This was the second visit by Mr. Nick Clegg to Southeast Asia and the first time to Vietnam since his assumption of the post. Through the event, he wanted to share with VNU students about the global science and technology, especially AI, development trend; the vision of Meta, a world-leading technology company; as well as what the younger generation can and needs to do to keep up with the opportunities brought by science and technology. The Meta's leader hoped that the visit to VNU and the exchange with its students would create a premise for extensive cooperation between the two sides for future generations of Vietnamese digital citizens. VNU Vice President Dao Thanh Truong appreciated Mr. Nick’s visit to VNU and especially, his exchange with its students. VNU leaders highly valued Mr. Nick Clegg’s recent discussion with Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam during his visit to the United States. The strategic dialogue on technology, digital transformation, and Vietnam’s development in the digital era was not only timely but also truly inspiring. This clearly shows Meta’s strong commitment to supporting Vietnam in international integration and promoting digital technology initiatives.
VNU Vice President was excited about the prospect of deeper collaboration with Meta, particularly in education and technology. He hoped that VNU and Meta would together promote the building of a Facebook Park and a Technology Incubator at VNU Hoa Lac campus to enhance VNU students' educational experience, and science and technology potential as well as contribute to promoting Meta’s image.
VNU Vice President Dao Thanh Truong said, “Our sincere thanks go to Meta’s leadership team, including Mr. Ruici Tio, Policy Program Manager for the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the entire Meta team in Vietnam, for their invaluable support. The Digital Capacity Building Project for students (Digital Me), which has been successfully implemented at VNU’s University of Social Sciences and Humanities, marks a significant step forward, laying a solid foundation for Vietnamese youth to access global technology and knowledge”. He hoped that Mr. Nick and Meta would continue to facilitate and expand this project both within VNU and to other educational institutions across the country. Additionally, VNU looks forward to new breakthrough cooperation opportunities to bring both sides’ potential into full play. “Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a fundamental component of Meta's technology for several years, and we believe that open and responsible AI is key to unlocking innovation and economic growth. That's why we've been working closely with VNU to promote digital skills through training, courses and co-curricular activities. Our partnership in promoting digital literacy has been a huge success and we're excited about the next phase of this work, focusing on a new credit-earning AI literacy course, which will equip Vietnam’s young people with skills and knowledge to navigate an AI-driven future”, shared Meta President of Global Affairs Mr. Nick Clegg.
According to Mr. Nick Clegg, Vietnam's current strength is its relatively high young population (about 60% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 35) and the number of engineers trained and graduated each year is pretty large. With quick thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, and enthusiasm, Vietnam's young people will play an important role in promoting AI adoption, technology development, and innovation. He also hoped that an optimistic view on technology and innovation was needed to demonstrate the value of AI, not only in creating future career opportunities but also in applying AI to develop new solutions, contributing to solving major challenges in education, health care, research, etc.
Attending the program, more than 100 students from VNU University of Science and VNU University of Social Sciences and Humanities felt honored and excited to meet Mr. Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta in person and hear insights from him. During his interaction with students, Mr. Clegg shared Meta's plans for developing AI and virtual reality technology, as well as offered advice on achieving success in the fields of information technology and communication, or addressing parents’ concerns about their children’s use of technology. He emphasized that, in addition to expertise, young people need to recognize the ongoing technological changes in the world, especially in an increasingly competitive environment. According to him, life does not always go as planned and there will be unexpected turns, but he believes that with the development of Generative AI, young people will have many opportunities for personal growth. He encouraged students at VNU and youth in general to maintain an open mindset, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn.