The 2026 university admissions season saw, for the first time, more than half of applicants choosing at least one STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) discipline. The positive signal raises a key question: how can training quality be improved and better aligned with businesses' needs so that the country's human-resource advantage can become a driver of national development?

Cultivating a highly skilled workforce in the fields of basic sciences, key engineering disciplines, and strategic technologies has emerged as an urgent national priority.

Two Vietnamese student teams achieved outstanding success by securing runner-up finishes in both the Junior (secondary school) and Senior (high school) categories at the Robotics for Good Youth Challenge 2026 Grand Finale, held from July 7 to 10 at the Palexpo Convention Centre in Geneva, Switzerland.

STEM education is increasingly recognised as a crucial foundation for developing the workforce needed for the digital economy and future strategic technology sectors. It represents a modern educational approach aimed at cultivating scientific thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills among students from an early age.

After competing against nearly 3,000 contestants in the final round, the five best teams won first prizes at the National STEM, AI and Robotics Championship for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Vietnam is aiming to become a high-tech economy with the STI pillars identified as the enablers, and the local conditions enable their rapid development, said an Israeli expert.

The Viet Nam National Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam) coordinated with the Ministry of Education and Training to hold a conference to implement the Petrovietnam STEM Innovation Programme, which aims to build 100 international-standard STEM laboratories in 2025 across 34 provinces and cities nationwide.