Full scholarship fuels young student’s passion for IT

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Full scholarship fuels young student’s passion for IT

Joining RMIT University on full scholarship this year, Dau Hoang Minh aims to take his passion for information technology to the next level.

As one of the seven RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars this year, Minh stood out among 213 nationwide applicants in the same category for his exceptional academic results and proven track record as a leader in high school.

A math and IT enthusiast, he won the Silver Medal in the national round of the Asia International Mathematical Olympiad in 2020 and First Prize in his school’s Contest for Excellent Students in Mathematics in 2019.

He and his team also came in fifth in the 2020 Hello World Hackathon, organised by FPT Education and the University of Technology Petronas (Malaysia) to challenge students’ skills in the Python programming language.

Dau Hoang Minh (pictured left) with his teammates at the 2020 Hello World Hackathon, where they won fifth place.

Minh explained his fascination for technology started as a child watching his older sister, whom he considered his biggest idol, study IT in university.

“Even though my understanding was quite vague back then, I already dreamed of working in IT someday. My goal now is to become an application developer who can create products that make human lives easier,” Minh said.

“I find programming to be very interesting. When you program, you are essentially communicating with computers, asking them to do what you want. Those are the tasks that humans cannot do or must spend a lot of time to complete, while computers are able to handle them easily and return results in just a few seconds.”

The FPT High School graduate has joined the first intake of the Bachelor of Information Technology program at RMIT’s Hanoi campus this October.

“Although it is the first cohort in the Hanoi campus, I firmly believe that with the experience of delivering the program in the Saigon South campus for over 10 years and even longer in Australia, RMIT University will offer me world-class education for my chosen profession,” Minh said.

“Studying in an international environment will also be beneficial for me when I pursue my dream of studying abroad and working in a technology company.”

Dau Hoang Minh is among the seven RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Scholars in 2021.

The university freshman also expects to build on his leadership skills – a passion he picked up in high school after missing out on many personal development opportunities in middle school due to overstudying.

“Upon entering high school, my target was to become a more well-rounded individual. I enrolled in a variety of clubs, which provided me golden opportunities to grow and excel,” Minh recalled.

Minh was an enthusiastic member of the IDo Charity Club, Go Green Club, and cultural exchange program in his school. He most fondly considers becoming the president of the English Club in 11^th grade as one of his biggest self-improvement milestones.

“I was successful in building a home for every English lover at my school,” Minh said. “Participating in several club projects at the same time made me busy, but the things I gained are worthwhile – the friendships with people having the same aspiration, valuable experiences, and soft skills.”

Minh likened those experiences to his favourite quote by American author John C. Maxwell: “Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.”

“I had a wonderful time participating in a variety of activities in high school, and I look forward to having RMIT University as a companion in the next stage of my marvellous journey,” Minh said.

Story: Ngoc Hoang

Media Release

Science and technology

15 October 2021