Representing Vietnam, Duy Tan University made an outstanding impression with 5 student projects winning awards at the International PBL (Project-Based Learning) Expo 2025 held in Indonesia at the end of August 2025: 2 first prizes (out of 12), 2 second prizes (out of 12), and 1 Best Visualization award.

 

Among the entries, the project ‘Vietnamese AI Assistant for hearing-impaired people’ by Duy Tan University students won first prize and was subsequently selected to receive the highest award – the Championship – at the International PBL Expo 2025.

This is an annual event within the Pagelaran Teknovasi Polibatam 2025 series, organized by Politeknik Negeri Batam (Polibatam), Indonesia, to recognize and showcase outstanding student projects, especially those developed using Project-Based Learning (PBL) methods.

 

Taking place from August 19th to 21st, 2025, the International PBL Expo 2025 attracted 196 teams from 100 universities and colleges in Indonesia and 30 universities and high schools from Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore. Over 200 delegates representing government agencies, experts, and entrepreneurs participated in supporting and evaluating the event. With the theme ‘Strengthening Synergy, Impacting Nations’, the International PBL Expo 2025 sparked strong creative inspiration, fostering new ideas and breakthrough solutions with high practical application value.

 

Duy Tan University presented 6 projects at the International PBL Expo 2025, including research and application products of outstanding technologies that received major awards, specifically:

 

The Championship and First Prize: Awarded to the ViSTAR team, consisting of students Do Minh Tung, Hoang Trung Kien, and Hoang Trong Hien, for their project ‘Vietnamese AI Assistant for Hearing-Impaired People’. This is a system using artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to translate sign language in real time, creating a communication bridge between the hearing-impaired and society. The system allows for two-way translation between text and sign language via video frames, enhancing the communication abilities of the hearing impaired in daily life.

 

First Prize: Awarded to the VIE AGV Omni team, consisting of students Thi Ly Liem, Trinh Thanh Ly, Vo Hoai Dung, Le Nguyen Phi Truong, and Le Gia Han, for their project ‘VIE AGV Omni Wheel Robot’. This project developed and optimized an autonomous robot (AGV) designed to support intelligent logistics operations, automating the material handling process in warehouses and industrial environments. The robot can operate continuously for 8 hours after each charge and has a load capacity of up to 300 kg.

 

Second Prize: Awarded to the TT_DTU team, consisting of students Tran Tich Tan and Le Van Phuoc Thinh, for their project ‘Recognition and Control of Robot Hand Gestures using YOLOv5’. The project developed a robotic hand system capable of gesture recognition via camera combined with a YOLOv5 deep learning model, thereby controlling the robot's finger movements in real time. The system's applications include controlling robots in hazardous, high-temperature, and dangerous environments inaccessible to humans, especially in production lines and medical settings.

 

Second Prize: Awarded to the DHBK team, consisting of students Le Huynh Dung, Pham Tien Hung, Che Quang Khai, and Tran Duy Bach, for their project ‘SkyStudy learning app for children’. This is an English vocabulary learning app for children aged 6-12, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and engaging learning features. The app helps children learn English vocabulary through object recognition and accurate pronunciation, creating a lively and effective learning environment.

 

Best of Visualization Award: Presented to the Blossoming Symphony team, consisting of students Tran Pham Huong Ly, Vo An Na, Pham Duy Hieu, Doan Le Anh Thu, and Pham Ha Thu Phuong, for their project 'Blossoming Symphony' - 'Thuy Lien Khai Hoa Tea'. This project offers a unique tea experience, combining blue water lilies, roses, and jasmine to create a caffeine-free tea product that promotes relaxation and sleep. The project aims to encourage a healthy lifestyle, promote the cultural value of tea drinking, and create a unique gift in the form of a distinctive Vietnamese cultural tourism product.

Student Do Minh Tung - Team Leader of the winning project shared: “When implementing the project ‘Vietnamese AI Assistant for hearing-impaired people,’ we hoped to contribute to helping hearing-impaired people communicate easily through real-time video, thereby opening the door to barrier-free communication for millions of people. Our success today stems from the unity and progressive spirit of the entire team, and especially the dedicated support of the lecturers at Duy Tan University. We were fully equipped with professional and technical knowledge, allowing us to focus maximally on optimizing the algorithm, improving the accuracy and convenience of the system. The success of the DTU teams participating in the International PBL Expo 2025 comes from the spirit of cooperation, passion for research, and determination to create products that are truly valuable to the community.”

Dr. Dao Anh Quang, Deputy Head of the Faculty of Environment & Natural Sciences at Duy Tan University, who directly led the delegation to the International PBL Expo 2025, said: “The success of Duy Tan students at this competition stems from their ability to apply groundbreaking technology to practical products. The continuous application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by student groups not only demonstrates their professional knowledge but also shows their creative thinking and effective problem-solving abilities. This is a direct result of modern training methods, in which Project-Based Learning (PBL) combined with the CDIO framework helps students think holistically, enabling them to transform ideas into practical products with high applicability, creating a difference when participating in the international arena.”

 

Dr. Dao Anh Quang of Duy Tan University was recently elected as the Asia Regional Representative in the CDIO World Association for the 2025-2028 term. Duy Tan University joined the CDIO Association in 2012 and was recognized as a Regional Representative for Asia (CDIO Leader Asia) when Dr. Tran Nhat Tan was elected for the 2018-2021 term and continued for the subsequent 2022-2025 term. At the CDIO Asia Regional Conference 2025, Dr. Dao Anh Quang succeeded him and was elected as CDIO Asia Co-leader, becoming one of three representatives in this position. Duy Tan University's active participation in the CDIO Association demonstrates its commitment to promoting engineering and technology education worldwide, and is also clearly demonstrated by the fact that Duy Tan University has six programs accredited by ABET (the world's 'gold standard' for science and engineering education) in various fields ranging from Information Technology to Information Systems to Electrical and Electronics Engineering to Construction and Food Technology.