While still in his third year at university, Pham Van Thanh has turned a technology project into a business, sharing his startup journey to inspire thousands of new students at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology.

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Pham Van Thanh, a student in PTIT’s high-quality Information Technology program, shares his startup journey with incoming students. Photo: PTIT.

At the opening ceremony for the 2026-2027 academic year at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology (PTIT) on September 5, the startup story of Pham Van Thanh, a third-year student in the high-quality Information Technology program, captured the attention of thousands of incoming students.

Thanh is the founder of IELTS Smart, a technology-based solution designed to address the time and cost involved in manual test grading.

The project grew out of Thanh’s early research at the AI & Blockchain Lab, where he began working under the guidance of Associate Professor Dr. Do Xuan Cho during his first year at university.

After five months of incubation through PTIT’s P-Innovation program and opportunities to connect with investors at startup networking events, the project secured corporate customers and officially completed the procedures to establish a company.

“Starting a business does not necessarily have to begin with a huge idea or highly complex technology. Sometimes, it starts simply by noticing an existing problem and persistently searching for a better way to solve it,” Thanh told the ceremony.

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Associate Professor Dr. Dang Hoai Bac, Director of the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, delivers the closing remarks at the opening ceremony on September 5. Photo: Phan Hoan.

He also encouraged new students not to wait until they feel completely ready before taking action.

According to Thanh, a student idea, if given the right support at the right time and pursued with persistence, can become a real product that earns customers’ trust and creates tangible value.

Thanh’s approach of combining university study with real-world projects also reflects a key direction emphasized by PTIT’s leadership in the closing remarks at the ceremony.

Associate Professor Dr. Dang Hoai Bac, Director of PTIT, said the 2026-2027 academic year marks the beginning of a period leading up to the institution’s 30th anniversary in September 2027.

PTIT aims to expand its “learn by project” model, introduce AI teaching assistants and develop a laboratory ecosystem based on interdisciplinary innovation spaces.

“AI can change careers. Technology can change the world. But human knowledge, resilience and ambition remain the deciding factors,” Bac told the incoming D26 cohort. "So I hope you will remember this: master technology, master AI and shape the future on the foundation of solid knowledge, strong technological capabilities and a hands-on mindset, creating value for yourselves, your families, society and the country.”

During the opening ceremony, PTIT also honored and rewarded students who achieved outstanding academic results during the 2025-2026 academic year.

The institute also signed memoranda of understanding with the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED), the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology (VKIST), VNPT, Vietnam Post and Temix, aiming to expand opportunities for students to gain direct, practical experience while still at university.

“Students must learn, but at the same time they must be given opportunities to experience, create and put their skills into practice. That is how PTIT and its partners are working together to train the workforce of the future,” Bac said.

Du Lam