As the discussion group leader of the Vietnamese delegation attending the 2015 Southeast Asian - Japan Youth Ship, the owner of the 'Float in the Flood' project, Thuc Huyen will present a report to the Japanese cabinet and delegates from 10 other countries.

Tran Thi Thuc Huyen (22 years old) has just graduated with honors from the Faculty of International Relations, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City. In her first years of university, she received a scholarship from the British Council and was one of 20 Vietnamese delegates to attend the 2012 ASEAN Student Environmental Forum held in Japan.

"This is a very important milestone that changed me. When I first entered university, I was quite lazy, but after meeting friends from other countries and seeing that everyone was knowledgeable and talented, I was determined to develop and improve myself," said the daughter of civil servant parents.

Tran Thi Thuc Huyen (22 years old), graduated with honors from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: NVCC.

Returning to Vietnam, Thuc Huyen actively studied and participated in extracurricular activities. She participated in scientific research and won third prize at the school level, first prize in the English speaking contest organized by the British Embassy; passed the application and interview rounds to attend the International Youth Development Forum in Tokyo (Japan).

In September 2014, Thuc Huyen passed the selection round with hundreds of candidates to be accepted by the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City as an intern at the Cultural Information Department. She and 7 other students assisted in library management, study abroad consulting, and sometimes acted as an interpreter for the Consulate General's reception events.

"I got to meet and work with people I never thought I would have the chance to meet before, such as Consul General Rena Bitter and US Ambassador Ted Osius... Although they are senior leaders, their way of working makes us feel respected, they are sincere, straightforward and friendly," the female student shared.

During her 8-month internship at the US Consulate General, Huyen learned a friendly, serious and effective working style. In the summer of 2015, while completing her graduation thesis, she packed her backpack and attended the Southeast Asian Young Leaders Initiative in the US, organized by the US State Department. The 5 weeks of studying with professors and congressmen on environmental issues, living with 20 excellent students from 5 Southeast Asian countries made the Vietnamese female representative very excited.

"Life at the University of Montana dormitory is very peaceful. Every day we see deer leisurely roaming around campus, behind is a mountain that program members love to climb. We have days going to the horse farm, learning how to feed, groom and ride horses," she said.

Thuc Huyen (second from left) is an intern at the Cultural and Information Department of the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: NVCC.

At the Southeast Asian Young Leaders Initiative, Huyen and three Vietnamese student representatives set up a community project called "Flood buoys". The project provides life buoys, basic first aid training, and flood and storm preparation for people in areas that regularly face natural disasters. The special feature of this project is that the students have successfully designed and built two floating gardens by grafting bamboo stems and placing styrofoam boxes on top to grow vegetables so that when the flood rises and recedes, people still have clean food to eat.

With its practical significance and high feasibility, the project has attracted attention and financial support of 2,000 USD (about 45 million VND) from the Young Leaders Initiative program. Last September, the project was implemented in the poor coastal commune of Binh Nam (Thang Binh district, Quang Nam province).

In the Southeast Asian - Japan Youth Ship program, Thuc Huyen's project "Flood buoy" was excellently selected as the "National Report". The former student of the Faculty of International Relations, as the head of the Vietnamese delegation's discussion group, will directly present the report to the Japanese cabinet members and delegates from 10 other countries.

"This is a small but quite new and special project carried out by Vietnamese students, so I think it has great significance, demonstrating the creativity, understanding and interest of young people in national and international issues. Through practice sessions and with the comments of my colleagues in the group, I am confident that I will present this report well to high-ranking Japanese leaders and friends from other countries," said Thuc Huyen.

Tran Thi Thuc Huyen is one of four Vietnamese representatives attending the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative program organized by the US Department of State in 2015 in the US. Photo: NVCC.

She said she is physically and mentally ready to experience the nearly 2-month cruise to Japan, the Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia. Also on this Southeast Asian - Japanese youth ship, the Vietnamese female student will demonstrate her talent in playing the zither, which she loves and has studied for 4 years.

"Huyen has excellent learning ability, is dynamic and has leadership qualities. Not only does she complete well the requirements set by the lecturer for presentations and short essays in the subject, she is also always aware of self-study and improving her knowledge," said Master Chu Duy Ly, who has 4 years of teaching and scientific guidance for Thuc Huyen.

The former lecturer of the Faculty of International Relations was still impressed by the petite female student who often bothered him to ask questions during class or to expand on the issue. He also highly appreciated Thuc Huyen's English ability when for 4 years she was always in the best English class of the Faculty (2011-2015).

According to VnExpress