AUGUST'S PUBLIC TALK: "CONNECTING SMART INFRASTRUCTURE: FROM IDEAS TO REALITY"

On the morning of August 13, 2025, International University (VNU-HCM) hosted a Public Talk titled  “Connecting Smart Construction Infrastructure: From Ideas to Reality.” The program welcomed more than 100 students from Ernst Thälmann High school (Ho Chi Minh City) and was the third program in the 2025 Public Talk series.

Before the talk, students spent over 60 minutes on a campus tour, which included visits to severalIU’s key laboratories such as laboratories of the Department of Food Technology, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering and Management and others of the School of Biotechnology.

Students tour key laboratories at IU as part of the public talk program.  

Dr. Pham Thanh Tung – Lecturer of the School of Civil Engineering and Management – delivered an engaging introduction to the public talk.

After engaging in the campus tour activity, students attentively listened to the Public Talk entitled “Connecting Smart Construction Infrastructure: From Ideas to Reality” led by Dr. Pham Thanh Tung and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep – two lecturers from the School of Civil Engineering and Management, International University. The talk focused on the critical role of technology and artificial intelligence in the booming construction sector, which is receiving significant investment from both public and private sources. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep, in such an age of technological proliferation, integrating technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the construction field is extremely essential. However, AI cannot replace human beings. Instead, only tech-savvy people can replace those who are technologically illiterate. At the same time, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep emphasized remarkable benefits that smart construction brings, such as automation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of things (IoT), 3D design, safety, cost saving, increase in efficiency, accurate prediction, risk reduction, and environmental friendliness. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep also urged students to embrace technological changes and always be ready to learn new skills.

 Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep – Lecturer of the School of Civil Engineering and Management – the main speaker of the August 2025’s Public Talk.

The event took place in an energetic atmosphere with a range of insightful and interesting questions from students. Smart questions were continuously being posed, demonstrating students’ concerns and knowledge about the construction field.

Especially, in this Public Talk session, students had an opportunity to participate in a groupwork activity named “Creativity Challenge”. More specifically, students work together to come up with ideas and present how to build a smart city which is not only modern but also environmentally-friendly and good for residents. Lots of unique and impressive ideas such as robots replacing teachers in classrooms, cities with multi-utility, intelligent transportation, automated houses, public services like parks with automated sensors or hospitals with self-adjusting lighting systems to avoid traffic jams, surprised and drew applause from the whole auditorium.

On behalf of the program organization board, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Duy Phuong – Head of the Office of Public and External Relations – gave flowers and an appreciation gift to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Duy Phuong – Head of the Office of Public and External Relations stated: “The series of public lectures by International University in 2025 will begin in June and last until the end of 2025, featuring many interesting topics presented by lecturers from various Schools and Departments. In June and July, we successfully held two programs with the participation of nearly 300 high school students. This August, we will present a lecture on the topic “Connecting Smart Construction Infrastructure: From Ideas to Reality.” In the subsequent months, we will continue with the entire series, each with different messages depending on the topic, such as “AI and Its Applications” (September), “Vietnamese Youth and Climate Change Response” (November), “Using Technology to Lean English Skills” (October), and “Personal Financial Management” (December). All these programs aim to provide students with accurate knowledge about different professions, helping them make informed career choices that align with their passion and abilities.”

Students from Ernst Thälmann High school presented their ideas after gaining interesting knowledge from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Tiep.

International University has been organizing its annual Public Talk program for many years to provide useful information about careers and future development trends. The goal is to give high school students and college students in Ho Chi Minh City as well as neighboring provinces an accurate insight into various fields, helping them to choose a career path that aligns with their passion and abilities. With the objective of building high-quality training programs, International University will continue to host public talks, conferences, and specialized workshops in 2025 to provide advanced scientific and technical knowledge, contributing to the improvement of the country’s human resources.