Van Lang University Launches “VLU MedTech Founder Apprenticeship 2025”

On the morning of June 19, 2025, Van Lang University officially launched the “VLU MedTech Founder Apprenticeship 2025”, an academic competition designed for students from the Health Sciences, Engineering - Technology, and Artificial Intelligence fields. The event drew significant participation from both students and faculty members, as part of a broader initiative to promote biomedical entrepreneurship and the application of technology in healthcare.

The competition follows a 7-day mini-hackathon format, in which participating teams are tasked with developing innovative ideas, building prototype products, and preparing business plans centered around biomedical technology solutions. Alongside the competition, students will have access to a series of professional workshops such as “Innovative Thinking”, “AI in Medicine”, “Business Model Orientation”, and “UX/UI Design”, as well as mentoring sessions with experienced lecturers and industry experts. These activities support students in refining their projects ahead of the final round on June 25.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ngo Cao Hoai Linh, Director of the Van Lang Incubation Center, shared Van Lang University’s vision for sustainable development. He emphasized the university’s commitment to aligning educational activities with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals by integrating academic knowledge with real-world community applications. He also reaffirmed that universities are at the heart of innovation, bringing together faculty, experts, laboratories, and most importantly, the creative energy of the younger generation.

Following the opening ceremony, a series of thematic workshops were held, featuring practical insights into the potential, challenges, and strategic development of medical technology in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Mr. Pham Trung Hieu, Founder of Pythera AI, delivered a talk titled “Pythera AI: Medical Applications and Development Strategy in Vietnam”, highlighting the potential of large language models (LLMs) in medical contexts, from image diagnostics and health record processing to patient consultation. However, he also pointed out several existing barriers, including data privacy issues, lack of standardized datasets, and discrepancies between international data and Vietnam’s healthcare landscape. To address these challenges, Pythera AI proposed advanced techniques such as fine-tuning, LoRA, and particularly RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), a hybrid approach combining data retrieval with natural language generation to enhance accuracy and contextual relevance in medical applications.

Echoing the view that AI can be an effective support tool for doctors in research and clinical management, Dr. Le Thi Bich Phuong, Deputy Director of Van Hanh General Hospital, affirmed that the integration of medical knowledge and technology could pave the way for personalized treatment approaches, while also nurturing students’ foundation for practical research. In addition, other speakers shared real-world examples of technology applications in corporate research and operations, and warned against the consequences of relying on manual data processing, urging technology students to engage early with tools for developing practical AI products.

News: Thien Phuc
Photos: Diem Quynh