A Vietnamese student has been named “International Student of the Year” in an Australian state for her perfect academic performance as an undergraduate student. Her five rivals hail from Iran, Korea, China, India, and Singapore.  

Luu Thu Hanh, a student at the University of Adelaide in the state of South Australia, was recently presented with the award at a special ceremony in Adelaide, as reported on the website of Education Adelaide, an Australian government organization.

Hanh, enrolled in two programs, a Bachelor’s of Mathematical and Computer Sciences and a Bachelor’s of Finance, won the Academic Excellence – Undergraduate category of the SA Governor’s annual International Student Awards and claimed the top prize after outdoing the winners of four other categories, namely Academic Excellence – Schools, Academic Excellence – Postgraduate, Excellence in Community Support, and Excellence in Sport.

Hanh stunned the judging panel with her perfect GPA of 7.0, the highest on the academic scale in Australia, in the face of myriad competitive applications. 

What amazed her peers and the judges most is the fact that she found time to both collect academic prizes and participate in extra-curricular activities, such as the Australian University Games and induction events.

Hanh is studying in Adelaide on a full scholarship given by the Vietnamese government under its plan to train skilled people overseas.

The 21-year-old student hails from central Vietnam’s Nam Dinh Province, about 100 km south of Hanoi.

She was enrolled at a Nam Dinh specialized high school where she was at the top of her class for three years in a row before receiving the best score on a national high school graduation exam in 2010.

Last year another Vietnamese student was also given the “International Student of the Year” award by the South Australian Governor.

Nguyen Trong Nghia, a senior at the University of Adelaide studying for a Bachelor of Engineering, was honored for his GPA of 6.95 and engagement with both Australian and Vietnamese communities via university clubs and societies.