VinFuture and belief in the future of Vietnamese science

DNVN - The world's leading scientists at the VinFuture 2025 event gave positive assessments, pointed out specific advantages and strategic recommendations for Vietnam to shorten the gap in science and technology with developed countries.

Professor Marie Claire King - winner of the VinFuture 2025 Special Prize for female scientists .

The amazing dedication of the medical industry and the ability to decode genes

Professor Mary Claire King, a geneticist who received the VinFuture 2025 Special Prize, expressed her deep impression of Vietnam's healthcare sector. She recalled her visit to the National Children's Hospital in Hanoi in 2017, which left an indelible impression on her: the strong and complete dedication of the Vietnamese medical staff to their patients. "I have never been to a place in the world with such dedication," Mary Claire King shared.

Regarding technological capabilities, she noted that Vietnam has made significant progress in the field of genetics: DNA tests are now being performed right in Hanoi, meaning that Vietnam has completely mastered gene decoding technology. Vietnamese scientists and doctors also possess very good gene sequencing capabilities and excellent clinical skills.

However, she also noted that the necessary support still lies in the stage of interpreting genetic data due to the rapid increase in new information worldwide. Professor King expressed her desire to listen to her Vietnamese colleagues to identify the most urgent issues of breast and ovarian cancer here, and she hopes to become a collaborator in upcoming studies.

Latecomer Advantage in AI and Robotics

Professor Kurt Kremer, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Germany).

In the field of AI and robotics, Professor Tan Yap Peng and Professor Kurt Kremer both see great opportunities for Vietnam. Professor Tan Yap Peng commented that although other countries have invested early, AI is now open, making many technologies and knowledge accessible.

He believes that being "later" gives Vietnam an advantage, because it does not have to depend on old systems or models that have become rigid in other countries.

Professor Tan Yap Peng also highly appreciated the research capacity in Vietnam, especially robot researchers like VinMotion - who are at the world level with continuous publications at prestigious conferences and journals.

Breakthrough strategy and make a difference

Professor Tan Yap Peng - President of VinUni University.

To bridge the gap, experts recommend that Vietnam should focus on areas where we can create unique value and are truly important to the country. This includes developing specialized robots to solve problems that are specific to Vietnam (in manufacturing, healthcare, education, green transformation). Units such as VinMotion or VinFast are recognized for trying to identify these important challenges to focus on research and development of solutions. Even international partners are attracted to Vietnam because of the unique challenges that they cannot find elsewhere.

“I believe that Vietnam, with its existing resources and interest, will find areas where we can contribute effectively. These could be electric vehicle automation, AI control, manufacturing environment, robotics, and many other areas,” said Professor Tan Yap Peng.

According to Professor Kurt Kremer, Vietnam should choose fields that have not yet entered the commercialization stage but can be predicted to be commercialized in the next few years, and other countries are just starting. This gives Vietnam an early start advantage and does not take too much time to catch up.

Technology is only truly successful when it is applied in practice and meets the needs of users.

Recommendations on human resource training and AI management

Regarding human resource training, international professors pointed out two important aspects:

Basic science foundation : It is necessary to help teenagers form awareness and basic knowledge base of natural laws such as physics, chemistry, to understand the technology behind the devices.

High expertise : We need people who are really good at AI (because robots need to learn how to perform tasks and self-adjust) and people who are good at molecular engineering (combination of physics, chemistry, biology).

In addition, curricula need to be flexible, competency-based, and encourage students to use new technology.

Regarding AI management policies, especially in the context of Vietnam's upcoming AI law, Professor Kurt Kremer recommends that to build trust and ensure the safe and effective use of AI, there needs to be a reliable and clearly defined data source for AI training. Transparency in the data sources used, as well as the constraints set during the training process, is the only way to build trust and acceptance.

International scientists believe that Vietnam has great potential to make its mark on the international stage thanks to its flexible latecomer advantage, its ability to master new technologies and the extraordinary dedication of its scientific team. By choosing the right focus areas and promoting transparency in technology management, Vietnam can absolutely break through and compete effectively on a global scale.

Hien Thao

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/vinfuture-va-niem-tin-va-tuong-lai-cua-khoa-hoc-viet/20251207084152334