Trần Bạch Khánh Chi, a Class of 2025 student at Fulbright University Vietnam, is pursuing Arts & Media Studies and Social Studies. She recently excelled through competitive selection rounds to become one of 15 Vietnamese delegates for the 2024 Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP).
SSEAYP is an annual international youth exchange program organized by the Japanese government in collaboration with the 10 ASEAN countries. It aims to foster understanding, solidarity, and friendship between Japan and Southeast Asia.
Khanh Chi with delegates from Brunei, Myanmar, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore at the SEA Youth Sustainability Summit in August 2024.
Chi has long harbored a passion for learning and expanding her knowledge, particularly through experiencing diverse cultures abroad and in short-term exchange programs. “I’ve always wanted to bring international experiences back to contribute to Vietnam’s development,” Chi shared. Aware of her family’s financial constraints, she proactively sought scholarships to pursue global educational opportunities.
Among numerous candidates, Chi impressed the selection committee with her strong knowledge of economics, diplomacy, and environmental issues. Her diverse involvement in projects, startups, acting, language, and volunteering, coupled with her intellectual curiosity and proactive pursuit of opportunities, set her apart.
Khanh Chi and other youth delegates record the theme song for the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program 2024.
“Fulbright has provided the environment for me to nurture and develop these qualities, enabling me to boldly pursue global opportunities,” Chi reflected on her four-year journey at the university.
Chi’s achievements include placing in the Top 5 of the GreenHack: Global Hackathon competition organized by the University of Hong Kong and representing Vietnam in the Hong Kong Techathon 2024. She was also the sole Vietnamese representative at the SEA Youth Sustainability Summit 2024, a regional forum on sustainable development in Southeast Asia.
Khanh Chi attended the Mid-Autumn Festival event at a workers’ dormitory in Thu Duc City together with the Vietnamese delegation in collaboration with youth organizations in the city in September 2024.
Passionate about community issues, particularly mental health, Chi and four other Fulbright students developed the 2D game Lost & Found: A Village to support young people’s mental well-being. This project garnered several awards and impressive accolades.
Chi further impressed the selection committee with her artistic talents—playing the Đàn Tranh, singing in Japanese, modern dancing, and acting—skills she honed at Fulbright. In 2023, she starred in Saturn, a short film produced by Fulbright students that won the Best Short Film Award at the Dubai International Film Festival.
Khanh Chi was interviewed along with the Vietnamese delegation participating in SSEAYP 2024 at the Voice of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Radio – VOH, in September 2024.
Becoming a SSEAYP delegate this year is a testament to Khánh Chi’s tireless efforts. We wish her continued success as she embarks on this global journey!
Khanh Chi with youth representatives from ASEAN countries at the SEA Youth Sustainability Summit in August, 2024.
Khanh Chi with youth representatives from Asia at the Hong Kong Techathon+ 2024 competition in Hong Kong in January, 2024.
Khanh Chi in the film Saturn, which won Best Short Film at the University of Wollongong in Dubai International Film Festival 2023.
Khanh Chi with the production team of the short film Saturn, produced by Fulbright students.
Khanh Chi and her Class of 2025 classmates won the Best Performance Award at the Fulbright Leadership Camp 2021.
