I am Hoang Long, from Vietnam and I would like to express some of my thoughts and feelings about my journey with Master of Science in Finance (MSF) Program at SFRUC until now. Currently, I am enrolled in the 2020 Class of MSF, at the School of Finance, Renmin University of China.

I believe that the mission of the financial industry is to create opportunity by giving money to the right people who need it. Therefore, after several years working in the financial services field, I realized and was driven by a new concept - FinTech. If FinTech is well developed and managed, it will bring opportunities to so many people, even many times higher than the traditional banking system. Since I didn't want to miss out on the potential that FinTech brings, I decided to study for a master degree right in the place where FinTech is fastest growing - China.

Renmin University of China is a university with a long history, famous for its academic resources and strong alumni network. Additionally, it is located in Zhongguancun area in Haidian District of Beijing, one of the best financial and technology centers in China. I was so happy to know that the school offers a Master program in finance in English, taught by a team of distinguished professors. This is the perfect school for my study and research purposes. Thanks to the enthusiastic support of the program coordinator, the application process is quite easy and I feel very lucky to be accepted from my first attempt.

Although I was looking forward to experiencing campus life, having a face-to-face discussion with professors and friends, seeing a modern Beijing, my first semester had to be done online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But for everyone's safety, I decided to rearrange my work in Vietnam to fully participate in online courses. Despite the inconveniences of online learning, professors of RUC are still fully dedicated about giving guidance and advice to students. My classmates are also wonderful, we regularly exchange questions and discuss on Wechat. Thanks to that I was able to finish the first semester with good results.

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I am grateful that our professors, the school and my classmates have worked so hard for the program to go on schedule and effectively. I believe that dealing with all the current challenges helps me to become a better version of myself, with extensive expertise, technology skills and an innovative mindset. I hope the pandemic will be over soon so that we can meet each other in Beijing. Because there are so many things I want to experience: doing research together, attending seminars and visiting the top FinTech companies, banks, and investment funds in China. Until then, I wish all of us be healthy and unite together to overcome the days ahead.

Sincerely,

Truong Hoang Long, Vietnam