From Vietnamese people working in technology in Silicon Valley
In an era where AI is profoundly changing the way people learn and create around the world, a group of Vietnamese people in Silicon Valley (USA) have chosen to embark on a special journey - a journey to bring technological knowledge back to their homeland. That is the story of STEAM for Vietnam - a non-profit organization, founded by a group of Vietnamese engineers and technology experts in the United States, with the mission of popularizing free, international-quality STEAM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and arts) education to all Vietnamese children and students, regardless of whether they are in the city center or in remote mountainous areas.
Sharing with reporters of Vietnam Law Newspaper, Dr. Tran Viet Hung, Founder of STEAM for Vietnam said: “We believe that Vietnamese children do not lack capacity, but only lack the opportunity to access technology early to master the digital future. From Vietnamese people working in the technology field in Silicon Valley, we started this journey with the belief that education can be the foundation for Vietnam to break through in the AI era.”
After 5 years of development, STEAM for Vietnam has reached more than 800,000 students and 70,000 teachers, bringing courses on AI, programming, and robotics to places that still lack infrastructure. Dr. Hung said that STEAM for Vietnam is now entering a new phase - applying AI to train and empower teachers nationwide - the goal is to equip 2 million teachers and 24 million students with digital skills by 2029, creating a generation of confident, creative, and globally competitive Vietnamese citizens. "We want to prove that Vietnam is not only keeping up with the world in technology education - but can absolutely lead the way," Dr. Hung affirmed.
Notably, in an era where technology is profoundly changing the way of teaching and learning, STEAM for Vietnam chooses to focus on the teaching force, placing “teachers” at the center of the journey of digital transformation of education. Mr. Hung explained: “We always believe that teachers are at the center of all educational innovation. An empowered teacher can change a generation of students. Therefore, instead of just focusing on teaching each student directly, we choose to empower teachers with tools, knowledge and confidence, so that they can become “Superteachers” - the leaders of Vietnamese education in the AI era.”
In the journey of accompanying tens of thousands of teachers across the country, STEAM for Vietnam has recognized a valuable spirit in the teaching staff: daring to learn - daring to try - daring to innovate, especially teachers working in areas with many difficulties. When recalling memorable memories, Mr. Hung said that in Pa My commune, Muong Nhe district (Dien Bien), Ms. Sung Thi Tang, a preschool teacher, was initially hesitant with the concept of "artificial intelligence", but only after the STEAM for Vietnam course, she confidently applied AI to prepare lesson plans and design learning activities suitable for ethnic minority students. She shared that AI is now "no longer strange, but a companion that helps teachers save time and be more creative". Another story is at Hai Ba Trung High School, Thach That ( Hanoi ), Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh Minh, who was not familiar with technology at first, but after the training program, became an "AI Ambassador" who can create Chemistry lessons with animated images, helping students understand better and spreading the spirit of innovation throughout the school.
Dr. Hung said: “What moves us most is not the technology, but the progressive spirit, courage and dedication of the teachers. They have proven that, when given the tools and trust, Vietnamese people can absolutely pioneer in educational innovation with AI. In the STEAM for Vietnam ecosystem, teachers are not only users of technology but also co-creators - they work with us to build new lessons, methods and learning models, applying AI creatively and responsibly. When a teacher masters technology, they not only help students learn better, but also inspire them to become technology creators. We call it the “10x teachers = 1000x students” effect.
Technology created by Vietnamese, for Vietnamese
One of the biggest challenges facing Vietnamese education in the AI era is the fear that AI could “threaten” to replace the position and role of teachers. The rapid development of teaching support tools, grading and personalized learning has led many to ask questions such as “Are teachers still the center of the classroom?” or even “Will AI affect the identity of Vietnamese education?”.
On this issue, Dr. Hung believes that AI will not replace teachers but “is only changing the way we do teaching”. From what STEAM for Vietnam has experienced, AI helps teachers reduce administrative work, grading papers, preparing lesson plans, or personalizing learning content for each student. When repetitive tasks are reduced, teachers have more time to be creative and connect with students emotionally. “No matter how far technology goes, AI is still just a tool. Teachers are the ones who lead, inspire, and nurture dreams. The biggest challenge now is how to help teachers master technology and use AI responsibly, so that it serves people - not replaces people”, he affirmed, emphasizing the view that “investing in teachers is the most sustainable way to invest in the future of the country”.
In addition to solutions for improving digital capacity and training teachers in AI skills, Dr. Hung added: “If we choose two technology solutions that can be applied immediately, we would suggest AI Teaching Assistant and AI Tutor - two core features in the OctoAI platform developed by STEAM for Vietnam. AI Teaching Assistant supports teachers in preparing lesson plans, creating tests, grading papers and commenting on students automatically, entirely in Vietnamese and in accordance with the program of the Ministry of Education and Training. Meanwhile, AI tutors act as a 24/7 “virtual study buddy”, helping students practice, receive personalized guidance and instant feedback. Thanks to that, teachers can reduce 50-70% of repetitive workload, focus more on creating methods and interacting emotionally with students.”
However, Mr. Hung still emphasized the boundary of “AI is just a tool - never a substitute teacher” because teachers are still the ones who create learning experiences, verify knowledge and nurture emotions and thinking for students. This boundary becomes the core principle that helps technology truly serve people, helping teachers become stronger thanks to technology, not replaced by it.
Epilogue
Currently, while most advanced AI technologies still come from abroad, we are also witnessing another wave in the global digital transformation picture. That is, more and more Vietnamese businesses and intellectuals are gradually proving their ability to master technology, the ability to create solutions "by Vietnamese people, for Vietnamese people". They are passionate and dedicated to building and developing technology originating from practice and serving the lives of Vietnamese people. From the fields of education, healthcare to manufacturing, AI application initiatives are gradually being designed in a localized direction - taking advantage of the knowledge, data and needs of Vietnamese people themselves to solve specific social problems. This "innovation from the root" mindset is opening up a sustainable direction, when Vietnamese people are not only users but also become technology creators, contributing to shaping the digital future with their own identity of the country.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/cong-nghe-cua-nguoi-viet-vi-nguoi-viet-khi-giao-vien-dam-hoc-dam-thu-dam-doi-moi-voi-ai.html
![[Photo] General Secretary To Lam and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man attend the 80th Anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Inspection Sector](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/11/17/1763356362984_a2-bnd-7940-3561-jpg.webp)
Comment (0)