On the morning of July 5, 2026, the University of Science, Hue University, in collaboration with the Hue Association for Information Technology and Electronics-Telecommunications (HueDITA), organized the Award Ceremony for the Information Technology (IT) Creative Product Sector for pupils and students, and the Closing Ceremony of the Hue-ICT Challenge 2026.
The program was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Huu Hanh, Deputy Director General of the National Digital Transformation Agency (Ministry of Science and Technology); Mr. Nguyen Xuan Son, Director of the Hue City Department of Science and Technology; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Thi Xuan Dung, Vice President of Hue University; alongside leadership representatives from the Union of Science and Technology Associations, the Youth Union, Hue College, the Hue City IT Center, sponsoring enterprises, and a large number of pupils and students participating in the competition.
Overview of the Award and Closing Ceremony of the Hue-ICT Challenge 2026.
Organized annually since 2022, the Hue-ICT Challenge was born with the objective of discovering, nurturing, and connecting young talents in the field of information technology; while simultaneously creating an environment for pupils and students to hone their programming mindsets, scientific research, innovation, and development of tech products with practical application capabilities.
After 5 years of organization, the competition has step-by-step affirmed its position as one of the most prestigious academic technology playgrounds for pupils and students. To date, the Hue-ICT Challenge has attracted over 8,600 student entries in the Programming sector, received over 210 IT creative products, and presented more than 1,280 awards to outstanding collectives, individuals, and products. Notably, students from almost all provinces and cities nationwide have participated in the competition across various seasons, demonstrating the expanding reach of the Hue-ICT Challenge.
Placing Learners at the Center of Digital Human Resource Development
Highly appraising the proactive innovation of the Hue-ICT Challenge to expand opportunities for learners, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Huu Hanh, Deputy Director General of the National Digital Transformation Agency, stated during the program:
"The addition of the Junior Challenge bracket for lower-secondary students, the expansion of the Creative Product sector to both pupils and students, as well as progressively elevating the competition with the companionship of the Vietnam Association for Information Processing (VAIP) and organizing it on a national scale shows a highly commendable organizational mindset: placing learners at the center, taking digital human resource development requirements as the orientation, and utilizing quality as the foundation for sustainable growth."
"As the advisory and executive body implementing national digital transformation programs and policies, the National Digital Transformation Agency always encourages localities, educational institutions, socio-professional organizations, and the business community to build and maintain quality playgrounds like the Hue-ICT Challenge. This is not only a place to discover students with a knack for IT, but it also contributes to forming digital skills, innovative thinking, research capabilities, product development, and business connections—essential factors to build a workforce serving the national digital transformation process," Mr. Hoang Huu Hanh emphasized.
Hue-ICT Challenge 2026 Continues to Impress in Scale and Quality
In 2026, the Programming sector for secondary school students attracted 2,503 contestants from 635 lower and upper secondary schools across 34 provinces and cities. The Organizing Committee presented 344 individual awards to contestants with outstanding achievements across all three brackets (PRO Challenge, NAÏ Challenge, and JUNIOR Challenge), along with 09 collective awards for schools with high participant turnouts and top achievements (which were awarded earlier in March 2026).
Regarding the IT Creative Product sector for pupils and students, the Organizing Committee received 74 submissions from various schools and localities across the nation. Following the preliminary round, the 16 most outstanding products (08 from the pupil block and 08 from the student block) were selected to enter the final round to present and defend their projects before the Jury Panel.
Representatives from the leadership of the Department of Science and Technology and the Hue City Youth Union presenting the First Prize to the pupil group participating in the IT Creative Product sector of the competition
Reporting at the program, Dr. Hoang Bao Hung, President of HueDITA, Rector of Hue College, and Co-Chairman of the Competition Organizing Committee, shared a positive outlook:
"It is highly encouraging that many products this year demonstrate not only creative thinking but also high practical applicability. Multiple teams boldly leveraged Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and other digital technologies to solve practical issues in education, healthcare, environment, governance, and daily life. This is a positive signal of a young generation that dares to think and act, ready to master technology to create new values."
Honoring the Winning Innovations
During the ceremony, the Organizing Committee presented 16 awards to the most exceptional products across both pupil and student brackets:
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First Prize (Pupil Bracket): Awarded to the product "Human Hand-Mimicking Robotic Arm Model Utilizing Computer Vision" by the author group from the Hue Specialized Science High School.
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First Prize (Student Bracket): Awarded to the product "AIOP – A Versatile AI Community Platform for Learning, Connecting, and Digital Content Creation" by student Nguyen Van An from the University of Science, Hue University.
The Organizing Committee also presented Second, Third, and Consolation prizes to other outstanding products possessing high creativity, application feasibility, and development potential in fields such as education, healthcare, information safety, recruitment, environment, and digital transformation.
Reaffirming the Role of Connecting and Developing the Digital Workforce
In the context of the country implementing the Politburo's Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation, the Hue-ICT Challenge continues to affirm its meaning as a practical academic playground, contributing to discovering and nurturing the digital workforce right from educational environments.
Through the competition, pupils and students gain opportunities to practice programming mindsets, scientific research, product development, teamwork, and presentation skills; while strengthening connections with enterprises, experts, and training institutions to approach professional technology environments.
Dr. Hoang Bao Hung, President of HueDITA, Rector of Hue College, and Co-Chairman of the Competition Organizing Committee presenting awards to high-achieving students.
Throughout the past 5 years, HueDITA has continuously promoted its role as a bridge between the Government, schools, and enterprises, mobilizing the participation of management agencies, educational institutions, the business community, and professional organizations to build a quality tech playground, gradually forming an ecosystem to discover, nurture, and develop young talents.
The Hue-ICT Challenge 2026 continued to receive companionship from numerous tech enterprises and financial institutions, with a total sponsorship fund exceeding 300 million VND:
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Diamond Sponsor: GOSU Online Corporation.
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Titanium Sponsors: FPT Software, SMC Hue Co., Ltd., and UALS Co., Ltd.
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Bronze Sponsors: VietinBank – Hue Branch, Agribank – Hue Branch, and Soft World Vietnam Co., Ltd.
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Co-Sponsors: Brycen Vietnam Co., Ltd. and Rikkeisoft Joint Stock Company.
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Mr. Nguyen Hong Nhat, Deputy Director of GOSU Online Corporation – Hue Branch, representing the sponsors to speak at the program.
Stepping into its fifth year, the Hue-ICT Challenge not only marks a journey of development in scale and quality but also affirms its role as an effective collaborative model connecting schools, enterprises, and regulatory bodies. Backed by a solid foundation and nationwide companionship, the competition is expected to further expand its reach and upgrade its professional quality, remaining a premier tech arena for pupils and students, and contributing practically to national science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.