STATEMENT OF PURPOSES
To Whom It May Concern,
If admitted, I am delighted to pursue Master’s in International Relations at University of
Sussex for the September intake of 2021.
When I was in my second year at Hanoi University, I noticed this catchy phrase: “We
are living in a Globalization Era”, which appeared in many sample essays. “Such a powerful
template” was the very first thought that rushed to my mind. But, then, I thought a bit
deeper. Are we really undergoing an epochal change – one which is characterized by the
increasing irrelevance of the “nation – state” concept, one where the Westphalia system is
argued to be on the brink of collision, and one where the world is claimed to be bounded
together by technological advances? I’d rather take a skeptical view. These baffling questions
eventually led me to write “The age of globalization is over” (quoting from Justin
Rosenberg’s “Globalization Theory: A Post Mortem”) as my midterm dissertation and I got
9.6 out of 10. Such a high mark has greatly fueled my interest in the field of International
Relations because I strongly believe that the more I delve into it, the closer I can get to the
truth - to shatter the superficial facade and gain insight into things.
As my graduation drew near, I thought about Vietnam - my beautiful home country.
Vietnam is one of the great economic success stories of the 21 st century thus far. In the
context of great power rivalry and its undermining effects on ASEAN unity and centrality,
Vietnam’s position gains additional importance. It is truly a blessing, but also a curse - one
misstep in its foreign policy, however small, might lead to further disastrous consequences.
Unfortunately, Vietnamese researches on different aspects of International Relations are
either insufficient or obsolete. Therefore, I feel an irresistible urge me expand my horizon so
that I can conscientiously aid policymakers in shaping foreign policies. Eventually, I have
chosen UK for its top-notch education quality. Moreover, course duration for Masters in UK
universities is 1 year, which will be a less significant drain of time and money.
Learning International Studies major at Hanoi University is a valuable chance for me.
During the first 2 years, I learnt a myriad of things which are fundamental to the world’s
functioning such as modern world politics, international relations theories and international
law. Later on, I also acquired knowledge on political science, culture and religion and
activities of international organizations. These modules allowed me to better understand the
operation of various governments in the world. In my final year, I worked as an intern at
Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for six months. My main tasks were translation and
interpretation, therefore I learnt the composing of diplomatic documents or conducting
diplomatic etiquette in different occasions. My social skills has improved tremendously since
then. I also got the chance to meet U.S. Admiral Phillip Davidson (INDO-PACOM
Commander) on his trip to Hanoi and U.S. Ambassador in Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink. From
these experiences, I was able to gain insight into the perspective and policies of the U.S. - a
major power in the world - towards Vietnam. After finishing my internship, I wrote my
To Whom It May Concern,
If admitted, I am delighted to pursue Master’s in International Relations at University of
Sussex for the September intake of 2021.
When I was in my second year at Hanoi University, I noticed this catchy phrase: “We
are living in a Globalization Era”, which appeared in many sample essays. “Such a powerful
template” was the very first thought that rushed to my mind. But, then, I thought a bit
deeper. Are we really undergoing an epochal change – one which is characterized by the
increasing irrelevance of the “nation – state” concept, one where the Westphalia system is
argued to be on the brink of collision, and one where the world is claimed to be bounded
together by technological advances? I’d rather take a skeptical view. These baffling questions
eventually led me to write “The age of globalization is over” (quoting from Justin
Rosenberg’s “Globalization Theory: A Post Mortem”) as my midterm dissertation and I got
9.6 out of 10. Such a high mark has greatly fueled my interest in the field of International
Relations because I strongly believe that the more I delve into it, the closer I can get to the
truth - to shatter the superficial facade and gain insight into things.
As my graduation drew near, I thought about Vietnam - my beautiful home country.
Vietnam is one of the great economic success stories of the 21 st century thus far. In the
context of great power rivalry and its undermining effects on ASEAN unity and centrality,
Vietnam’s position gains additional importance. It is truly a blessing, but also a curse - one
misstep in its foreign policy, however small, might lead to further disastrous consequences.
Unfortunately, Vietnamese researches on different aspects of International Relations are
either insufficient or obsolete. Therefore, I feel an irresistible urge me expand my horizon so
that I can conscientiously aid policymakers in shaping foreign policies. Eventually, I have
chosen UK for its top-notch education quality. Moreover, course duration for Masters in UK
universities is 1 year, which will be a less significant drain of time and money.
Learning International Studies major at Hanoi University is a valuable chance for me.
During the first 2 years, I learnt a myriad of things which are fundamental to the world’s
functioning such as modern world politics, international relations theories and international
law. Later on, I also acquired knowledge on political science, culture and religion and
activities of international organizations. These modules allowed me to better understand the
operation of various governments in the world. In my final year, I worked as an intern at
Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for six months. My main tasks were translation and
interpretation, therefore I learnt the composing of diplomatic documents or conducting
diplomatic etiquette in different occasions. My social skills has improved tremendously since
then. I also got the chance to meet U.S. Admiral Phillip Davidson (INDO-PACOM
Commander) on his trip to Hanoi and U.S. Ambassador in Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink. From
these experiences, I was able to gain insight into the perspective and policies of the U.S. - a
major power in the world - towards Vietnam. After finishing my internship, I wrote my
