'No matter how much the world changes, the teacher's heart is still important'

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu (left cover) talks with students and parents at the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023

Today, December 3, the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023 took place at the Canadian International Bilingual School, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City. The festival featured a sharing session by Professor Duong Nguyen Vu, founder and lecturer of the APCS advanced program at the University of Natural Sciences (Ho Chi Minh City National University), Professor of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU).

In the 1980s, Mr. Duong Nguyen Vu first set foot in France and was admitted to study at the School of Architecture of the National Academy of Fine Arts and the National School of Bridges and Bridges of the Paris Institute of Technology.

In 1990, he received his PhD in artificial intelligence, and at the same time marked Vietnam on the world knowledge map with the initiative "Fly more freely", applying mathematics to optimize predictions, regulate flight schedules and self-controlled flight paths. This initiative made him the world's leading information technology expert in the field of aviation... He was also the founding director of the John Von Neumann Institute (Ho Chi Minh City National University) until 2017.

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu (3rd from left) at the talk show at the Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Festival 2023

"The teacher is the coach"

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu said that he has been teaching in Vietnam since 1997, the subject of artificial intelligence (AI), the thing that he remembers most until now is the eyes of the students, eyes sparkling with curiosity about new things. That is also what urged him to do something to help the students.

According to Professor Duong Nguyen Vu, in the AI ​​era, teachers are not simply people who impart knowledge to students but also coaches and guides for students, helping them learn more on their own. Because in the AI ​​era, knowledge is not only in teachers but also everywhere. The AI ​​era allows the creation of classrooms without boundaries, classrooms where Vietnamese students can sit and study with friends in China, Japan, the US, Korea, etc.

Students experience at Ho Chi Minh City Open Math Festival 2023

AI also has tools that can solve the problem of personalizing learning methods, to ensure fairness in education. Because in each class, each learner has different potential, different talents, each student is a champion in a field but the way they learn and acquire knowledge is different. When a lecturer lectures, if for some reason, a student is absent, missing knowledge that day. At first, the gap is small, but gradually, the knowledge gap from the previous class gets bigger in the following classes, gradually it becomes too big, the students are forced to drop out of school. That is unfair in education.

AI tools can solve this problem, personalize learning, help learners learn what they want, in their own way, ensuring educational goals.

According to Professor Duong Nguyen Vu, in the AI ​​era, learners need to be trained in critical thinking and equipped with many new skills, of which English is very important. At the same time, each person must also have a balance between physical and mental health, between studying and playing to be ready for new challenges. Learners must also be well prepared for the future, discovering new potentials of themselves every day.

"What made me return to Vietnam to work was seeing the potential in young Vietnamese people"

"What made me return to Vietnam to work was seeing the potential in young Vietnamese people, they are willing to step out of their circle, discover their potential every day. The potential of Vietnamese students is huge, if fully exploited, they will create many proud achievements", said the Vietnamese professor, who was Head of Creative Research and Senior Scientific Advisor at the European Organization for Aviation Safety, member of the Scientific Committee - Council of Europe and taught at two French universities.

Can AI replace teachers?

Professor Duong Nguyen Vu said that in the AI ​​era, teachers are the ones who transfer their passion for subjects to students. With the experience of teachers in that field, teachers can exchange and discuss with students many issues in and outside the subject, which is something AI cannot do.

A mother attending the festival asked Professor Duong Nguyen Vu: "I am not good at math and do not understand anything about AI, so how can I accompany my child?". Professor Duong Nguyen Vu answered that parents can teach and guide their children about critical thinking. Let's teach our children to express their perspectives, to have critical thinking, how can we see things that others do not see naturally, that is very important.

"No matter how much the world changes, whatever may happen, the heart of the teacher, the heart of the parent and the heart of the student are all extremely important. Among them, the most important thing is the student's heart," said a professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Mr. Nguyen Dai Nghia

Mr. Nguyen Dai Nghia, who graduated as a doctor from Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy but studied information technology at the age of 25 and was the valedictorian of the Information Technology Department, University of Natural Sciences, Ho Chi Minh City National University, also believes that AI is a tool to support humans.

Mr. Nguyen Dai Nghia said that he used to study medicine, with an orientation related to diagnostic imaging. He wanted to research methods to apply AI to diagnostic imaging and saw that AI and deep learning were a big step forward and were becoming more and more popular. However, for him, AI and deep learning are the results of human research, tools to support humans and cannot replace teachers.

Ho Chi Minh City Open Mathematics Day 2023 (MOD) is organized by the Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training; University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City and Canadian International Bilingual School (Sedbergh Vietnam) with the theme "Mathematics for All - Teaching in the AI ​​Era".

Students of Hong Duc Primary School, District 8 participated in the festival

Students excitedly participate in "Road to Olympia" version of Ho Chi Minh City Open Math Festival

Among the speakers participating in the festival, in addition to Professor Duong Nguyen Vu and Mr. Nguyen Dai Nghia, there were also Mr. Tran Trong Nghia, CEO of Megaedu; Master Hoang Minh Thong, head of the program development and digital transformation team at the Gifted High School, Ho Chi Minh City National University; Dr. Le Khanh Duy, an expert in innovation and human-computer interaction with 5 international patents.

At the festival, thousands of students from primary to high schools in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces participated in experiential activities related to the application of mathematics, STEM, AI with the theme "In the magical land of mathematics"...

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