Winning national awards in mathematics for two consecutive years and a silver medal at the Mathematical Olympiad, Nguyen Trong Chien – a student from Vo Nguyen Giap High School for the Gifted (Quang Tri) – shared his happiness at receiving FPT University’s Global Expert Scholarship and becoming a freshman in the Information Technology program.
The Global Expert Scholarship is awarded to outstanding students who have achieved first, second, or third prize in the National Excellent Student Contest and apply for the Information Technology major. To earn the scholarship, applicants must submit an essay and pass a rigorous selection process, competing against hundreds of candidates to make it into the Top 30 for interviews with FPT executives.
Nguyen Trong Chien is one of 18 students to be awarded the Global Expert Scholarship by FPT University in 2025. The top scholar from Quang Binh will begin his studies at FPT University with exceptional benefits: full tuition coverage for the entire program and an annual living allowance of 30 million VND. Furthermore, upon graduation, Chien will have the opportunity to choose to work in one of five countries: the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, or Singapore.
Receiving the news of winning the Global Expert Scholarship – one of FPT University’s most prestigious honors – Chien said he felt “surprised and happy” as his persistent efforts in the “scholarship hunt” were recognized. His family also shared the joy, seeing it as a memorable and successful milestone.
Having been exposed to programming and algorithms since secondary school, Chien discovered an early passion for AI and has dedicated much of his time to honing his logical thinking, learning programming languages, and exploring machine learning models. For Chien, AI is not just technology but “a way to solve society’s big problems,” where he can apply logic, analysis, and problem-solving skills.
His outstanding academic record is the result of consistent and disciplined study. Chien shared that he always keeps himself in a state of “readiness to think, reason, and analyze problems” while actively solving math problems from different perspectives to foster creativity. Beyond his own learning, he also spends time supporting classmates who are struggling. He believes that “a truly talented person is one who can help those around them improve.”
During the scholarship interview, when asked whether he was willing to share his ideas or successes with others, Chien reflected on himself and affirmed that sharing not only benefits others but also deepens his own understanding and growth. This is a value he intends to uphold in his journey with artificial intelligence – a field that demands not only knowledge but also collaboration and social responsibility.
Choosing FPT University as the launchpad for his tech ambitions, Chien said he appreciates the school’s international curriculum, dynamic learning environment, and strong corporate connections. As a young man from the homeland of General Vo Nguyen Giap, he hopes to sharpen his expertise, strengthen his thinking skills, enhance teamwork abilities, and be fully prepared for career opportunities in a global environment.
With the Global Expert Scholarship, Chien sees it as a powerful motivation to keep learning, researching, and contributing. In the future, he hopes to apply AI in education, particularly to help students learn math and science in a more visual and accessible way, while also engaging in community-based projects to contribute to the advancement of Vietnamese technology.