The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Idea of Studying Abroad in Taiwan

The story begins at the end of 2019 when I returned to Vietnam after completing my work on the New Phnom Penh International Airport project in Cambodia. In the final days of 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged for the first time in China. Initially, as little was known about the disease, life continued as normal. However, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and assessed it as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, economies worldwide began to stagnate and decline. Global supply chains broke, companies and factories ceased operations, construction projects froze, and the pandemic spread worldwide for about two years, significantly impacting the company I worked for despite being a state-owned enterprise in Vietnam. Personnel like myself began facing reduced workloads, staying home frequently, and being unable to visit family or travel with friends due to government-imposed travel bans and restrictions on gatherings and activities. With ample free time, I began contemplating the idea of pursuing a Master's degree.

Initially, I searched for information on Master's programs in geology and related fields at universities in Vietnam, thinking I could study while working, with the job remaining my primary focus and the academic pursuit occurring during evenings or weekends (a different approach to Master's education in Vietnam compared to developed countries). However, my plans shifted towards studying in Taiwan after being advised by Dr. Truong Minh Hoang, my former professor at the University of Science, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, where I graduated from. Upon learning about study programs in Taiwan, I nurtured the desire to pursue a Master's degree in Taiwan and began researching the National Central University in Taiwan, exploring its geology department, learning about the professors working there, and familiarizing myself with the country's culture, people, living environment, and educational opportunities.

Around October 2021, I had an online interview with Professor Shih-Jung Wang, and fortunately, he accepted me and offered me a new journey. I took a flight to Taiwan on February 16, 2022, full of energy and confidence in a bright future. What followed were two years filled with experiences in an international environment, meeting renowned professors, making friends from around the world, trying different cuisines, absorbing valuable lessons, and gaining exposure to modern science and technology—experiences I had never had while working in Vietnam.

After two years of studying and living in Taiwan, with the help, encouragement, and support of professors, friends, and family, especially the guidance of Professor Shih-Jung Wang, I completed the Master's program. Upon obtaining my degree, I started searching for job opportunities in both Taiwan and Vietnam; a job in Taiwan proved challenging; besides professional qualifications, proficiency in Traditional Chinese was required, a skill I lacked at that time. Thus, after about two months of job hunting, with no success in Taiwan, I received job offers from several organizations in Vietnam. Eventually, I felt that my journey in Taiwan had come to an end. Unable to wait any longer, I seized the job opportunity in Vietnam and decided to return to Taiwan someday to reconnect with my friends, especially one friend who bid me the last farewell. I love Vietnam, where I was born and raised, and Taiwan, where I was given the opportunity to study and grow and where I found wonderful friends.


Nguyen, Ngoc Thanh Vu | 阮玉清武
Saigon, March 31, 2024