Southeast Asian Studies alumni: from confusion over choosing a major to first successes

From the worry of choosing a major to the dream job
I often hear teachers mention Ms. Le Viet Anh - a first-year student (K63) of the Southeast Asian Studies major. She is the vice-president of the Southeast Asian Studies class K63, famous for her dynamism, sharpness and is one of the outstanding students. I was curious about what she is doing now, so I contacted her. Surprisingly, she is currently working in Thailand.
She was very happy to know that I was a third-year student majoring in Southeast Asian Studies and shared: “When I was at the threshold of university, I also felt confused about choosing a major. But when I learned about Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-USSH), I discovered that this major taught Thai - the language of the country I loved and had dreamed of learning it so that I could "follow idols" like many of my friends at that time."
Upon entering the program, Ms. Viet Anh also realized that the Southeast Asian Studies major at VNU-USSH offers a very attractive interdisciplinary training program, with solid knowledge of the culture, history, economics, and society of the Southeast Asian region. Moreover, the courses in the program also focus on training soft skills such as communication, negotiation, critical thinking, and teamwork - important skills that help her succeed in her current job.

Graduating in 2022, with a foundation of knowledge and skills from Southeast Asian Studies, along with personal efforts, Ms. Viet Anh confidently entered the labor market and quickly achieved success. She had the opportunity to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program in the US, and for over two years, she has worked for a multinational company in Thailand, while participating in international work projects. Currently, she is a manager at Hanoi Pride - a social enterprise focusing on gender equality and empowerment of LGBTIQ+ people. She also excitedly added: "If I had the chance to choose again, I would still choose Southeast Asian Studies."
Southeast Asian Studies – Beyond Expectations
The second person I contacted was Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong - a former student of class K63. Ms. Huong dreamed of being admitted to prestigious universities such as Foreign Trade, Economics, etc., but her exam scores were not as expected. Ms. Huong decided to choose the Southeast Asian Studies major at VNU-USSH. Surprisingly, this major provided her with a fairly broad knowledge base, with a focus on foreign language training, soft skills and thinking methods. She understood that this helped graduates to work in many different fields such as journalism, business, human resources, teaching and research. Accordingly, she could completely pursue her business career as she initially desired.
Currently, Ms. Huong has become the Director of WEGO International Joint Stock Company - a company specializing in importing fabrics from abroad, processing finished products and supplying them to the market. In particular, she has taken advantage of her Indonesian language skills and knowledge of Indonesia from her university days to import machine components from this country. She proudly shared that it was her passion for learning Indonesian that motivated her to seek and expand her business network with Indonesia.

Choosing and succeeding with Southeast Asia studying because of… idols
When I learned about the career paths of Southeast Asian Studies alumni, I was introduced to Mr. Hoang Duy Hung, a former class president of class K63. When asked about the reason for choosing to study Southeast Asian Studies, Mr. Hung shared an interesting story. He said that in 2017, he passed the entrance exam for the Archival Studies major and studied for one semester. However, when he learned that the school opened a Southeast Asian Studies major in 2018, he was determined to retake the exam because his idol - a former Southeast Asian Studies major student of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU-HCM - is the President of the Global Young Entrepreneurs Association and CEO of Viettravel. The success and ability to travel everywhere of his idol was a great motivation for Duy Hung. Mr. Hung is also very passionate about history and geography, so Southeast Asian Studies is an ideal opportunity for him to learn more about this field.

      Mr. Hoang Duy Hung - former talented class monitor of class K63 Southeast Asian Studies

When asked about how the Southeast Asian Studies major has influenced his work, Mr. Hung shared: “Although I studied as an “amateur”, with its holistic approach and emphasis on thinking skills, the Southeast Asian Studies major has equipped me with important foundational knowledge.” Mr. Hung especially emphasized the value of critical thinking and soft skills such as communication and management, which he has applied to his work. Starting a high-end perfume business in 2021, he has been quite successful so far, with profits ranging from about 50 million VND to 70-80 million VND/month. This job not only brings a stable income but also helps him expand his social network and improve his time and personnel management skills.

Currently, Mr. Hung is also working at a study abroad consulting center. He shared: “After stabilizing my business, I wanted to experience a new job, so I decided to work at a study abroad center.” He believes that the knowledge of economics, culture, history of many countries and the English skills he gained from the Southeast Asian Studies major help him convey useful information to many students, supporting them to reach out to the international environment. He hopes that his experiences will contribute to motivating students in the Southeast Asian Studies major, encouraging them to be confident and strive to achieve their goals in life and work.
TFrom Korean language lecturer to Political Diplomacy researcher
To illustrate the richness of this field of study, I contacted Mr. Nguyen Van Ky, a former student of the first class of Southeast Asian Studies (K63). During his studies, he not only completed the Southeast Asian Studies program with distinction but also pursued a double major in Korean. After graduating with distinction from Southeast Asian Studies and achieving a good degree in Korean in 2022, he became a Korean language lecturer at the Polytechnic College of Technology. However, his passion for Southeast Asian Studies research has always motivated him.

