorb knowledge. Each subject provides me with different knowledge and useful lessons. I am very grateful that I meet two passionate teachers.”

8. LY TIEN LOI (Vietnam)

“I like it the most when I get to do practical experiments like about Earthworms and Water hyacinth. These are experiences I never had when I was in University. In addition, I also improved many skills such as presentation skills, teamwork, independent work or critical thinking.”

9. PHAM NGOC HUYEN (Vetnam)

“Besides the professional lessons on environmental science, I was very impressed with the seminar on research software and how to write an international paper because I learned many tips to write a good scientific paper. I was born and raised in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, so I am very familiar with life here. Therefore, I am very willing to listen and help international students in their study abroad life in Vietnam.”

10. DAM HA LUONG THANH (Vietnam)

“I had a lot of fun times with international friends not only in class but also outside of school in my free time. We have listened, shared and supported each other in all activities. I have been exposed to a lot of new cultures. Hopefully, the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic will be better soon, so that we have more opportunities to interact face-to-face. And I also want to thank DAAD and TUAF for giving me this precious opportunity.”

Some other pictures:

(Lecture of Mr. Nikki)

(Interdisciplinary conference and training session on climate change research and education)

(Le Thao and other AEP students)

(Khuzaimah, Ahmad and dorm friends)

*** For more information about the DAAD - TUAF scholarship program, please visit: http://aep.tuaf.edu.vn/en/admission/4-daad-tuaf-scholarship-closed