Trịnh Quốc Trọng obtained the degree of Aquaculture Engineer at the University of Agriculture and Forestry in Việt Nam in 1998. After graduation Trọng joined the Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2 (RIA 2). In 2002, he started a masters degree at Agriculture University of Norway (NLH), Ås, Norway and his thesis was on the simulation of fish breeding programs comparing “walkback” selection and within-family selection schemes. He graduated in 2004 and returned to work at RIA 2. In 2007, he commenced a sandwich PhD study on breeding programs for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) at the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, the Netherlands, with funding from Wageningen University and funding for field work from WorldFish. Trọng successfully defended his PhD thesis on June 19, 2013. Trong worked as a Director of the National Breeding Centre for Southern Freshwater Aquaculture in  Việt Nam for 5 years before joining WorldFish in January 2018 as a Scientist (Fish Genetics) with the Sustainable Aquaculture Program. Trong is focusing on what he has been trained for and been working with for the last 15 years: selective breeding in fish and other aquatic species.