Recently, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) developed a course module titled "Introduction to Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence Applications" to equip students with foundational knowledge of digital thinking and common artificial intelligence (AI) tools. According to the plan, all full-time students at VNU starting from the 2025 enrollment cohort will study this module online. This is considered a strong step towards standardizing digital competencies, meeting the requirements of integration, and leading digital transformation.
This is a strategically significant step, demonstrating innovative and integrated thinking.In an interview with a reporter from the Vietnam Education Electronic Magazine, Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Dinh Duc - Chairman of the 2025 Faculty Council of the University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi - stated that in the context of digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence (AI) plays an extremely important and revolutionary role in the education sector. Universities are a strategic pillar, playing a pioneering role in promoting the development of the AI ecosystem in Vietnam. This is because they are the training ground for high-quality, highly skilled human resources to meet the rapidly developing demands of the artificial intelligence field. The AI ecosystem cannot thrive without well-trained engineers, researchers, and experts with up-to-date knowledge.
At the same time, higher education institutions are the driving force behind scientific research, innovation, and the development of AI technology. University laboratories and research centers should be places that create new algorithms, deep learning models, and practical applications in fields such as healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries.
Furthermore, given their crucial role in formulating policies and setting strategic directions for national AI development, scientists and experts from universities also participate in the process of advising, critiquing, and contributing to the systematic and long-term development of a national AI strategy, avoiding superficial and fragmented approaches.
Therefore, universities need to become the connecting hub in the AI ecosystem, linking the state, businesses, universities, and research institutes, thereby promoting cooperation and synchronized development. Universities can act as incubators for high-tech startups, hosting major forums and conferences on AI, and connecting the community of experts both domestically and internationally.
Professor, Doctor of Science Nguyen Dinh Duc - Chairman of the Faculty Council of the University of Technology, VNU Hanoi
According to Professor Duc, making artificial intelligence (AI) a mandatory subject in university curricula is a strategically significant step, demonstrating innovative thinking, integration, and an anticipating global development trends. This helps enhance students' digital skills and modern thinking because AI is no longer solely a field of information technology but is permeating every profession, from healthcare, finance, engineering, transportation, agriculture to education and the arts.
Therefore, equipping all students, regardless of whether they are studying engineering, economics, or social sciences, with a foundational knowledge of AI is essential to prevent them from falling behind and to enable them to apply AI to their work and lives. Furthermore, when AI becomes an official subject, it will lead to changes in curriculum content, teaching methods, and learning support technologies, thereby promoting innovation in teaching and learning methods in higher education. Teaching will become more intuitive and personalized thanks to AI-assisted tools. Lecturers also need to proactively update and enhance their technological capabilities, thereby promoting genuine digital transformation in higher education.
Furthermore, once AI is taught on a large scale, it will create a community of students, scientists, and engineers with AI expertise across all fields, contributing to the formation of a strong academic and research AI ecosystem. This will also strongly motivate interdisciplinary research and the application of AI to solve practical problems facing the country, from economics and social sciences to smart agriculture, logistics, smart cities, and national security and defense. On the other hand, in the era of globalization, global employers prioritize individuals with digital skills and knowledge of AI, data, programming, and systems thinking, giving Vietnamese students a competitive advantage in the global labor market. When AI becomes a widespread skill, Vietnamese students will be more competitive, adaptable, and better able to work in an international environment.
“Making AI a compulsory subject in university curricula is not only an inevitable trend, but also a crucial lever to help Vietnamese higher education keep pace with the world, elevate the quality of training, and directly contribute to the country's development in the digital age. This is also a responsibility and a vision that universities, especially Hanoi National University, as the cornerstone and leading force in training, research, and innovation nationwide, are pioneering to undertake,” said Professor Duc.
Students conduct research and study at the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Concurring with the above viewpoint, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Head of the Training and Student Affairs Department, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, believes that AI is fundamentally changing many fields in society, and education is no exception. In the context of digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, AI is not just a new technology, but also a catalyst for innovation in teaching and learning methods, personalization of learning, and optimization of educational management. Universities play a key role in developing the national AI ecosystem, with three pillars: training high-quality human resources; research and development of technology; and knowledge transfer.
According to Professor Tuan, Hanoi National University is a multidisciplinary university with strengths in interdisciplinary training between technology, data science, and social sciences and humanities. It promotes applied AI research linked to practical problems in Vietnam, from healthcare and education to urban management and smart agriculture. It also builds an innovative startup ecosystem in the field of AI, while closely collaborating with businesses and research institutes both domestically and internationally.
