Priced out of Tsinghua once, Vietnamese scholar bounces back with full PhD scholarship

After giving up her dream of studying at Tsinghua University because she could not afford tuition, a Vietnamese woman spent a year preparing and later secured a full Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) to pursue a PhD at the prestigious institution. Tran Thi Van Anh, 27, from Ha Tinh Province in central Vietnam, received her admission letter to the Applied Linguistics doctoral program at Tsinghua University in May. The university is widely regarded as China's top institution. It was named Asia's top university and ranked sixth globally in the 2026-2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings. It also placed 12th globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. Tran Thi Van Anh in a photo she provided. A passion for languages Anh said her passion for languages began in high school while watching Chinese television dramas. Learning Chinese not only fascinated her but also helped her better understand the origins of Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary. In 2017, she enrolled in the Chinese Language program at the University of Languages and International Studies under Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Her long-term goal was to become a teacher and translator. However, overwhelmed by the demanding coursework, she took a one-year leave of absence and enrolled at Zhejiang University in China to immerse herself in the language and experience life abroad. Zhejiang University is one of China's elite institutions, consistently ranked among the country's top four universities. It was ranked sixth in Asia in the 2026-2027 Best Global Universities rankings by U.S. News. After returning to Vietnam, she resumed the Chinese Language program at the University of Languages and International Studies. She also decided to pursue a second bachelor's degree in English Language and registered to study for a vocational teaching certificate. She successfully graduated from both language programs in 2023. Graduate studies and cultural research She later received the Confucius Institute Scholarship (CIS), a full scholarship for Chinese language and culture studies. This allowed her to return to Zhejiang University to pursue a master's degree in International Chinese Language Education. Studying alongside outstanding classmates motivated her to excel. To maintain strong academic performance, she actively engaged with professors during class and devoted significant time to reading and research outside the classroom. She also participated in academic conferences, extracurricular activities, translation work, and private Chinese tutoring. Tran Thi Van Anh on the day she receives her master's degree from Zhejiang University in China. Photo courtesy of Anh During her master's studies, Anh observed that many learners quickly developed listening and speaking skills. However, they often struggled with Chinese characters and cultural elements, such as parallel couplets, horizontal plaques, and inscriptions commonly found on ancestral altars. She believes this reflects a widening disconnect between younger generations and the Chinese character tradition in modern life. This observation became the focus of her master's thesis, titled: "A study of the factors influencing and the dynamic changes of Chinese character cultural identity among Vietnamese learners." Overcoming admission setbacks After graduating with distinction in early 2025, she planned to apply for doctoral programs at both Tsinghua University and Peking University. She successfully passed Tsinghua's admission interview but missed the deadline to apply for the CSC scholarship. Without financial support, she could not afford the tuition and reluctantly withdrew her enrollment. During this period, she also failed to secure the New Sinology Scholarship for Chinese Language at Peking University. "The interview lasted only about 10 minutes, and I wasn't able to fully demonstrate my abilities," she recalled. Determined to try again, she continued teaching Chinese and assisting Vietnamese students studying abroad while meticulously preparing a stronger application. A successful second attempt Earlier this year, she reapplied to Tsinghua and for the CSC scholarship with a significantly enhanced academic profile. Her updated portfolio included an HSK Level 8/9 Chinese proficiency certificate, an IELTS score of 7.5, professional work experience, a well-defined research proposal, and recommendation letters from four associate professors. Drawing on her experience from two interviews, she noted that Tsinghua looks for well-rounded candidates. They seek individuals with deep expertise in their research field, strong language skills, and meaningful extracurricular involvement. "Applicants should prepare their application materials early and build a solid academic foundation so they can confidently handle challenging questions from the interview panel," she advised. Anh is scheduled to begin her doctoral studies at Tsinghua University this August. She plans to specialize in Chinese grammar research before returning to Vietnam to work as a university lecturer and translator.