Hanwha Life nurtures AI ecosystem in Vietnam

By Lee Kyung-min

Hanwha Life continued its sponsorship of the Vietnam Informatics Olympiad, taking the lead in nurturing the next generation of experts and introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) track this year, company officials said Monday.

This AI initiative goes beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) as Hanwha Life aims to support the development of AI experts in Vietnam and drive sustainable innovation.

The sixth Informatics Olympiad, sponsored by Hanwha Life, was held on Friday and Saturday at Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU).

As a premier IT competition, the Olympiad identifies and fosters outstanding students across Vietnam.

The company has been sponsoring the event for two consecutive years, strengthening its commitment to regional technological advancement.

This year, the competition garnered significant attention, with a record-breaking number of participants.

The number of participating schools surged by 48.3 percent year-on-year to 525, while student participation increased by 19.5 percent, with 2,848 competitors — the largest turnout so far.

The figures show the growing interest in the Vietnamese IT sector as well as the growing influence of increasing competition.

VKU President Huynh Cong Phap, Le Thi Bich Thuan, director of the education and training department of Da Nang City, Hanwha Life Senior Executive Vice President Hong Jeong-pyo and ChildFund CSR head Shin Jung-won attended the event to encourage participants and discuss the significance of the competition.

The new AI track was an exceptional contribution to this year’s event, marking a milestone in the competition’s evolution, Hanwha officials said.

The addition aligns with Hanwha Life’s vision of promoting AI and digital innovation within the global financial industry.

The company has been actively expanding its AI research and business operations, establishing specialized units such as its AI Division, AI Research Lab and Hanwha AI Center (HAC) in San Francisco.

These efforts aim not only to drive financial service innovation, but also to enhance personalized digital experiences for customers.

"I am sincerely grateful to Hanwha Life for providing a platform that showcases Vietnam’s AI capabilities on the global stage," said Phung Nguyen Nhu Bach, the winner of the AI track.

Vietnamese participants have made their mark internationally. Last year, the Super Cup champion went on to compete in the International Olympiad in Informatics, securing an impressive two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.