BUV Students Win Gold and Bronze Prizes at the 2024 Global Start-up Design Thinking Hackathon in Seoul

BUV students achieved a resounding victory at the 2024 Global Start-up Design Thinking Hackathon in Seoul, a prestigious international competition that brings together students from leading universities across nine countries. This event provides a platform for young innovators to develop cutting-edge solutions in immersive media and promote global commercialisation in high-tech industries. 

The Global Start-up Design Thinking Hackathon Day is an annual event hosted by the Center for eXtended Reality and the College of Virtual Convergence at Chung-Ang University, South Korea. Held from September 23 to 26, 2024, the event aimed to provide opportunities for students to develop capabilities in the future-oriented field of immersive media. This year, a total of 40 students from 13 universities representing 9 countries, participated in the hackathon. Through collaborative efforts, teams developed Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) that addressed real-world user needs, providing a platform to turn creative ideas into practical solutions. The competition focused on four areas: Game Development, App Creation, Film, and Animation, all with the goal of promoting successful global commercialization of high-tech innovations. 

Students from School of Business and School of Computing & Innovative Technologies with Mr. Fraser Harrison – Associate Lecturer, BUV (second from the left) representing BUV at Global Start-up Design Thinking Hackathon Day 2024 in Seoul, South Korea 

For this event, there are four students represented BUV to compete: Phan Le Ngoc Trang, a student of Finance & Economics programme and President of the BUV Innovation and Entrepreneurship community (BIE), Nguyen Thien Quang, a Computer Science student and Vice President of BIE, as well as Pham Huu Gia Hai and Nguyen Nhu Tung, both students specializing in Computer Games Design and Programming. 

Gold Prize: Nguyen Thien Quang’s Team and SpeakEase 

Nguyen Thien Quang (middle) and his team won the Gold Prize with the project SpeakEase

Nguyen Thien Quang led his team to win the Gold Prize with the project SpeakEase, consisting of students from Thailand, South Korea, and Indonesia, impressed the judges with their ability to develop a fully functional MVP within the 48-hour timeframe. 

SpeakEase is an innovative application that leverages AI technology to create communication bridges for children with language impairments. Through AI-driven avatars that imitate the voices and appearances of family members, SpeakEase enables children to express their thoughts and emotions while simultaneously providing parents with real-time emotional insights. 

Quang, who has a personal connection to children with communication disabilities, remarked, “I believe children with language difficulties deserve to be understood and connected with their families, just like their peers. I hope SpeakEase can provide a meaningful tool for parents to communicate better with their children. 

Bronze Prize: Phan Le Ngoc Trang’s Team and Transparity 

Phan Le Ngoc Trang presenting the project Transparity 

Phan Le Ngoc Trang, together with her team won the Bronze Prize with the project named “Transparity”. Trang’s team included students from Vietnam and South Korea, and their project was praised for its potential to bring about positive change in the charitable sector. 

Transparity is a blockchain-based platform designed to ensure transparency and accountability in charitable donations. By utilizing smart contracts, the platform allows donors to track the donation process in real-time, ensuring that their contributions are used effectively and providing regular updates on the impact of their donations. 

Trang shared about her experience and achievement at the hackathon: “The Global Startup Design Thinking Hackathon is a unique opportunity to push boundaries, innovate, collaborate with different talents around the world, and bring ideas into life. It’s where the culture and the creativity meet, and I’m excited to be part of a team working on impactful solutions like Transparity.”  

In addition to the major prize winners, Pham Huu Gia Hai and Nguyen Nhu Tung received honourable mentions for their innovative projects. Gia Hai’s team, which included students from South Korea, Thailand, and Sweden, developed XRDive, a VR-based game application designed to enhance daily life experiences. Nguyen Nhu Tung’s team created a game app focused on educating public transport users about traffic safety. Both projects showcased strong creativity and technical skills, earning them recognition for their valuable contributions to the competition. 

Mr. Hoang Bao Long, Senior Teaching Fellow at BUV and the coach of the participating students, expressed immense pride in their accomplishments: “This is the first time my students have engaged in some startup completion like The Global Startup Design Thinking Hackathon. I acknowledged that it won’t be easy for them to adapt to the new knowledge because they come from business and technology degrees. However, they tried their best and achieved the awards. It also proves that BUV supports students to break the boundaries and brighten the future of the next Vietnamese generation.” 

Two winners and Mr. Hoang Bao Long – Senior Teaching Fellow, BUV celebrating their victory 

The participation and success of BUV students in the 2024 Global Start-up Design Thinking Hackathon not only mark a significant achievement for the students but also underscore the university’s commitment to nurturing innovation, entrepreneurship, and global engagement. This victory serves as a testament to the bright future awaiting these students as they continue to push boundaries and bring their ideas to life. 

The International Office is committed to helping BUV students gain valuable international experience. We offer a variety of opportunities and support to students who are interested in exploring the world. Visit our lounge on Level 1 at the BUV Ecopark campus (near the Hai Ba Trung route bus stop) or contact us at: international@buv.edu.vn or hotline: 0936399918 to discover exciting opportunities.