UTC sophomore heading to Taiwan after landing prestigious Critical Language Scholarship

Vinny Nguyen will spend two months at Tamkang University in New Taipei City, Taiwan—from June 17-Aug. 15—after landing the Critical Language Scholarship to study Mandarin. Photo by Angela Foster.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore Vinny Nguyen is taking his passion for language, diplomacy and international engagement across the world.

Nguyen, a double major in political science international/comparative studies and economics international public policy with a minor in Asian studies, has been selected for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Mandarin in Taiwan this summer. He will spend two months at Tamkang University in New Taipei City—from June 17-Aug. 15—as part of the prestigious U.S. Department of State initiative.

The CLS program is designed to provide rigorous language instruction and cultural enrichment to American students preparing for careers in public service or international affairs.

A member of the Innovations in Honors program in the UTC Honors College, Nguyen is no stranger to international experiences and language immersion. Last summer, he was selected for the CLS Spark—a virtual language program that provides American students with foundational skills in languages deemed critical to U.S. engagement with the world. In his case, that meant learning beginner Mandarin.

That experience helped propel him into the prestigious in-person CLS program.

“Within 10 weeks, I went from complete beginner to intermediate low,” Nguyen said of his CLS Spark experience. “That gave me a foundation—how to ask where the bathroom is, how much something costs. Now I get to build on that in Taiwan.”

Vinny Nguyen

At Tamkang University, he will begin with two weeks of dorm-style housing alongside his cohort. Participants then rotate between university housing and homestays with local families to deepen their language learning and cultural understanding.

Daily Mandarin classes, weekly one-on-one tutoring sessions, language partner meetups and hands-on cultural excursions—such as traditional cooking, tea ceremonies and dragon dance—round out the immersive experience.

Growing up speaking Vietnamese at home, Nguyen—a first-generation college student—said his background has helped him to learn other languages. He is proficient in English, Vietnamese and German, “getting closer” in Spanish, and is excited to sharpen his Mandarin skills through the CLS experience.

“Vietnamese is a tonal language and so is Mandarin,” he explained. “That’s helped my ear pick up the differences in pitch and tone more easily. The shared vocabulary and linguistic influence between Chinese and Vietnamese also helped me when I was starting out.”

This won’t be Nguyen’s first extended international academic experience. After graduating from Lookout Valley High School in 2022, he spent a year in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program, where he interned at the City Hall of Wolfsburg.

“That experience really solidified my passion for international relations,” he said. “It gave me a first-hand look at how interconnected local economies are and inspired me to pursue economic diplomacy.”

Now, with CLS Taiwan on his summer plate and aspirations of a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, he is focusing on Mandarin and its significance in global economic policy. While in Taiwan, Nguyen said he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of U.S.-Taiwanese foreign policy, especially regarding technology and trade.

“We’re going to visit the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Innovation Museum while we’re there,” he said. “Superconductor manufacturing and emerging technologies are key areas I want to learn more about. My long-term goal is to work in economic and political diplomacy—particularly in Southeast Asia.”

Nguyen said the opportunity to connect with local culture is just as important as the language coursework. Of particular interest: he’s looking forward to the dragon dance workshop—having participated in Vietnamese dragon dances growing up during Lunar New Year celebrations.

“I want to see how that tradition differs between cultures,” he said. “Learning language is one part, but learning people’s traditions—that’s what helps you really understand a place.”

The Taiwan trip isn’t his only upcoming overseas adventure. Right after UTC’s spring semester ends, he’s departing for what he calls “a self-organized month-long Spanish language study program” in Spain.

As a student who thrives in multilingual, multicultural environments, he sees every opportunity abroad “as a chance to grow personally and professionally.”

“I’ve learned that no matter how different people seem, deep down, we’re all so similar,” he said. “These programs remind me of the importance of building global connections—and of keeping those connections strong.

“I really have my eyes on becoming a foreign service officer. I want to be out there networking with people and promoting the policies and agreements that the U.S. will need to strengthen its economic independence.”