Hanoi language student wins engineering scholarship at Tsinghua with essay about scrap boats
A Hanoi student who majored in Chinese has won a scholarship to study mechanical engineering at Tsinghua University, on the strength of an essay about boats he built from scrap.
Nguyen Quy Bao, an 18-year-old language student from Vietnam, has been awarded an engineering scholarship to study at Tsinghua University in China. Tsinghua, ranked 14th globally and second among mainland Chinese institutions, offered to cover Bao's tuition for the first year, valued at 30,000 yuan (approximately US$4,430). The scholarship will be reviewed annually based on Bao's academic performance.
Tsinghua is known for its strong programs in robotics, AI, and biomedical engineering, aligning well with Bao's research interests.
Bao was among the first applicants to take the China Scholastic Competency Assessment, a standardized entrance exam introduced by the China Scholarship Council and the Ministry of Education. The exam, which took place on December 21, 2025, required Bao to answer 48 multiple-choice questions in mathematics, physics, and chemistry within 60 minutes of online testing.
Bao's academic prowess was evident, as he maintained a GPA of around 9.6 to 9.8 on Vietnam's 10-point scale and scored 7.5 on the IELTS, the international English language proficiency test. He also achieved a HSK 6, the highest level of China's official Chinese proficiency test.
Bao's essay for the scholarship application recounted his journey from creating scrap boats to working on an artificial intelligence project in a Tsinghua summer research camp. He highlighted his interest in mechanical engineering, noting the integration of robotics, AI, and biomedical engineering at Tsinghua perfectly matched his aspirations.
Bao had previously visited Suzhou and Shanghai as part of cultural exchange programs in his junior high school years, which further solidified his confidence in pursuing an education abroad. During the application process, Tsinghua faculty focused on broader topics such as society, culture, history, economics, and finance, giving Bao ample opportunity to demonstrate his well-rounded perspective during the interview.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
