That was shared by reader Hoang Minh following recent readers' articles on VnExpress about people studying abroad and returning to Vietnam with lower salary than those learning domestically.

Minh continued: "Studying abroad does not automatically mean you are better or more knowledgeable than those who study domestically. After interacting and working with many people who studied abroad, I realized the picture has both strengths and weaknesses.

Regarding advantages, the most obvious benefit for international students is foreign language ability. Thanks to living and studying in an environment where foreign languages are used daily, international students often communicate better. When they return home, if they choose jobs requiring language proficiency, this becomes a clear advantage.

Besides that, they also have opportunities to interact with international friends and different perspectives. Many developed countries are decades ahead of Vietnam, so their ways of thinking, social systems, and lifestyles offer valuable lessons. Studying with friends from many countries also gives them richer experiences.

However, studying abroad also has drawbacks, and the one I have noticed most clearly is discontinuity of knowledge. It is not true that studying abroad automatically leads to higher knowledge than studying domestically. In the early stages, when foreign language skills are still weak, absorbing lectures becomes difficult. The more explanations there are, the more new words appear, leading to fragmented understanding. Language barriers can make the knowledge foundation disjointed.

If they continue working abroad and regularly use the foreign language, they can gradually improve. Otherwise, the gap may persist.

I once had a friend pursuing a PhD in France. I asked him for feedback on hotel management software developed by a local team. After listening to his presentation, I frankly told him: 'Those ideas are not wrong, but they are outdated because we discussed these issues 3-5 years ago.'

I could even explain the issues to him again more clearly. In fact, there were parts I explained in Vietnamese that he still did not fully understand, so it is understandable that studying in a foreign language may lead to incomplete understanding and fragmented knowledge.

From these observations and experiences, I believe studying abroad is not a guarantee of exceptional ability. The important thing is not whether someone studies abroad or domestically, but whether they understand how to make the most of the opportunity.

Taking advantage of language skills, environment, and perspective while proactively filling knowledge gaps - that is how studying abroad truly creates value."

People engage in an office meeting. Illustration photo by Pexels

Studying abroad has long been viewed as a pathway to greater opportunities, from knowledge and foreign language skills to international living experience.

Many families are willing to invest billions of dong in sending their children overseas in the hope of changing their future.

However, behind those expectations, many readers believe the issue should be viewed from multiple angles.

Reader Dinh wrote: "There is probably no research in the world concluding that those who study abroad are necessarily better in their chosen field than those who study domestically. When I ask people around me why they send their children abroad, I almost always hear the same answer: ‘To work overseas and have opportunities to settle there.’

"In reality, companies do not automatically pay higher salaries to international graduates than domestic graduates. Salaries increase when employees demonstrate exceptional ability in their work."

Another reader, TTw, argued that studying abroad should be seen as a personal experience rather than a universal formula for success.

"It is not about being the best, but about being the most suitable," the reader wrote. "Studying abroad is not only about professional development, but also about experiences you cannot gain domestically.

"There is no one-size-fits-all formula. If you do not have the conditions to study abroad now, you can still study domestically, pursue vocational training, advanced education, or work abroad later. All of these are valuable learning experiences."