The 2024 Open Source Freedom Day – an opportunity for VNU-USSH students to learn about and update their knowledge of information technology, open source software, open technology, and open science.
Software Freedom Day (SFD) is an annual event held on the third Saturday of September worldwide. In Vietnam, SFD has been successfully organized every year since 2012. Under the auspices of the Vietnam Free and Open Source Software Association (VFOSSA) and with the support of ministries, departments, organizations, and businesses, this year's SFD event is being organized in Hanoi by VFOSSA in collaboration with the Faculty of Information and Library Science, University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Nguyen Quang Toan, Vice President of VFOSSA Club, shared: “The 2024 Free and Open Source Software Fair (SFD 2024), with the theme "Open Source Software, Open Data & AI: The Key to Enhancing Information Management Efficiency," aims to spread and share values widely with the community. VFOSSA wants to expand its reach, targeting social science students instead of just information technology students as in previous years. We highly appreciate the proactive connection from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, as this is the first time the Free and Open Source Software Fair - SFD has been organized at a leading social science university nationwide. This is a groundbreaking step for SFD, giving students the opportunity to learn about fields related to information technology, open source software, open technology, and open science.”
Mr. Nguyen Quang Toan, Vice President of VFOSSA Club, delivered the opening remarks for the program.
Highly appreciating the significance of the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Thanh Nam, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the University Council, emphasized: “Open source, open data, and AI have become inevitable trends and are increasingly being applied in many fields. On behalf of the University's leadership, I highly appreciate the proactive connection of the Faculty of Information and Library Science, as well as the support of partner units in organizing useful forums like today. This is a great opportunity for lecturers and students to listen to experts share and exchange the latest information and solutions to improve the effectiveness of applying open source software, open data, and AI in all fields, especially in information management.”
Associate Professor Bui Thanh Nam delivered a speech highly appreciating the scientific and practical significance of the event.
Software Freedom Day at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities attracted considerable attention from experts in the open-source software field, open-source businesses, and the student community interested in information technology and information management. It also provided an opportunity for networking and interaction between the Vietnamese Open Source Community, IT businesses, programmers, network administrators, and IT students from universities and colleges across Vietnam.
Software Freedom Day 2024 is supported by numerous sponsors from various fields, ranging from leading technology companies to promising software startups: NetNam Joint Stock Company, Linagora Vietnam Co., Ltd., i3 Network Systems Company, Information Solutions Joint Stock Company (iWay), Vietnam Open Source Development Joint Stock Company (VINADES),…
Many technological solutions were shared.
Regarding new open-source solutions for information management and processing across many fields, the speakers provided numerous specific examples of solutions that have been developed and are operating effectively in practice: “SAHANA - Open Source Disaster Management Solutions” - A tool for disaster response, relief, and recovery (Truong Anh Tuan – iWay Information Solutions Joint Stock Company); “Netbox open-source software: Smart infrastructure management, the choice for modern infrastructure management” (Duong Huy - Suncloud Technology Infrastructure Joint Stock Company)
In his presentation, Mr. Truong Anh Tuan shared: Sahana is an open-source solution for managing and sharing data on disaster response, relief, and reconstruction, with the participation of many specialized organizations and agencies in disaster response and relief from various countries, and hundreds of volunteers worldwide. Sahana has proven its effectiveness through its deployment in hundreds of locations around the world, supporting humanitarian relief and recovery efforts after hundreds of natural disasters over the past 20 years.
“In the future, SAHANA hopes and is ready to share data, information, and technological solutions to work together with organizations involved in disaster response and relief in Vietnam to improve the effectiveness of this work and minimize damage caused by disasters,” Mr. Truong Anh Tuan expressed.
Mr. Truong Anh Tuan, Vice President of VFOSSA Club and General Director of Information Solutions Joint Stock Company, shared his thoughts on SAHANA. Speaker Do Duc Nam, Product Director of Zamiga, shared new information about the application of AI in cultural preservation: “The potential of using open-source AI to transmit national culture through gamification applications promises to offer a fresh and creative perspective on applying these technologies to preserve and promote national cultural values.”
Mr. Do Duc Nam shared open-source AI code through gamification applications.
At SFD 2024, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Van Hung (Head of the Faculty of Information and Library Science, VNU-USSH) presented a专题 (special topic) on "AI Gene Competency Framework for Learners," covering topics such as: What is AI Gene? Definition, operating principles, and practical applications of AI Gene; AI Gene Competency Framework: What skills are included? Why are these skills important? How to develop AI gene skills? Specific applications of AI Gene in various fields; Challenges and opportunities when working with AI Gene: Ethical issues, cybersecurity, and how to maximize the potential of this technology.
“Gen AI goes beyond simply understanding data; it also has the ability to create new, innovative content such as text, images, audio, and even code. This opens up countless opportunities in many fields, from artistic creation to solving complex problems in business and science. The rapid development of Gen AI means that the demand for people capable of working and creating with this technology is also increasing. By mastering the necessary skills, learners can proactively equip themselves with the appropriate knowledge and skills to succeed in the AI era,” emphasized Associate Professor Dr. Do Duc Hung.
Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Hung emphasized that the ability to use AI is extremely important in today's era.
The speakers' presentations attracted the attention of representatives from technology corporations as well as students. Many questions and concerns about the widespread application of the proposed technological solutions, the scientific basis and value of open data and open source, etc., were raised and discussed enthusiastically and openly at the forum.
The 2024 Free and Open Source Software Day event provided experts with insights into the application of free and open-source software and open technologies in various fields during the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as blockchain, IoT, AI (artificial intelligence), and Big Data, for social science students. The goal was to raise awareness of the value and benefits of open-source software, open technology, and open science, their applications in the academic and research community, and their applications in the business operations of organizations and enterprises. Simultaneously, it served as a networking event for students, lecturers, and experts from organizations and businesses in the open-source field.
Representatives of the organizing committee presented flowers to thank the speakers.
The delegates attending the event took a commemorative photo.
