Google offers 40,000 AI scholarships in Vietnam

The Google Scholarship aims to equip young Vietnamese people with the latest AI skills, expanding development opportunities in the field of artificial intelligence for both professionals and startups in the country.

Google, in collaboration with the National Innovation Center (NIC) and the Ministry of Planning and Investment , has launched the “Building Vietnam’s AI Future” program to promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in Vietnam. Representatives from the company stated that the initiative focuses on two main pillars: Building talent and Building businesses. Each pillar addresses a specific key area, but the overall goal is to support the development of Vietnam’s human resources, nurture its thriving startup ecosystem, and strengthen the foundation for maximizing AI adoption.

Google will provide 40,000 scholarships to train AI professionals in Vietnam. (Anh Quân)

Specifically, the "Digital Talent Development" program (part of the Talent Building pillar) provides 40,000 scholarships across 10 courses, including the newly launched Google AI Essentials course, to equip young Vietnamese people with the latest AI skills. The target audience includes many faculty members, lecturers, and students from over 80 universities and colleges nationwide. This program is an upgraded version of the "Digital Talent Development" program launched by Google and NIC in July 2022. To date, "Digital Talent Development" has equipped 60,000 working-age individuals in Vietnam with essential digital skills. Mr. Tran Duy Dong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, assessed that the "Building Vietnam's AI Future with Google - NIC" program demonstrates the strong commitment and support of the Ministry and Google in promoting the AI ​​ecosystem in Vietnam. This aims to equip human resources with the necessary skills to seize opportunities in the new era, while also supporting innovative startups based on AI technology. At the program launch event in Hanoi on July 11th, experts from Google noted that Vietnam is well-positioned to capitalize on AI opportunities thanks to its dynamic startup community, the fact that 20% of the population is tech-savvy, and the supportive government policies through the national AI strategy. However, despite the promising economic growth prospects from AI, Vietnam still faces a significant challenge: a shortage of personnel and experts in this field. It is estimated that there are currently only about 300 AI experts in Vietnam's workforce. This shortage of human resources, coupled with a lack of access to high-quality AI training programs, further widens the gap between market demand and the available workforce.

Marc Woo believes that AI is one of the key factors for the rapid growth of Vietnam's digital economy. (Anh Quân)

In addition, AI startups in Vietnam also face other challenges such as a lack of access to leading AI experts and mentors to evaluate and assess whether their products meet market needs; and a lack of access to infrastructure, platforms, and tools readily available to businesses—essential elements for developing, commercializing, and scaling their AI products. Speaking at the event, Marc Woo, Managing Director for Vietnam, Google Asia Pacific , said: "Vietnam's digital economy is projected to grow elevenfold by 2030, reaching an incredible $220 billion, equivalent to nearly half of Vietnam's current GDP. AI is one of the key factors in realizing this forecast. Together with NIC, we believe that the 'Building the AI ​​Future of Vietnam' initiative will be a solid launching pad for domestic talents, startups, and businesses, helping them to maximize the use of Google's AI products and solutions." NIC Director Vu Quoc Huy added that in recent times, the unit has collaborated with Google to organize startup support and acceleration programs, providing tens of thousands of scholarships to develop digital skills, especially in fields related to artificial intelligence, helping to develop the startup ecosystem, train IT human resources, and promote the application of AI in Vietnam. Source: https://thanhnien.vn/google-cung-provide-40000-ai-scholarships-in-vietnam-185240711125025164.htm