The development of the course "Introduction to Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence Applications" for all students starting from the 2025-2026 academic year is clear evidence of this strategic direction. Because AI is not just for engineers, but needs to become an integral part of the digital mindset and citizenship skills of all university students. At the same time, this is a strategic and urgent step, not only for higher education but also for the future development of Vietnam's workforce in the digital age.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Head of the Training and Student Affairs Department, Vietnam National University, Hanoi
Sharing more about AI, Professor Tuan said that it is no longer a narrow specialized field, but is becoming a fundamental competency that students in all disciplines need to access. From fields such as economics, medicine, law, journalism to social sciences, AI is changing the way people access knowledge, solve problems, and make decisions.
Implementing a mandatory AI course will help shape students' digital thinking, a key focus emphasized in both the National Strategy for Digital Transformation and the digital citizenship competency framework issued by the government. Students should not only be users/applicants of technology, but also possess critical thinking skills, understand the positive aspects and risks of AI, and thus become responsible digital citizens.
Furthermore, this is also an opportunity for universities to innovate teaching methods, enhance flexible learning formats, and personalize learning through digital platforms, while promoting the connection between training, research, and practical application.
Professor Tuan emphasized: “The goal of Hanoi National University is not to train AI experts in one semester, but to equip students with a foundation of awareness, digital thinking, and skills to use common AI tools in their studies, research, and future work. With this approach, AI is no longer a skill of the future, but also a capability of the present, contributing to renewing the higher education ecosystem and promoting a modern, inclusive learning society.”
It is expected that the widespread adoption of AI will help Vietnam develop a high-quality workforce.
According to Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc, in order to effectively implement AI as a compulsory subject, universities need thorough preparation in terms of curriculum, staff, infrastructure, and support from businesses and the government.
First, a well-structured curriculum with clear learning outcomes is essential. AI should be designed as a foundational, interdisciplinary subject, focusing on core concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, data processing, intelligent algorithms, and ethics in AI. Each field of study can have its own distinct AI content orientation, for example: AI in engineering, AI in economics, AI in healthcare, etc. Furthermore, the learning outcomes need to be specific, practical, and aligned with the curriculum's output standards, the demands of the labor market, and international standards.
Secondly, a strong team of lecturers and experts is essential. To teach AI effectively, lecturers need a solid foundation of knowledge, research experience, and practical application skills. Retraining programs, advanced training courses, inviting experts from businesses and research institutes, and connecting with international lecturers are necessary.
Thirdly, regarding technological infrastructure and learning resources. AI requires robust computing infrastructure, specialized software, and data and computing labs. Therefore, open and up-to-date learning resources are needed, along with digital lectures, sample AI models, and practice platforms for students to learn independently.
Fourth, regarding connections with practice and businesses. The program should be linked to real-world projects, encouraging students to apply AI to problems in businesses and society. At the same time, universities could invite businesses to participate in program development, student evaluation, research funding, and direct recruitment.
Professor Duc also expects that widespread and systematic AI training in universities will not only change the quality of education, but also change the landscape of human resource development in Vietnam in the new era, from passive to active, from outsourcing to innovation, from consumption to technological leadership.
"The widespread adoption of AI in education is both a visionary move and a strategic national opportunity. Therefore, we need to act early, persistently, and consistently to avoid missing this golden opportunity in the fourth industrial revolution," Mr. Duc emphasized.
Meanwhile, Professor Nguyen Anh Tuan believes that the fact that universities are collectively focusing on training in artificial intelligence (AI), especially making AI a compulsory subject, is a very positive and promising sign for the development of Vietnam's higher education system and the national economy.
First and foremost, this will help cultivate a generation of students with a foundational understanding of AI. Not everyone may become an AI engineer, but every graduate will be able to understand, use, collaborate with, and make decisions in an AI-powered environment. This is a fundamental competency in the context of ongoing comprehensive digitalization.
Furthermore, AI will no longer be the exclusive domain of a select few technology experts, but will become common knowledge and skills for all professions: from doctors using AI in diagnostic imaging, teachers using AI to personalize teaching, to journalists, lawyers, and data-driven decision-makers. This is the foundation for Vietnam to develop a digital and knowledge-based economy. In addition, if AI becomes part of students' mindset, it will better meet the needs of the labor market, as jobs increasingly require individuals who "know how to collaborate with AI tools." Therefore, workers need not only expertise but also digital thinking, digital ethics, and the ability to intelligently interact with technology.
In the long term, the simultaneous training in AI also presents an opportunity to narrow the digital divide between different sectors, training regions, and between Vietnam and the world. If we implement this systematically and early, it will not only be a "technology race" but a "capacity transformation" at the national level.
"I expect that the widespread adoption of AI education in universities will not only create a workforce proficient in technology, but also a generation of confident, responsible, and creative digital citizens capable of proactively and uniquely leading Vietnam into the knowledge economy," Professor Tuan expressed.
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