Step by step towards the leadership arena
In the final round of the 8th Ho Chi Minh City Student Leader Competition 2026, Ha Duc Cuong's name was announced as the winner.
For many, it was a shining moment for a freshman at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law. But for Cuong, that title wasn't the destination, but merely the starting point for a new journey.
Cuong is currently the Head of the CLC50C Chapter. From the very beginning of his university life, Cuong chose to get involved in Youth Union and Student Association activities as a way to learn, connect, and improve himself.
What surprised many was that the young student had once been quite shy. It was the group environment, the opportunities given, and the support of teachers and friends that helped Cuong gradually find his confidence.
"A leader doesn't necessarily have to be the most perfect or outstanding person from the start. A leader can begin as someone who knows how to listen, live responsibly, connect with people, and transform what they receive into value to give back to the community," Cuong shared.
That was also the guiding principle throughout the male student's participation in the competition.
Entering the Ho Chi Minh City Student Leader Competition as a freshman, Ha Duc Cuong clearly understood the pressures he would face.
Law programs require significant time for reading, research, and developing critical thinking skills. Meanwhile, the competition demands that candidates possess social knowledge, leadership skills, critical thinking abilities, and the capacity to handle situations flexibly.
To balance both, Cuong chose to manage his time strictly. The student prioritized completing his schoolwork first, then used the remaining time to accumulate knowledge for the competition.
"Every day I try to learn a new piece of knowledge, read another text, practice another scenario, or ask myself a question to think more deeply," Cuong said.
According to Cuong, studying Law provided many advantages during the competition. Lessons on logical thinking, reasoning skills, and analyzing issues from multiple perspectives helped the student become more confident in the debate, situation handling, and presentation sections of the competition.
Conversely, the preparation process for the competition also helped Cuong further improve his communication skills, information systematization, and application of knowledge to practice.
Master AI, but don't let AI lead you.
One of Ha Duc Cuong's highlights at the competition was his ability to apply technology and digital transformation thinking to solutions for students.
In this era of rapidly developing artificial intelligence, Cuong doesn't view AI as a threat, nor does he glorify the technology; AI is simply a tool that needs to be used correctly.
"The important thing is not to use AI a lot, but to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly," Cuong emphasized.
According to the student, the most important skill for young people today is critical thinking. AI can provide information very quickly, but it is not always accurate or relevant to the real-world context. If learners simply copy answers from AI without verification, they can easily become dependent.
In addition, there's the ability to formulate questions and communicate with AI. A vague question often yields a general answer. Conversely, when you can describe the context, goals, target audience, evaluation criteria, and output requirements, AI becomes a very effective support tool.
"But to ask good questions, we ourselves must have a foundation of knowledge and understand what we truly need," Cuong said.
Cuong also particularly emphasized digital ethics, data responsibility, academic integrity, and privacy awareness in the use of technology.
"AI is like a special mentor. It can offer new perspectives, help systematize knowledge, and simulate various situations. But AI cannot replace human experiences, kindness, or responsibility," Cuong shared.
That mindset was also clearly demonstrated in the ULAW 4.0 project - an idea presented by the male student at the competition.
Based on the reality that student clubs, teams, and groups have fragmented data and lack a unified management platform, Cuong proposed building a website to support the management, connection, and storage of student activity information at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law.
According to Cuong's vision, ULAW 4.0 is not just a website for providing information, but also a digital management system that supports data storage, member connectivity, experience sharing, and creates a platform for transferring knowledge to future generations of Association officials.
"Initially, the website can support the standardization of Club/Team/Group profiles, build a common activity schedule, store activity records, evidence, feedback, and create a quick Q&A channel for students."
"In the long term, the system could develop additional functions such as activity attendance tracking, suggesting environments suitable to students' needs, connecting them with mentors, supporting performance evaluations by field, and forming a data repository for transfer to future generations of Association officials," Cuong said.
The male student understands that turning an idea into a real product requires many conditions in terms of technology, data, resources, and time. Therefore, Cuong views his current project as a starting point rather than a complete achievement.
The title of "Ho Chi Minh City Student Leader" in 2026 brings Cuong joy but also comes with responsibility.
"The title is not the end point, but the beginning of a journey. It's a reminder that I've received so much trust, so I need to try even harder to repay that trust with concrete actions," the male student shared.
Behind the spotlight, what Cuong desires most is not praise for himself, but to inspire many young people to dare to start, dare to learn, and dare to step out of their comfort zone.
According to Cuong, every young person can shine in their own way if they appreciate opportunities, constantly improve themselves, and live responsibly towards the community.
The 8th "Ho Chi Minh City Student Leader" competition in 2026, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union and the Vietnam Student Association of Ho Chi Minh City, aims to identify and nurture a team of Youth Union and Student Association officials with strong leadership skills and a spirit of dedication. This year, the competition attracted 1,588 contestants from 63 units across the city, including, for the first time, participation from Student Association officials from the former Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau provinces.
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/thu-linh-tre-giua-thoi-dai-cong-nghe-so-post781880.html