Therefore, he decided to apply for a scholarship to study in Korea, majoring in Political and Foreign Affairs, to continue his research and expand his understanding of issues related to Southeast Asia. Currently, he is in his second year of a Master's program at Busan National University, Korea.
Journey from Southeast Asian Studies valedictorian to international student in Europe with a passion for community development
Ms. Le Thao Nguyen (former student of class K63) also had an admirable journey, being the valedictorian of the Southeast Asian Studies major and being loved by many teachers for her diligence and enthusiasm for all tasks. Ever since she was in school, she had cherished the plan to study abroad to gain experience and knowledge, and improve herself. Therefore, from her second year of university, she actively participated in seminars and sharing sessions organized by the Faculty on scientific research, as well as Union and Association activities to improve soft skills and leadership skills.

In 2022, she graduated as valedictorian of Southeast Asian Studies and was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee. After graduation, she worked at CARE International in Vietnam, an innovative and dynamic organization that has collaborated with international and domestic organizations on more than 300 projects with the long-term goal of helping poor and disadvantaged urban and rural people, especially women, benefit equally from development.
Pursuing a career in community development, she decided to apply for a master's scholarship to have the opportunity to research and study more deeply the issues she had encountered and experienced during her work at CARE. With that determination, she won a scholarship from KU Leuven to study the Erasmus Mundus MA Sports Ethics and Integrity program, with the opportunity to study in five European countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany and Greece for two years. This coming September, she will travel to KU Leuven to begin her first semester.
Ms. Le Thao Nguyen added: “To have this precious opportunity, I always deeply thank the teachers of Southeast Asian Studies and Oriental Studies for teaching, instructing and guiding me during my study and personal development at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. The dedicated guidance of the teachers is an important source of motivation to help me continue on the path ahead.”
From a math major to a dream of becoming a researcher in Southeast Asian studies
Good news continues to come to the former student of the K63 class of Southeast Asian Studies when Ms. Nguyen Bui Minh Anh has just received a master's scholarship from the Indonesian government. Having studied natural sciences in high school, Ms. Minh Anh decided to switch to the Social Sciences and Humanities major and chose Southeast Asian Studies at VNU-USSH, although at that time she was still uncertain about this major. However, this decision has never made her regret. Right from the first days of studying, she quickly discovered her passion for the Indonesian language and culture of this country. Together with Ms. Huong, Ms. Minh Anh is one of the most outstanding students in the Indonesian language class.

During her studies, she was invited to attend international conferences organized by the Indonesian government. After graduation, she worked at FPT Smart Cloud, a job that required the use of Indonesian and had many prospects. However, her passion for research always urged her, and she decided to pursue a master's scholarship in Indonesia. In early July 2024, she was informed by Gadja Mada University - one of the leading universities in Indonesia, where many international students study - that she had won a scholarship for the Master's program in International Relations at the school and would start the program in September 2024. Ms. Minh Anh hopes to become an in-depth researcher on Southeast Asian international relations and contribute to promoting Vietnam - Indonesia relations.
Low tuition, high opportunities - shaping the future from Southeast Asian Studies
It is impossible not to mention Khanh Vi (former student of class K64) - who won the title of valedictorian and valedictorian of the 2023 graduation year.
When I learned more about her, I learned that Khanh Vi chose Southeast Asian Studies mainly for financial reasons. She chose USSH because the tuition fee was lower than many other schools, and chose Southeast Asian Studies because, although it was new, it seemed quite attractive. In a conversation with her, Khanh Vi shared that the major met her expectations: “The tuition fee is reasonable but the quality is still good”. She was impressed with the team of lecturers who were well-trained abroad, able to teach in English and provide comprehensive knowledge about the economics, culture, history, and politics of Southeast Asia. She also received support from Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Phuong Chi to delve into Southeast Asian literature research, a field with great potential and opportunities.

In addition to her studies, Ms. Khanh Vi also participates in international conferences on literature, and recently she has had two research articles in English published in international conference proceedings, a book review published in an English journal, and another article in a domestic scientific research journal. Recently, she received the KNB scholarship from the Indonesian government to pursue a Master's degree in Indonesian Language Education.
Studying Southeast Asia - the door opens many opportunities
Listening to the stories of the jobs and learning paths of the seniors of the first class of Southeast Asian Studies, I realized that my major really opens up many opportunities after graduation. Not only Ms. Viet Anh, Ms. Huong, Mr. Duy Hung, Mr. Ky, Ms. Minh Anh, Ms. Khanh Vi, Ms. Thao Nguyen,... but also many other alumni of the major are working at embassies, business corporations, and non-governmental organizations, etc.
Although I have not had the opportunity to contact and talk with many alumni of Southeast Asian Studies, I will continue to connect with them to learn from their inspiring journeys, thereby inspiring students of the following courses like us to study and strive. Surely, we will no longer hesitate, because with just effort and striving, Southeast Asian Studies with its rich potential will bring us many opportunities!