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Nguyen Quang Co (right)
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TopicsLetters from alumni

Nguyen Quang Co
Doctoral student at the Division of Agricultural and Life Science, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University

I hold a Master's degree from Okayama University, Japan, having studied in the Plant Production Science laboratory from April 2011 to March 2012. Following this, I began studying for my PhD at the Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science at Okayama.

After graduating with my undergraduate degree from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry in Vietnam, I decided I would like to continue studying and work abroad. I had heard about the International Master's Program in Sustainability of Rural and Environmental Systems, established as a collaboration between Okayama University and Hue University in 2007. Eight students are selected each year to study at Hue University for 18 months, followed by one year studying at Okayama University. Each graduate from the program receives a certificate from Okayama University. I am proud to be a member of the Okayama – Hue Program.

Okayama University creates many great opportunities for studying and researching. The teaching method is "learning by doing" which helps students gain a deep understanding of both theory and practice. In my laboratory, as well as the challenging classes, weekly seminars and progress reports are also very important. These focus on developing strong research methods, and require us to spend a lot of time sourcing and reading materials before completing reports and participating in discussions. I have had many chances to study and conduct experiments with students and teachers in the laboratory of Plant Production Science. This has helped me immensely, with teachers and others guiding me and allowing me to take part in many discussions. Their suggestions and advice have led me to complete my Master's thesis, and grow not only as an academic but also as a person.

Last but not least, I sincerely hope that the International Master's Program in Sustainability of Rural and Environmental Systems continues to develop and generate even more opportunities for students to study and collaborate with others in the same academic field.