Perseverance, passion, determination... are adjectives that many people will think of when hearing the story of Master of Vietnamese Studies Kim Sung Hyun. Over the past nearly 10 years, he has spent most of his time studying and researching at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, with all his love for the Vietnamese people and culture.
Master Kim Sung Hyun was one of the graduate students awarded a Master's degree in Vietnamese Studies on December 17, 2021. Before achieving this degree, Master Kim had spent nearly a decade attached to the Faculty as a student and graduate student.
From a South Korean citizen passionate about Vietnamese culture...
Thinking about the choice to study abroad in Vietnam nearly 10 years ago, Master Kim Sung Hyun shared: “I have long had an interest in the country, culture, and life of the Vietnamese people”. Master Kim said that it was the desire to discover Vietnam that made him choose to come to study and research at a place more than 3000 km away from his homeland. “Perhaps because I was attracted by the Vietnamese culture, I thought I had to learn the Vietnamese language systematically.” - Master Kim Sung Hyun expressed.
Besides, studying a field with research characteristics like Vietnamese Studies is already a significant challenge for Vietnamese students. This difficulty is multiplied many times for international students like him. Sharing about the obstacles in the process of studying and research, Master Kim Sung Hyun said: “The most difficult thing for me was learning Vietnamese. I found it very hard to accurately understand what the other person was saying, as well as to understand the Vietnamese habits of using language.” Additionally, the differences in culture, mindset, and ways of acting... between Vietnamese and South Korean people were also major obstacles for him in the first days of enrolling at the school.
To overcome immediate difficulties and adapt to the learning environment, Master Kim Sung Hyun expressed his gratitude for the timely support of lecturers at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies in many aspects: knowledge, skills, experience... “Thanks to the help of my teachers, I was given more strength.” - he shared. In addition, the new Master of Vietnamese Studies also said that the care and encouragement of the lecturers were the great motivation that helped him overcome difficulties and successfully defend his graduation thesis.
To a Master of Vietnamese Studies who always turns towards the community
Choosing the research topic Ancient Village Tourism: Comparing the cases of Long Tuyen ancient village (Can Tho City, Vietnam) and Haehoe ancient village (Andong City, South Korea), the graduation thesis of Kim Sung Hyun was highly appreciated by the defense committee for its novelty and applicability in practice. Master Kim said the topic was inspired by his previous trips to Can Tho: “I had been here a few times. For me personally, Can Tho is a place with many historical and cultural monuments and diverse natural resources that can be developed into tourism products.” However, he also believed that these resources have not yet had the opportunity to promote their full inherent efficiency. “I hope this comparative research with Haehoe ancient village in South Korea will partially help in the development of the tourism industry in Can Tho. I hope the Vietnamese tourism industry will develop more and more, and the lives of the people will become increasingly prosperous.” - he conveyed. Besides, Master Kim Sung Hyun also expressed his respect and affection for heritage conservation work as well as the hospitality and kindness of the Vietnamese people during the implementation of the research. For Master Kim, these were memorable experiences during his time living and studying away from home.
