'STEM Innovation Petrovietnam' - Realizing the spirit of Resolution 57

Members of Parliament, experts, and teachers all agree that the STEM Innovation Petrovietnam model is highly valuable and should be replicated nationwide.

In line with General Secretary To Lam's directive on science and technology development and innovation, on December 7th in Hanoi, the New Energy Magazine (PetroTimes) organized a seminar: “Stem Innovation Petrovietnam ” - Realizing the spirit of Resolution No. 57.

Experts at the Petrovietnam Stem Innovation Seminar. Photo: PV.

Attending the seminar were experts and educators: National Assembly representative Ha Anh Phuong, honored as a "Global Teacher" for her initiatives in bringing ethnic minority students to international education through technology; Mr. Do Hoang Son, a pioneering expert in STEM education and a member of the Vietnam STEM Alliance; and Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan, Head of the Professional Department at Cau Giay Secondary School (Hanoi), who has conducted numerous successful studies and implemented STEM models in schools.

STEM - A bridge between knowledge, technology, and innovation.

According to the organizers, Vietnam is setting strategic goals for breakthroughs in science and technology (Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW) and breakthroughs in education and training development (Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW). In this context, STEM education becomes a bridge between knowledge, technology, and innovation, and between schools, businesses, and society.

Overview of the seminar "STEM Innovation Petrovietnam" - Realizing the spirit of Resolution 57. Photo: PV.

Inspired by General Secretary To Lam's idea, Petrovietnam initiated the "Stem Innovation Petrovietnam" program, launched at the Group's 50th anniversary celebration (September 21, 2025). The program aims to build 100 internationally standardized STEM labs in 34 provinces and cities, becoming the largest educational project ever initiated by a business, contributing to the training of scientific and technological human resources and the formation of a new generation of energy-savvy citizens in Vietnam.

Petrovietnam has developed a roadmap for implementation in the 2025-2026 period, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training, STEM experts, local authorities, and schools, ensuring the effective operation of STEM labs. To date, 100 STEM labs have been surveyed and are currently being installed.

Expert Do Hoang Son - Key member of the Vietnam STEM Alliance. Photo: PV.

Speaking at the seminar, expert Do Hoang Son stated that Vietnam has incorporated STEM education into the 2018 General Education Program, marking a significant step forward for the education sector. He emphasized that STEM is understood as interdisciplinary integrated education, learning through practice and connected to real-life issues.

According to Mr. Son, STEM currently has three levels: universal access for all students; career guidance through clubs; and the "Innovation" level, where students participate in groundbreaking innovations and compete in national and international arenas. The Petrovietnam STEM Innovation model simultaneously meets all three levels.

STEM helps bridge regional gaps.

Petrovietnam's STEM Innovation program is being hailed as a breakthrough in Vietnamese education, particularly in bridging the gap between regions. Many localities, especially rural, mountainous, and border areas, previously had limited access to modern labs, advanced technology equipment, and creative hands-on activities for students.

National Assembly representative Ha Anh Phuong. Photo: PV.

As a former teacher who taught in the northern mountainous region, National Assembly representative Ha Anh Phuong emphasized that this is a very meaningful program and needs to be expanded further. Petrovietnam has not only invested in education in the short term but also in a very systematic way, demonstrating the Group's long-term vision in preparing human resources.

In particular, this demonstrates the company's significant social responsibility. I have encountered many difficulties, for example, students do not have many opportunities to access modern labs or advanced equipment. Therefore, I think the Petrovietnam STEM Innovation program is very meaningful for students, helping to bridge the regional gap.

I also believe that Petrovietnam truly considers educational development as one of its long-term strategies for developing future human resources, which is why the Group has invested systematically and created this meaningful program," emphasized National Assembly representative Ha Anh Phuong.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhan, a teacher at Cau Giay Secondary School. Photo: PV.

At the seminar, teacher Nguyen Thi Ngan shared that: This is the first time Cau Giay Secondary School has implemented STEM education according to the standards of STEM Innovation Petrovietnam. STEM is always integrated into the lessons at Cau Giay Secondary School. In addition to projects and thematic workshops, Cau Giay School also organizes a separate event called "experience week." This program is held once at the end of the school year. During this week, students will have a day to participate in STEM experiences.

