BTT: Why did Mỹ Trà choose this research topic?

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: I am currently a final-year student majoring in Marketing. Besides my academic studies, I have actively participated in extracurricular activities and competitions related to the environment and sustainable development. Throughout that journey, I gradually identified the research direction I wanted to pursue, and I can say that this topic lies at the intersection of two major passions of mine.
Through literature review and my own personal experiences, I realized that although Generation Z is often considered a group that supports green brands, this support does not easily translate into loyalty—especially in the context of digital transformation. This gap between “concern” and “commitment” led me to question the underlying factors behind young consumers’ green consumption behavior, which ultimately became the motivation for this research.

BTT: During the research process, what were the biggest difficulties you faced, especially since you conducted the study on your own

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: (Laughs) The biggest challenge was carrying out the entire research by myself, especially since this was my first time engaging in scientific research. From building the research model, choosing methodologies, collecting and processing data, to analyzing results and writing the report—I had to learn and do everything independently. During this process, I experienced significant time pressure, and there were moments when I doubted whether the research direction I was pursuing was truly appropriate. In addition, accessing high-quality academic literature was also a major challenge for me due to my limited experience.

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà and the poster of her research project at the 2025 Conference.

BTT: So how did you overcome those difficulties? Are there any “hard-earned lessons” or specific experiences you would like to share so that others can better understand your journey of “fighting the monster” alone?

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: To overcome these challenges, I chose not to give up and to keep learning continuously. I proactively reread materials multiple times, taught myself additional research methods, and boldly reached out to my supervisor, Dr. Thảo Hiền, whenever I felt stuck. Her timely guidance and constructive feedback helped me adjust my research direction and gain more confidence in the process.

The biggest lesson I learned is that research is rarely a smooth journey from the start—especially when working alone and doing it for the first time. However, having the courage to begin, to ask questions, to revise, and to persevere until the end helped me grow tremendously. I believe that for students who have never done research before, they should not be too afraid of not being “good enough,” because doing research is a process of learning while doing—not something you wait until you are perfect to start.

BTT: While conducting this research, what aspect of your work did you find most meaningful or compelling?

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: What impressed me most were the results that differ from previous studies when examined in the digital environment. They show that “green” is no longer just a story about products, but about corporate behavior. Gen Z no longer places trust simply because a product is labeled as sustainable; instead, they carefully observe how brands communicate, respond, and take responsibility on digital platforms. To me, this is especially meaningful because it demonstrates how digital transformation is reshaping Gen Z’s loyalty—from loyalty to products to loyalty to how brands behave.

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà receiving the First Prize at the 6th Student Scientific Research Conference in 2025.

BTT: Do you expect this research to have practical applications in the future?

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: In an era when Vietnam and the world are focusing on digital transformation while simultaneously pursuing sustainable development, I hope this research can be applied by businesses, especially those targeting young consumers. My study shows that to build sustainable loyalty, companies cannot focus solely on products; instead, they must pay close attention to how brands communicate, interact, and demonstrate responsibility across the entire digital environment. These insights can help businesses adjust their communication and marketing strategies to better align with today’s context and their target audiences.

BTT: Do you plan to further develop this research after the competition—for example, by expanding the study, improving it, commercializing it, publishing academic papers, or registering intellectual property?

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: After the competition, I hope to further develop this topic by linking it more closely to the application of artificial intelligence in marketing activities—a field that is becoming increasingly automated and personalized. I believe that as technology continues to advance, the key question will no longer be just “how to sell more,” but rather “how to sell in a way that preserves consumer trust” in today’s digital transformation era. This is also the direction I want to continue pursuing in my research journey.

Poster of Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà’s research project, which won the First Prize at the 6th Student Scientific Research Conference in 2025.

BTT: Do you have any advice for students who want to start doing scientific research, especially those working independently like you did?

