FPT Empowers Employees with Coursera for Business: Meet Hongran

For Hongran W., continuous learning is propelling his growth as a tech leader, mirroring his company’s forward-looking vision to equip its global workforce with the skills of tomorrow.

A global leader in IT services and digital transformation, FPT supports enterprises worldwide with technology consulting and full-stack digital solutions. The Corporation’s commitment to lifelong learning was recently highlighted at Coursera Connect, where its education affiliate, FPT University, was recognized as the AI Innovation Award Finalist at the Coursera Outstanding Achievement Awards 2025.

Hongran is strengthening his technical and professional skills through FPT’s partnership with Coursera for Business. From complex cloud computing skills to broadly applicable project management methods, Hongran is building an in-demand skill set for his career today and beyond. 

In this interview, Hongran shares insights from completing more than 20 Coursera programs and how lifelong learning has shaped his growth. 

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Tell us a little about your professional or academic background.

My name is Hongran Wang. I’m currently based in Japan. Initially, I worked as a cloud engineer, but now I’m a team leader handling a project that helps customers deploy their applications on cloud platforms.

What was your goal in learning on Coursera? 

My goal is to become a “T-shaped” person—having deep expertise in cloud computing while also gaining knowledge in other domains such as finance, project management, and security. Coursera enables me to pursue this by offering courses across multiple areas.

What skills have you gained through Coursera?

Through Coursera, I have gained strong skills in machine learning and deep learning, including model building and optimization. I have also developed expertise in cloud computing by learning how to architect secure solutions on AWS and Google Cloud, while understanding best practices for cloud security. As a non-English speaker, studying on Coursera has also helped me greatly improve my English skills. 

How has access to a broad catalog of skills-focused content from top universities and industry leaders helped you achieve your goals and drive impact at work?

It has had a significant impact. As a team leader, my clients often ask questions about various topics like cloud, security, and networking. Even without extensive prior work experience, I could answer their questions by applying knowledge learned from Coursera. This boosted my confidence and established trust, helping build strong client relationships.

What helped you feel motivated and empowered to actively engage in your learning programs?

What helped me feel motivated and empowered to actively engage in my learning program was my genuine interest in the subjects and knowing they could help me achieve my career goals.* The courses were well-organized, and the practical assignments and real-life examples made learning enjoyable. Seeing my progress over time also encouraged me to stay involved and take on new challenges.

What I have most enjoyed and found most valuable about my learning experience on Coursera is the flexibility to learn at my own pace and the variety of relevant courses available for each topic.

What have you most enjoyed or found most valuable about your learning experience on Coursera?

What I have most enjoyed and found most valuable about my learning experience on Coursera is the flexibility to learn at my own pace and the variety of relevant courses available for each topic. Being able to hear different ideas from various instructors helped me build a well-rounded understanding of each subject. The personalized learning recommendations and interactive features like quizzes also making the learning process more engaging and effective.

Were there any unexpected outcomes or lessons from your learning experience?

Besides the knowledge I gained from Coursera, the most unexpected outcome was developing my ability to self-motivate. Unlike work, where your efforts are often directly rewarded with pay, promotions, or positive feedback from clients, studying doesn’t always provide immediate or tangible benefits. You might spend 150 hours learning and still feel as though you haven't achieved much. This experience taught me that learning requires persistence and internal motivation, rather than relying on external rewards.

For example, when I felt discouraged, I would set small, achievable goals for each study session, such as finishing a module or correctly completing a quiz. Celebrating these small victories helped me stay motivated and maintain momentum. Over time, I realized that the true value of learning comes from personal growth and the satisfaction of mastering new skills, even when progress feels slow or intangible.

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What are your future professional or learning goals? How do you want to keep growing?

My future professional and learning goals are to become even more proficient in cloud computing, while also gaining a solid understanding of other important areas such as finance and project management. I want to continue developing as a team leader by acquiring skills that will help me work effectively with clients and support my team.

To keep growing, I will set aside time for learning every day, even if it’s just an hour. This will help me build a consistent habit and continue learning without feeling overwhelmed. I will also seek opportunities to apply what I learn from online courses, such as those on Coursera, to my daily work. This way, I can see the value of the knowledge I gain and stay motivated to keep improving.

What advice would you give to other professionals interested in deepening their expertise or developing new skills?

Don’t focus too much on immediate results—you may forget things after completing a course, and that’s normal. The key is to keep learning and revisiting topics over time. Make learning a habit, explore different subjects, and enjoy the process. If there are many programs on the same topic, I prefer to take them all. Learning the same subject from different programs helps reinforce memory through repetition.

Explore Coursera for Your Business

With Coursera for Business, you can train teams across your organization in the skills that matter most in today’s digital economy. Your employees will gain access to content from 350+ leading universities and industry partners, where they can build real-world experience with innovative skills, tools, and technologies while earning globally recognized credentials. Our customizable, scalable learning solutions balance workplace and technical skills training in diverse formats, from video clips to guided projects and Professional Certificates. Accelerate your digital transformation and equip employees to drive growth with Coursera.

*Individual experiences and outcomes can vary, and Coursera does not guarantee job interviews or job placements upon completion of its courses.