Growing up in a small farming community in northern Vietnam, a Vietnamese researcher has been awarded three fully funded PhD scholarships, two of them from the University of Oxford in the U.K.
Dao Trong Nhan, 29, received news of the Oxford offers in March, each worth £250,000 (US$336,400). The two programs are in Life Sciences and Environmental Science, and Biology.
Oxford ranked fourth best university in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings 2026 by U.K.-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
Nhan was also accepted into the Australian Government's Research Training Program (RTP) at the University of Western Australia (UWA) with full funding.
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| Dao Trong Nhan. Photo courtesy of Nhan |
"My dream of studying at top universities around the world has finally come true. I chose to pursue a PhD in Biology," Nhan said.
He graduated as valedictorian last year from the University of Western Australia's School of Agriculture and Environment with a master’s degree in Agricultural Science, achieving a GPA of 88/100.
A former Biology student at the University of Science, Vietnam National University-Hanoi, Nhan admitted his first two years were unfocused and his grades poor. Seeing classmates win study-abroad scholarships inspired him to work harder, along with encouragement from his English teacher, who often shared stories about international students.
Specializing in genetics, Nhan wrote his undergraduate thesis on a rice gene family that helps the plant adapt to harsh environmental conditions. Using real-time PCR, he assessed the genes’ activity under salinity, flooding, and other stressors. His work, which examined genes linked to water transport and solute movement in rice, earned a score of 9.4/10.
After graduating in 2019, Nhan delayed applying for government scholarships, feeling his GPA of 2.89/4 and limited research experience weakened his chances. Instead, he worked at the Institute of Cereal and Food Crops under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and later at the Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).
At VAST, he joined a project using gene-editing tools to boost rice's salt tolerance, co-authoring two papers published in Q1 plant biotechnology journals "Planta" and "Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture".
In 2022, with three years’ experience and an IELTS score of 7.5, Nhan won the Australian Government’s Australia Awards Scholarship (AAS) for his master’s at UWA. During his studies, he co-authored a paper on RNA editing in plants, published in the Q1 The Plant Journal.
Although awarded a fully funded Australian PhD scholarship, Nhan still aspired to study at a top U.K. university. He applied to two PhD programs at Oxford, submitting an essay and research proposal.
For Biology, the essay asked why he chose the university and how his expertise aligned with its programs. Nhan outlined a goal of becoming an expert in biotechnology to develop crop varieties resilient to climate change by 2050. Growing up in a rural district of Hai Duong Province, which is now a part of Hai Phong City, he witnessed annual floods and natural disasters devastating agriculture and wanted to help farmers mitigate such losses.
"Biotechnology, plant science, and agricultural science are the most suitable research fields for me to turn my ideas into reality," he wrote, detailing how his academic focus had been consistent for five to seven years.
Two months later, he was shortlisted for an interview with three professors, discussing his expertise, problem-solving, independence, teamwork, and time management over an hour.
"This is a well-deserved achievement, reflecting Nhan's exceptional efforts, perseverance, and clear strategy," said Dr. Do Tien Phat, Head of the Plant Cell Technology Department at VAST, who recommended him. He praised Nhan's language skills, proactivity, creativity, professionalism, and integrity in research.
In September, Nhan will begin his four-year PhD at Oxford. After graduation, he plans to teach, mentor students, and continue his research career.
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