This morning (October 24, 2024), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) held the Inauguration Ceremony for the Institute for AI Innovation and Societal Impact (AI4LIFE), affirming its commitment to the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI) research, development, and application through 2030, as defined in Decision No. 127/QD-TTg dated January 26, 2021, by the Prime Minister.
Attendees included Associate Professor Nguyen Van Phuc, a Deputy Minister of Education and Training (MoET); Associate Professor Bui The Duy, a Deputy Minister of Science and Technology (MoST); as well as representatives from embassies, international organizations, local and international scientists, partner business leaders, and HUST faculty and staffs.
MoET’s Trust and Expectations for AI4LIFE
On behalf of MoET, Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Phuc commended HUST, the leading institution in Vietnam for multidisciplinary engineering and technology training and research, for its proactive measures to strengthen training, research, and development in cutting-edge technologies, aligning with government initiatives and fulfilling MoET’s assigned tasks. The establishment of AI4LIFE, the first research and application institute of its kind in Vietnam, underscores this commitment.
Deputy Minister Phuc highlighted that the government had early on set strategic directions for Vietnam to advance in this emerging and crucial field, alongside other pioneering science and technology sectors. In Decision No. 127/QD-TTg dated January 26, 2021, the Prime Minister approved the National Strategy for AI Research, Development, and Application through 2030, with key goals including:
- Establishing three national centers for big data storage and high-performance computing, connecting domestic data and computing centers into a network for shared data storage and AI computing capacity;
- Forming 50 open, interconnected datasets across economic and social sectors to facilitate AI research, development, and application;
- Creating three national AI innovation centers; and
- Ranking at least one institution in the top 20 AI research and training establishments in the ASEAN region.
“With a strong team of researchers, collaborations across sectors, and a robust international research network, I believe AI4LIFE will drive groundbreaking research and practical AI applications across all aspects of life. I look forward to seeing AI4LIFE thrive, becoming a leading force in interdisciplinary research and application with AI at its core for societal benefit,” Deputy Minister Phuc stated.
MoST’s Leadership: AI4LIFE – A Step Forward in Interdisciplinary AI Application
Deputy Minister of MoST Bui The Duy expressed confidence that AI4LIFE would succeed, becoming a central innovation hub for AI as outlined in the newly adopted national AI development strategy.
The Deputy Minister emphasized that this vision is grounded in HUST’s longstanding foundation in science and technology. “This is not the first time HUST has laid the groundwork in AI. I see this as an upgrade toward integrating AI with IT, businesses, and other knowledge and skills,” he noted.
The MoST leader praised HUST for its success in training high-quality AI professionals, noting that the AI program at HUST has revitalized IT departments at universities, reclaiming their prominence in university admissions.
Alongside AI research, Vietnam is proactively studying AI ethics and governance and collaborating with UNESCO to assess AI readiness in the country. Deputy Minister Duy expressed confidence that AI4LIFE would thoroughly research AI’s impact on life and the responsible governance and use of AI.
On behalf of MoST and MoET, he pledged resources and support for AI4LIFE’s growth, urging partners and corporations to join in collaboration with AI4LIFE as an example for other Vietnamese institutions to follow.
Continuing and Elevating Interdisciplinary AI Research at HUST
To advance interdisciplinary AI research at HUST, the University Council approved a proposal and issued a resolution to establish AI4LIFE.
AI4LIFE will leverage HUST’s multidisciplinary strengths, drawing together talents across the university to form interdisciplinary AI research teams with regional impact. AI4LIFE will foster connections, promoting collaboration between diverse research groups within HUST and with leading global research teams, creating interdisciplinary AI solutions to enhance life.
AI4LIFE will house six laboratories: Machine Learning, Smart Semiconductor Technology, Intelligent Life Sciences, Intelligent Environment, Intelligent Systems, and Smart Education.
By 2030, AI4LIFE aims to form at least one strong research group as per Decree 109/2022/ND-CP, positioning itself as a leading innovation center for AI solutions and applications in Vietnam, helping HUST to become one of the top three national AI innovation centers and a leader in AI research and training within ASEAN.
AI4LIFE has already spent a year preparing for collaborative research, training, and technology transfer with partner organizations. At the ceremony, AI4LIFE signed memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements with six partners: Toray Hongkong Vietnam, Headwaters (Japan), Oraichain Labs, Data Impact, the National Hydrometeorological Forecasting Center, and the Conformity Certification Center.
Three Key Tasks for AI4LIFE
At the ceremony, Associate Professor Huynh Quyet Thang, HUST’s President, outlined three tasks for AI4LIFE:
- Collaborate with the School of Information and Communication Technology, the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and other academic and research units to develop HUST’s ecosystem for scientific research, technology transfer, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
- Establish extensive partnerships with research institutions, businesses, ministries, and local governments to drive AI research and applications, addressing pressing issues in business and society.
- Create and grow interdisciplinary AI research groups with breakthrough research, attract and collaborate with international scientists, foster internationalization in applied research, and promote English for a global environment.
“In the near future, HUST will become a ‘national AI innovation center’ and a top AI research institution in the ASEAN region, in line with the National AI Strategy for 2030. HUST is and will continue contributing significantly to digital transformation, green transformation, the knowledge economy, and the digital economy of Hanoi and Vietnam,” President Thang affirmed.