Hanoi (VNA) – The 8^th Science, Technology, Engineeಌring and Math Festival (Vietnam STEM Festival 2023) was organised at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) on October 8.

Launched on May 20, 2023, the festival featured a wide range of vibrant activities that were held across the nation and drew the participation of many STEM businesses, science and technology organisations, education and training establishments, teachers and students.

The HUST hosted the Vietnam Water 🔯Rocket Competition, HUST Robot Arena final, qualifiers of the EC Sports FC Championship, FIAFAe competition, giant chess games, and Vietnam STEM Robotics Championship.

 At the festival, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Le Xuan Dinh laid stress on the significance of STEM education, describing it an ideal approach to improve the youth’s knowledge as well as equip them with necessary skills to embrace the fourth Industrial Revolution.

The festival offered an opportunity for teachers, students, and parents to enga🧔ge in an array of interesting STEM activities.

The Vietnam STEM Festival 2023 aimed at promoting science and technology, enhancing research capacity, improving critical and creative thinking, and raising public awareness of necessary knowledge and skills training for students to better meet requirements of the fourth Industrial Revolution.

Earlier, the 8^th ann🅷ual STEM conference was held in Hanoi on August 18, drawing over 200 industry leaders, educators, policymakers, and forward-thinking entrepreneurs to address the imperative of cultivating a proficient and adaptable STEM workforce capable of driving Vietnam’s digital economy towards a prosperous future.

It was organised by Arizona State University (ASU) with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with Phenikaa University and renowned university and industry collaborators. Advancing technologies are reshaping industries and redefining career trajectories. Vietnam’s technical professionals and visionary entrepreneurs convened to deliberate toward crafting a potent STEM workforce. Central to this endeavor was a collaborative “call to action”, uniting the forces of industry, academia, and government entities to chart a comprehensive national roadmap for STEM education. This roadmap, meticulously curated, accentuated the significance of digital skills, technology acumen, and engineering prowess in sculpting Vietnam’s educational trajectory. Sessions at the conference facilitated innovative partnerships, spotlighting Vietnam as a burgeoning model for Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in STEM within the ASEAN region. The morning commenced with a keynote presentation celebrating the USAID Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology (BUILD-IT) Project with impactful results and extensive outcomes. This eight-year collaboration between the USAID, ASU, industry stakeholders, and the Ministry of Education and Training, orchestrated a transformative symphony in higher education. Following this, the “Industry’s Voice: Development of Vietnam’s STEM Workforce of the Future” panel gathered executives from industry giants such as Intel, Paradox, Oracle, Boeing, and Amkor. These industry stalwarts delved into discussions on industry-academia synergy, addressing challenges, and charting strategic pathways toward cultivating Vietnam’s STEM talent pipeline. Another session, “Creating Pathways to STEM Education through Digital and Online Lifelong Learning at Scale”, delved into the promising realm of delivering comprehensive STEM education through digital platforms. Other sessions highlighted university autonomy, building 21st century professional skills and reskilling the STEM workforce through “Just-in-Time” micro-credentials and certification programmes./.