From September to November, 2023, TNUS accepted 01 German intern through IAESTE program. She had a wonderful time during her internship time. The following is her sharing after 3-month internship at TNUS.
My name is Lina Walther, I am a Master student from Kiel, Germany studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and I did an IAESTE internship at TNUS for three months. I chose TNUS and Vietnam because the offer promised me diversified work in different environments like doing research in a laboratory but also contribute to clubs and teaching. Being close to Hanoi the location of Thai Nguyen gave me the opportunity to discover the beautiful country of Vietnam and its fascinating, colourful culture easily. Under this circumstances I had the great privilege not only to work and learn in my field of study but also to make new friends, travel and gather cultural experiences. My contact and main support at TNUS was the international office, especially Mrs. Thi Phuong Mai Nguyen who gave me recommendations, support and even made it possible for me to take part in an official conference about tourism in Thanh Hoa Province, a collaboration between Vietnamese and German researchers supported by the DAAD from Germany.
In my time at TNUS I had the opportunity to work in the laboratory of Dr. Nguyen Phu Hung which was not only informative but also a very supportive workplace. I worked in a very interesting project in cancer research that connects western strategies with old Vietnamese medicinal knowledge. During my internship, I was able to contribute to papers about the potential of Vietnamese medicinal plants in treating liver cancer. I treated immortal liver cancer cells in a petri dish with extracts from several medicinal plants that are known to have positive effects on liver function and ailments. Using several biochemical methods I found out that some of the extracts could kill the cancer cells or even enhance the effects of already known chemotherapeutics. This gave me new perspectives for my future research and I learned new methods like a cell migration assay and senescence assessments. In the laboratory, I had great help from the students working there and always support about the theoretical background and my project from my supervisor. They also invited me for dinner and helped me get around in the city so I felt welcome and at home.
Additionally, I taught English in two classes which I enjoyed a lot. I had a lot of help there from Mrs. Pham Phuong Hoa, who helped me prepare the lessons and answered all of my questions. When I was teaching, the students were very welcoming and really appreciated my lessons. I also learned more about the life of students in Vietnam and their visions, potential, dreams and problems. The English Language division and Faculty of Languages and Cultures also invited me to cultural events of TNUS that I really enjoyed.
Of course, I also enjoyed my time in the city and Vietnam in general with travelling and exploring Thai Nguyen and its surroundings with locals and other IAESTE interns. For doing that I also had great support from the IAESTE committee in form of recommendations, organized trips, help to plan trips myself and also to connect with other students. Especially, Mrs. Bui Thanh Huong helped me from questions of everyday life in Vietnam and work related questions to exploring the North of Vietnam.
All of these experiences made my time in Vietnam and at TNUS very memorable. I am especially grateful for learning about Vietnamese culture and finding new friends but also that I was able to take part in such interesting and successful research. I took home a lot of gifts and good memories and will always gladly think back and tell people about my great time in Vietnam.
Some photos of 3-month-internship of Lina at Thai Nguyen University of Sciences:
