AI DAY 2026: Hanoi University of Science and Technology Accompanies the Country in Advancing in the AI Era

Today (April 5), the AI Day 2026 event "Advancing Vietnam with AI" was held at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, attracting hundreds of delegates from state management agencies, technology enterprises, educational institutions, startups, and the innovation community across the country.

The event was organized by STEAM for Vietnam, AI for Vietnam, the U.S. Embassy, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Meta, the National Innovation Center (NIC), AI4LIFE, and ZTO Labs; with media support from the Vietnam Internet Association (VIA).

AI is a Strategic Driving Force for Comprehensive Innovation

Delivering the opening speech at the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Phong Dien - Vice President of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, stated: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating a fundamental shift for higher education worldwide.

"Hanoi University of Science and Technology identifies AI not only as a training and research field but also as a strategic driving force to comprehensively innovate the University - from training programs, teaching-learning methods, research activities, governance models, to the University's academic and innovation ecosystem," emphasized Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Phong Dien.
  According to Vice President Nguyen Phong Dien, in the AI era, the way the University carries out its core mission must change more strongly, more deeply, and more responsibly. The representative of Hanoi University of Science and Technology announced 5 major orientations the University is committed to implementing in association with the AI era in the coming time: Innovating training programs; Innovating teaching and learning methods; Innovating testing and assessment methods; Building a digital university ecosystem and innovation environment; Developing human resources and maintaining core educational values.

Following the opening session, the Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Vietnam, John W. McIntyre, emphasized the deep commitment of the United States in accompanying Vietnam on its journey of digital transformation and AI development, affirming: "The United States believes that AI will propel humanity forward, AI will expand opportunities, enhance creativity, and solve real-world challenges."

Chargé d'Affaires John W. McIntyre officially announced the launch of the "Super Teachers With AI" Project, an initiative funded by the U.S. Mission to Vietnam, aiming to equip 50,000 Vietnamese teachers with practical AI skills through online courses and hands-on workshops at American Spaces nationwide. This initiative also aims to build a national network of teaching professionals applying AI.
  "Teachers are the foundation for the success of any society. When we provide them with advanced tools and training activities, we multiply their impact on thousands of students and communities," shared Mr. McIntyre.

The U.S. Chargé d'Affaires also shared about activities supporting Vietnam in making English a second language in scientific and technological research, while committing to coordinate with Vietnamese policymakers to ensure that newly enacted artificial intelligence regulations will foster innovation.

Laying the Foundation for National AI Capacity

The AI Day 2026 plenary session witnessed 4 keynote presentations providing multi-dimensional perspectives from policymaking agencies, education management, media leaders, and innovation-promoting organizations, thereby outlining a comprehensive picture of how artificial intelligence is being shaped, deployed, and applied in Vietnam.

In the keynote "National AI Strategy and Deployment Ecosystem," Master Dang Chien Cong - representing the National Institute of Digital Technology and Digital Transformation (Ministry of Science and Technology) - detailed the important milestones of the policy landscape.
  In just under three months, Vietnam has completed building the foundational legal corridor for artificial intelligence: On December 10, 2025, the National Assembly passed the Law on Artificial Intelligence 134/2025/QH15; On February 28, 2026, the Prime Minister signed Decision 367/QD-TTg promulgating the Plan for implementing the Law on Artificial Intelligence; On March 1, 2026, the Law on Artificial Intelligence officially took effect, marking Vietnam's transition from the orientation phase to execution.

"The near-record speed of lawmaking in Vietnam demonstrates the State's efforts in the face of urgent issues," Mr. Cong assessed.

The second keynote "Developing AI capacity for Vietnamese education," presented by Mr. Nguyen Son Hai – Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Information (Ministry of Education and Training), emphasized that equipping learners with AI capacity is an urgent requirement.
  According to Mr. Hai, AI education is not just about teaching how to use tools, but equipping learners with the knowledge, thinking, and skills so they can understand, master, and use AI responsibly.

The representative of the Ministry of Education and Training stated that the AI education program is being piloted from the primary school level, with plans for official implementation from the 2026–2027 academic year. This is a breakthrough step, reflecting a long-term vision in building human resources.

For higher education, the Ministry of Education and Training has requested a review of all training programs to integrate AI capacity. At the same time, the teaching staff and education managers are also trained according to the new digital competency framework, in which AI is an important component.

When Humans Master Technology

The keynote titled "The Era of AI Journalism: When Algorithms Serve the Pen - Strategic Orientation for Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Modern Newsrooms" was presented by Mr. Le Quoc Minh - Member of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Secretary of the Party Group, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association.
  Mr. Le Quoc Minh stated that journalism is one of the fields applying technology the fastest. The presentation offered a perspective that AI cannot replace journalists but creates a "super journalist" model where humans and technology complement each other.

AI can process data at great speed and scale, while humans ensure context, ethics, and empathy. The core principle of every newsroom in the AI era is "human-in-the-loop," meaning humans always hold the role of final control.

Speaker Le Quoc Minh emphasized the message: No matter how far technology advances, humans must be the masters of the machine; ultimate power still lies in the fingers typing on the keyboard!
Concluding the plenary keynote session was a sharing from Dr. Tran Viet Hung - Co-founder and CEO of STEAM for Vietnam and AI for Vietnam, with the impressive title: "AI or DIE".

Dr. Tran Viet Hung argued that there must be a change in the mindset of using technology: Stop manual work completely and assign tasks to AI; transition from "a person who works well" to "a person who manages AI agents well," knowing how to set the right goals, orient AI execution, and evaluate results.
  "Behind a tool are thousands of AI PhDs and AI experts working 24/7 and almost for free. The human's job is how to lead those 'AI employees'," emphasized Dr. Tran Viet Hung.

Taking place right at the time the 2025 Law on Artificial Intelligence just took effect, AI Day 2026 is an open forum where policy, research, and practice converge, opening a new chapter for Vietnam's journey to advance with AI.

Alongside the keynotes, the morning plenary session also featured three consecutive presentation series with the themes: Building Vietnam's AI capacity foundation; Applying AI in practice; The golden time for businesses to break through with AI. In the afternoon, three parallel sessions took place simultaneously in three directions: Innovation in AI; AI application in socio-economic fields; Data infrastructure and AI ecosystem.

In parallel with the discussion sessions, the experience and exhibition area attracted a large number of attendees, with highlights such as the OpenClaw booth providing free installation experiences and AI automation solutions for businesses, the AI Personal Assistant Experience area introducing AI assistants supporting task management and information processing, and the AI Innovation Showcase space exhibiting many AI products, solutions, and research in the fields of education, healthcare, enterprise, and startups, thereby clearly sketching the AI ecosystem that is gradually forming in Vietnam.