In that STEM room, a culture of healthy competition is fostered. Teams compete for first, second, and third place, but each time they compete, they must form alliances, support each other, and overcome their own limitations together. That is the subtlety of STEM education in a market economy: competition combined with cooperation, innovation for progress.

STEM is a huge boost for both teaching and learning.

Petrovietnam's STEM Innovation program is opening up opportunities for students nationwide to access high-quality STEM education, especially in rural, mountainous, and border areas. With 100 modern STEM labs and comprehensive teacher training courses, the program not only provides infrastructure and skills but also helps students become confident, proactive, and creative.

Students build robot models in a STEM education lab sponsored by Petrovietnam in Hanoi. Photo: Petrovietnam.

From a practical perspective, teacher Nguyen Thi Nhan stated that the Petrovietnam STEM Innovation program, which equips the school with modern, advanced technology, is a turning point and a major boost for both teachers and students in changing their mindset and innovating teaching methods. Beyond traditional lectures, teachers have incorporated STEM into their teaching; and for students, they have had the opportunity to experience technology, especially high-tech technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Students have been able to assemble their own robots and compete with their creations regionally and even internationally.

According to expert Do Hoang Son, STEM education is currently being implemented at three different levels. Firstly, the level of universality: STEM education for all students in current lessons is a mandatory requirement since Resolution 71-NQ/TW was issued. From there, the implementation of STEM at the local level has become an indicator for evaluating task completion.

Secondly, STEM education is for students seeking career guidance and further education through clubs. Thirdly, there is STEM education for students at the "Innovation" level, meaning groundbreaking creativity, participating in major national and international competitions. In implementing the Petrovietnam STEM Innovation lab system, this model fully fulfills all three functions. First and foremost, the school has the resources to teach in classrooms with very modern equipment.

Petrovietnam contributes to eliminating temporary schools in STEM education.

According to expert Do Hoang Son, promoting STEM education, science and technology, digital transformation, and innovation in a nation is essentially a very long-term process, requiring the simultaneous implementation of many aspects, from building infrastructure, training experts, developing human resources, connecting systems, to building a culture of science and technology in society. This is an area where we still lack experience and have much work to do.

A Petrovietnam STEM Innovation room, after being handed over, contributes to creating a modern hands-on learning environment for teachers and students. Photo: Petrovietnam.

Addressing the limitations in technology training, the Petrovietnam STEM Innovation Program is implemented in a very systematic manner. The first phase focuses on training schools to operate STEM labs technically, meeting the requirements for acceptance, handover, and commissioning. This is followed by advanced training programs, organized in December at five direct training locations, with thousands of teachers from various schools participating.

It can be affirmed that Petrovietnam is contributing to the "elimination of temporary schools" in STEM education in Vietnam. Expert Do Hoang Son likens it to eliminating temporary housing for the poor in the past, and now it is necessary to eliminate schools that lack the conditions for practical STEM education. Petrovietnam's STEM Innovation program has built 100 modern STEM classrooms and simultaneously implemented teacher training nationwide, creating the infrastructure and human resources for systematic STEM education.

Petrovietnam's investment is not only financial, but also helps students, especially in rural and mountainous areas, confidently and proactively access modern technology. In fact, students from provinces like Cao Bang and Lang Son have won high prizes in robotics and unmanned device programming competitions. The program is considered a pioneering and effective model, narrowing the gap in STEM education opportunities and demonstrating a long-term vision for developing future human resources.

This shows that, with the support of Petrovietnam, a large state-owned enterprise with strong organizational and networking capabilities, STEM education can be implemented on a national scale, creating a powerful ripple effect.

The seminar focused on four main topics: the vision and strategic significance of Petrovietnam's STEM Innovation; the conditions for the effective operation of a STEM department; the bottlenecks and driving forces of STEM education; and the role of businesses and institutions in investing in knowledge.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/stem-innovation-petrovietnam--hien-thuc-hoa-tinh-than-nghi-quyet-57-d788099.html