TDTU Students break new ground in Innovation at the Student Startup Idea Competition 2025 - 2026
On the afternoon of January 8, 2025, Ton Duc Thang University successfully hosted the Final Round and the Award Ceremony of the TDTU Student Startup Idea Competition for the 2025 - 2026 academic year.
More than just an academic contest, the competition served as a creative practice platform where students were systematically introduced to entrepreneurial thinking, enhanced their innovation capabilities, and gradually transformed scientific and technological knowledge into ideas with practical application potential. From its launch, the competition attracted over 200 students with 43 project proposals from 14 faculties and the Khanh Hoa Campus. The scale and quality of the participating projects reflected the strong interest of TDTU students in entrepreneurship, as well as their readiness to develop innovative, feasible, and sustainable solutions.
Speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vice President of Ton Duc Thang University, emphasized that the competition is a highly meaningful initiative that strongly promotes the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation among students, particularly in the context of rapid digital transformation and the knowledge-based economy. Through this competition, students are not only encouraged to generate ideas but also gradually develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to connect creative ideas with real-world societal needs.
This year, the competition was organized in 05 key thematic fields:
- Industry and product manufacturing;
- Education, tourism, services, and finance;
- Healthcare, wellness, and beauty technology;
- Social impact entrepreneurship;
- Sports business.
Across these thematic areas, numerous projects demonstrated students’ multidimensional approaches to addressing socio-economic issues, while also reflecting a strong entrepreneurial spirit associated with innovation, sustainable development, and social responsibility.
At the conclusion of the competition, the First Prize of the TDTU Student Startup Idea Competition for the 2025 - 2026 academic year was awarded to a team of students from the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering for the project titled “A Drone-Based Local Fine Dust Monitoring and Mapping System”, developed by Pham Anh Khoa, Le Dinh Khanh, Phan Bao Tin, Le Phu Bao and Ho Cao Bao Tran. The project was highly appreciated by the judging panel for its strong scientific and technological foundation, innovative approach, and practical applicability in addressing current environmental and urban challenges.
The Second Prize was awarded to a team of students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, including Vo Thi Ngoc Giau, Doan Hoang Ngan, Le Thai Duy Khang, Ong Danh Duc and Trinh Thi Yen Nhi, for the project “Nano Bao Sam Hoa Viet”. The project focuses on harnessing the value of indigenous medicinal herbs through nano-technology applications, opening up significant potential for commercialization and sustainable development of Vietnamese ginseng.
The Third Prize was awarded to a team of students from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, including Ngo Van Tien, Nguyen Minh Nguyet, Phan Thi Ngoc Linh and Nguyen Van Sy, for the project “PM0.3 Fine Dust Filter Core Made from PVDF Plastic Tubes Using Electrospinning Technology”. The project demonstrates a strong research and development mindset in manufacturing, addressing environmental issues and public health concerns.
Two Consolation Prizes were awarded to projects demonstrating high creativity and strong social value, including:
- Quang Chau Thanh Khiet, a student from the Faculty of Business Administration, with the project “Panduranga Pottery - Entrepreneurship rooted in mother land”, which contributes to preserving and promoting indigenous cultural values through an innovative business model;
- Tran Huynh Chau and Nguyen Khai Nghiem, students from the Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts, with the project “Commercialization of Product Designs Using Recycled Nylon Materials in Ho Chi Minh City”, aiming to promote sustainable design closely linked to environmental protection.
The success of the competition further reaffirms Ton Duc Thang University’s role in fostering an educational environment closely associated with innovation and entrepreneurship, where students are encouraged to think boldly, take initiative, and gradually transform scientific ideas into solutions that create tangible value for the community. This also serves as an important foundation for the development of a student startup ecosystem integrated with education, research and science and technology transfer at the University.
Highlights from the competition:
