A launchpad for students’ dreams of technological mastery

Quang Trung High School for the Gifted in Dong Xoai Ward, Dong Nai Province, has long been among the nation’s standouts for excellence in spearhead education and, in recent years, has emerged as a cradle for scientific research and innovation among high schools.

In the 2024–2025 school year, students at Quang Trung High School for the Gifted showcased their abilities by winning third prize at the national Science and Engineering Research Competition for secondary and high school students. They recently made headlines again by claiming first prize in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition, reinforcing the school’s standing in Vietnam’s creative education.

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Building on their success in previous scientific and technological research competitions, the team of authors, including Huynh Manh Sang, Cao Tat Nguyen, and Nguyen Thien Nhan, along with their mentor, teacher Nguyen Thi Dieu Lan at Quang Trung High School for the Gifted, stood out from over 2,000 entries to win the first prize in the national high school category of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition. Their achievement reflects the students’ and teachers’ passion for scientific and technological research, particularly in applying artificial intelligence (AI).  

Nguyen Thi Dieu Lan (center) with the student research team during a project discussion. Photo: Vu Thuyen

The team’s project centers on a handheld health monitoring device that leverages IoT and AI to deliver comprehensive home healthcare. The initiative showcases the students’ creativity, social responsibility, and the aspiration to master advanced technology.

Explaining the motivation behind the project, Cao Tat Nguyen, an 11th-grade student gifted in Computer Science and team member, noted that Vietnam has a rapidly aging population, with older adults requiring regular and even daily health monitoring. Access to medical care remains limited for the elderly in remote and economically disadvantaged areas. Moreover, imported smart medical devices are costly and largely inaccessible to rural communities and ethnic minority populations.

In response to this situation, the team developed the Home Handheld Health Assessment Device project. The device is a compact, all-in-one biomedical tool suitable for all ages. Integrated with AI and IoT, it provides early health risk alerts, analyzes key indicators, and offers personalized health recommendations. The device features a touchscreen with a user-friendly interface, voice guidance, and seamless cloud connectivity for sharing data with doctors and family members.

The team notes that, despite winning first prize, significant work remains before the device can be deployed in practice. Key tasks include refining the features recommended by the judges, adding additional functions for more stable operation such as blood glucose and urine testing and developing a range of products to suit different budgets and user needs. Once finalized, the device will be registered with the Ministry of Health and the Institute of Science and Technology before entering the market.

Nguyen Thi Dieu Lan, the supervising teacher, shared that the team faced numerous challenges while developing the device, some of which seemed insurmountable. However, with encouragement from teachers, the school, and their families, combined with a deep passion for science and technology, the team gradually completed the product with advanced features. “All the students share a common dream: to create a product that brings significant benefits to the country, enabling Vietnamese people to master technology and ensuring that no one is left behind in accessing modern medical devices,” Nguyen Thi Dieu Lan observed.

Aiming for technological mastery

By winning the first prize in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition, in addition to awards for the team and individual members, Quang Trung High School for the Gifted received a STEM innovation space valued at 1.5 billion VND from the organizers. This provides the foundation and resources for teachers and students at the school to continue excelling in scientific research, technology, and innovation in the years ahead.

The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2025 competition, held for the seventh time, is organized by Samsung in collaboration with the Department of Political Education and Student Affairs under the Ministry of Education and Training and JA Vietnam’s Achieving Youth Center. The contest attracts thousands of entries and innovative ideas from secondary and high school students nationwide. This marks Quang Trung High School for the Gifted’s second participation: in 2024, the school reached the top 50, while in 2025, it achieved first prize in Category B for high schools.

Tran Minh Hien, Vice Principal of Quang Trung High School for the Gifted, stated that the competition is highly prestigious and provides a major platform for students passionate about technology with innovative ideas, offering substantial prizes. It requires students to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm, deep knowledge of AI, strong programming skills, and, importantly, the ability to develop original ideas and work with teachers to bring them to fruition.

These accomplishments provide a strong foundation for the school to take on larger competitions and create more opportunities for students to showcase and develop their talents. They offer each student an environment to grow, hone their skills, and excel on their journey of learning and discovery.

Earlier, the 2024–2025 National Science and Engineering Research Competition for secondary and high school students, organized by the Ministry of Education and Training, drew 212 projects from 74 institutions nationwide. Among these, Mslora – Shrimp Farming Environment Monitoring and Assessment System stood out. The project was developed by Huynh Manh Sang, a 12th-grade student gifted in Mathematics at Quang Trung High School for the Gifted. It applied IoT, computer vision, and Lora wireless communication in embedded systems. The project earned third prize overall. This achievement marks a first for both the former Binh Phuoc province’s education sector and Quang Trung High School for the Gifted in this field.

“These unexpected achievements provide a foundation for the school to participate in future competitions, offering students a platform to fully develop their abilities,” said Tran Minh Hien, Vice Principal of Quang Trung High School for the Gifted.

As science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation become central to the modern era, Quang Trung High School for the Gifted emphasizes not only academic excellence but also cultivating an environment that inspires students to engage in research and creative pursuits.

The academic platforms, competitions, and experiential activities organized by the school provide students with opportunities to explore, experiment, and pursue new ideas. These initiatives form a crucial foundation for the young generation in Dong Nai, and Vietnamese youth more broadly, to confidently master knowledge, master technology, and become a pioneering force in the future.

By Vu Thuyen – Translated by Tam Binh, Thu Ha