(Dan Tri) - Nguyen Anh Son - Gen Z director of a construction materials company - has been admitted to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Tsinghua University, China.
Nguyen Anh Son was born in 1998 and graduated from the University of Charleston, USA. Son's parents are former students of Hanoi University of Science and Technology and own a large construction company. Upon returning home, with the help of his parents, Son opened his own company, specializing in the production and construction of aluminum bars and rolling doors.
After 4 years of starting his business, Son wanted to expand to the Chinese market. He decided to pursue a master's degree. Tsinghua University - the top 1 school in Asia and top 23 in the world - is where the Gen Z director is aiming.
Nguyen Anh Son - MBA student, Tsinghua University, China (Photo: NVCC).
Tsinghua’s MBA program has a very specific entry requirement. Applicants are required to have 3 years of experience in addition to demonstrating exceptional qualities and a clear and suitable future orientation.
Son met one of these criteria with four years of running a business. The rest took him six months to prepare a dossier that included three essays, one GMAT (a standardized test for MBA or business programs) and two letters of recommendation.
In the main essay, Son writes about his own business experience in the context of the global economic crisis, the close trade connection between the two economies of Vietnam and China.
With letters of recommendation, Son received support from two American female professors who were both deans at the College of Charleston.
However, the most important part that helped Son become an MBA student at Thanh Hoa was the interview round.
Tsinghua University's interview panel consists of leading professors and experienced consultants from major companies. Each candidate only has 5-7 minutes for an interview but will have to answer dozens of different questions.
Son said that the interview style of the council is to "cut" the questions. When the candidate has not finished answering, they will interrupt to ask another question. Therefore, if the candidate does not have practical experience, does not have the ability to express and does not have a stable mentality, it will be difficult to pass.
Nguyen Anh Son presents in class (Photo: NVCC).
Son was asked by the council very carefully about his business. The council focused on every small detail such as: when the company was established, by what method, how many employees, how the departments were divided, what the annual revenue was, what kind of distributors were at the lower levels, short-term and long-term marketing plans, how the company would be managed when the director went to study in China...
"The professors asked very quickly, almost without giving me time to think. If you don't actually run a business and don't have the data in hand, you can't answer.
I also answered very honestly. From the fact that I stepped down from the company's advisory board and promoted a trusted subordinate to CEO during my 2 years of MBA to the fact that my parents supported me a lot in the early days of starting my business.
Nguyen Anh Son's self-introduction (Photo: NVCC).
The construction materials industry is full of "sharks". "Small fish" going out to swim alone will find it difficult to survive without adequate support in terms of finance, relationships and business methods.
Up to 20-30% of my first customers were referred by my parents. This ratio is getting lower and lower. At the same time, if my parents' customers are high-end customers, my customer segment is more popular.
When sharing these things with the admissions board, perhaps they appreciate my honesty and practical experience," said Nguyen Anh Son.
As a result, Son was admitted to the MBA program with a scholarship package covering 50% of the tuition fee, equivalent to 350 million VND. The remaining tuition fee and living expenses are estimated at about 600 million VND for 2 years.
During his 4 months studying at Tsinghua University, Son met many famous CEOs in Asia and the world. Most of his classmates are managers of large corporations or founders of start-up projects.
Back in the early days of business, Son confided that things were not easy at that time.
To expand his customer base, Son recruited a large number of sales staff. But he was always the one who directly met customers, thoroughly understanding their specific needs and feedback to adjust the product.
Thanks to that, while most of the competitors only provide ready-made products, Son provides personalized products.
The two areas where Son's company sells the most are Ninh Binh and Hai Phong. Here, Son provides rolling doors with slightly curved slats that are more resistant to force, suitable for coastal climates with frequent storms and strong winds.
Son hopes to export the company's products to China in the future.
It is known that Nguyen Anh Son is a former Russian major student at Nguyen Hue High School for the Gifted, Hanoi.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/giam-doc-gen-z-gianh-hoc-bong-mba-cua-dh-thanh-hoa-danh-gia-20250102153934837.htm
Comment (0)