'No matter how much the world changes, the heart of a teacher remains paramount.'

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu (far left) interacts with students and parents at the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023.

Today, December 3rd, the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023 is taking place at the Canadian International Bilingual School, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City. The festival features presentations by Professor Duong Nguyen Vu, founder and lecturer of the APCS advanced program at the University of Science (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), and a professor from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU).

In the 1980s, Duong Nguyen Vu first set foot in France, where he was accepted to study simultaneously at the School of Architecture of the National Academy of Fine Arts and the National School of Civil Engineering of the Paris Institute of Technology.

In 1990, he received his PhD in artificial intelligence, simultaneously putting Vietnam on the world knowledge map with his "Fly Freer" initiative, applying mathematics to optimize prediction, regulate flight schedules, and create self-controlled flight paths and structures. This initiative propelled him to become a leading global expert in aviation information technology... He was also the founding director of the John Von Neumann Institute (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City) until 2017.

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu (third from the left) at a panel discussion during the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023.

"The teacher is the coach"

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu said that he has been teaching artificial intelligence (AI) in Vietnam since 1997, and what he remembers most to this day is the look in his students' eyes, a sparkle of curiosity about new things. That is what motivates him to do something to help his students.

According to Professor Duong Nguyen Vu, in the AI ​​era, teachers are not simply transmitters of knowledge to students, but also coaches and guides, helping students to learn more independently. Because in the AI ​​era, knowledge is not only found in teachers but is everywhere. The AI ​​era allows for the creation of borderless classrooms, classrooms where Vietnamese students can study alongside their peers in China, Japan, the United States, South Korea, and other countries.

Students participate in the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023.

AI also has tools that can solve the problem of personalizing learning, to ensure fairness in education . Because in each classroom, each learner has different potentials and talents; each student is a champion in a field, but the way they learn and absorb knowledge is different. When a lecturer is giving a lecture, if for some reason a student is absent, they miss out on knowledge that day. Initially, the gap is small, but gradually, the knowledge gap from the previous class grows larger in subsequent classes, eventually becoming so large that the student is forced to drop out. That is unfair in education.

AI tools can solve this problem, personalizing learning and helping learners learn what they want, in their own way, ensuring educational goals are met.

According to Professor Duong Nguyen Vu, in the AI ​​era, learners need to be trained in critical thinking and equipped with many new skills, including English, which is very important. At the same time, each person must have a balance between physical and mental well-being, between studying and playing, to be ready for new challenges. Learners must also be well-prepared for the future, discovering new potentials within themselves every day.

"What brought me back to Vietnam to work was seeing the potential in young Vietnamese people."

"What brought me back to Vietnam to work was seeing the potential in young Vietnamese people; they are ready to step out of their comfort zone and discover their potential every day. The potential of Vietnamese students is enormous, and if fully exploited, they will achieve many proud accomplishments," commented a Vietnamese professor who was formerly the Head of Innovation Research and Senior Scientific Advisor at the European Organization for Aviation Safety, a member of the Scientific Committee of the Council of Europe, and simultaneously taught at two universities in France.

Can AI replace teachers?

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu stated that in the AI ​​era, the teacher is the one who transmits passion for their subjects to the students. With the teacher's experience in that field, they can discuss and exchange ideas with students on many issues within and outside the subject, something that AI cannot do.

A mother attending the event asked Professor Duong Nguyen Vu: "I'm not good at math and I don't understand anything about AI, so how can I support my child?" Professor Duong Nguyen Vu replied that parents can teach and guide their children in critical thinking. Teach your children to express different perspectives, to think critically, so that we can naturally see things that others don't see – that's very important.

"No matter how much the world changes, no matter what may happen, the heart of the teacher, the heart of the parents, and the heart of the student are all incredibly important. Of these, the most important is the heart of the student," a professor from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, confided.

Mr. Nguyen Dai Nghia

Nguyen Dai Nghia, a medical graduate from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, but who started studying information technology at the age of 25 and was the valedictorian of the Information Technology Faculty at the University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, also believes that AI is a tool to support humans.

Nguyen Dai Nghia said that he previously studied medicine, focusing on diagnostic imaging. He wanted to research methods for integrating AI into diagnostic imaging and saw AI and deep learning as a major advancement, becoming increasingly popular. However, for him, AI and deep learning are the result of human research, tools to support humans, and cannot replace teachers.

The Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Day 2023 (MOD) was organized by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Mathematics in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training; the University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City; and the Canadian International Bilingual School (Sedbergh Vietnam) with the theme "Mathematics for Everyone - Teaching in the AI ​​Age".

Students from Hong Duc Primary School, District 8, participated in the festival.

Students enthusiastically participate in the "Road to Olympia" version at the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival.

Among the speakers participating in the event, besides Professor Duong Nguyen Vu and Mr. Nguyen Dai Nghia, there were also Mr. Tran Trong Nghia, CEO of Megaedu; Master Hoang Minh Thong, head of the curriculum development and digital transformation team at the High School for the Gifted, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City; and Dr. Le Khanh Duy, an expert in innovation and human-computer interaction with 5 international patents.

At the event, thousands of students from primary to high schools in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces participated in experiential activities related to the application of mathematics, STEM, and AI under the theme "In the Wonderful Land of Mathematics"...

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/gs-duong-nguyen-vu-the-gioi-doi-thay-den-dau-trai-tim-nguoi-thay-van-quan-trong-185231203165851107.htm