Among over 1,000 students recognized as graduating from the HCM City University of Technology one semester early, Hy stands out with a perfect 4.0 GPA. The male student holds an IELTS 8.0 certificate, earned the title “Outstanding All-Round Student,” and scored 9.4 on his thesis.

Hy was a maths major student at the HCM City High School for the Gifted, directly admitted to the HCM City University of Technology, one of the best polytechnic schools in Vietnam, after winning second prize at the national maths Olympiad.

Hy chose to study AI because he has been fascinated by the impressive possibilities of the field since he was a child, especially when he learned about systems that can play chess - like Google's AlphaGo defeating the world's top player in Go - which is considered one of the most complex challenges for computers.

In recent years, the emergence of generative AI models like ChatGPT and DeepSeek has further fueled Hy’s curiosity and desire to learn more about AI capability. University courses like Machine Learning and Introduction to AI provided a solid knowledge foundation, clarifying his long-term commitment to the field.

At university, Hy participated in AI-related research and technical projects, including the university admission chatbot and AI-based waste sorting systems.

Hy is a member of the URA research group, guided by Associate Professor Quan Thanh Tho. The team develops methods to enhance the responsiveness and personalization of the university’s admissions chatbot. Hy also authored a scientific paper based on his thesis, submitted to a B-ranked international conference, with results expected by mid-May.

Hy said that throughout his time at the university, he has planned his studies meticulously, used time efficiently to graduate early and maintained top results.

Hy admitted he didn’t have top results initially for some subjects, including Politics-Law, due to insufficient textbook review and reliance on videos and past exams. After learning from this, he improved his approach and earned an A.

The only subject where Hy scored 7.5 was Principles of Programming Languages, considered the toughest in the Computer Science department.

Hy balanced academics and research by reading books, listening to music, and studying English for relaxation. On weekends, he played sports to stay physically fit and maintain a positive mindset.

Hy plans to pursue advanced postgraduate AI programs in the next 2-3 years while continuing to work on AI applications.

Associate Professor Quan Thanh Tho, Head of the university’s Computer Science and Engineering Department, said: “Hy is an exceptional student with a strong knowledge base, high self-learning ability, and consistent seriousness in both academics and research.”

Le Huyen