Bùi Thị Mỹ Trà: From my personal experience, I would like to say that students should not be too afraid to start doing scientific research, especially when they do not have much experience yet. The most important thing is not knowing everything from the beginning, but having the courage to start, staying persistent, and always being proactive in learning. The university’s lecturers have strong expertise, are very dedicated, and are always willing to support students in their research projects. Therefore, I believe that finding a suitable supervisor, managing time effectively, and being open to revising and correcting mistakes throughout the process will help make scientific research a truly valuable journey—not only in terms of results, but also personal growth.

When selecting their research topic, the three final-year students majoring in Space Engineering were fortunate to work with lecturers from the Department of Physics—on a topic that was entirely new compared to the knowledge they had previously acquired in class. “Our group was completely captivated by the topic suggested by a lecturer of the department,” shared Nguyễn Hồng Phước, the representative of the research team.

The team’s research focuses on quantum computing and quantum computing frameworks, both of which are widely regarded as the next major leap beyond the limitations of classical computers. However, at present, most quantum computing systems remain relatively small in scale, with a limited number of qubits (or are prohibitively expensive for widespread research use). Simply put, the more complex a problem is, the more qubits—acting as information carriers—are required to store and process data in parallel.

“This makes research and experimentation on real quantum computers extremely costly, so many studies have to rely on simulations. In that context, quantum machine learning—a relatively new research field—has emerged as a promising direction, but it also raises a critical question: how can we identify suitable configurations and models when quantum resources are still limited?” emphasized Hà Quang Huy, a member of the research team.

After weeks of careful consideration, the team decided to adopt the Genetic Algorithm, as all members agreed that it is an optimization method inspired by natural evolution, capable of searching for high-quality solutions in very large spaces without exhaustively testing every possibility. By combining Genetic Algorithms with a quantum learning framework, the team approached the problem in a more practical way: leveraging the potential of quantum machine learning while reducing the cost of pure “trial-and-error” experimentation. The motivation behind the project stemmed precisely from the gap between the theoretical potential of quantum computing and the real-world constraints of its current implementation.

Nguyễn Hồng Phước, Hà Quang Huy, and Võ Cự Khôi—students from the K2021 cohort of the Department of Physics—posed with their certificates recognizing the highest achievement at the 6th International University Student Scientific Research Conference in 2025.

Recalling the difficulties they faced when first starting the project, the group emotionally reflected on the initial stage of entering a completely new research field, which required a significant investment of time to build the necessary foundational knowledge. The complexity of the topic exceeded their initial expectations and repeatedly led the team to consider adjusting or even changing their research direction. At the same time, differences in individual perspectives posed additional challenges, demanding a strong spirit of collaboration and effective coordination.

After encountering these obstacles, the group discussed and analyzed the underlying causes together, eventually realizing that their greatest limitation throughout the project was a lack of proactive communication with their academic supervisors. “Overconfidence and hesitation to share our real difficulties caused us to miss many opportunities for timely guidance, which unnecessarily prolonged our search for solutions,” recalled Võ Cự Khôi, a member of the research team.

After winning First Prize and spending several consecutive months working with dedication, the group gained a deeper appreciation for the value of connection and the importance of timely, enthusiastic support from their lecturers.

“The quality of a research project does not lie solely in students’ knowledge or skills, but also in the wise guidance of those who lead the way. Despite our stumbles and avoidable mistakes, we were incredibly fortunate to have our lecturers constantly by our side—patiently guiding us and opening up directions we had never imagined. Thanks to that, today we can proudly stand here with a truly meaningful achievement,” all three final-year students from the Department of Physics shared in agreement.

Upon completion, the group’s research proposed a method for identifying optimal quantum circuits for different types of datasets without requiring deep insight into the internal workings of the quantum circuits themselves. This approach lays the groundwork for broadening accessibility and accelerating the application of quantum computing across various fields.

“At the current stage, we view this topic as a preparatory step that supports future research in quantum computing in the near term. As quantum hardware gradually stabilizes and larger numbers of qubits become widely usable, the need to optimize models and resources will become extremely important. Our work aims to serve as an automated tool for finding good configurations, helping to reduce experimental costs,” Võ Cự Khôi further shared about the group’s future aspirations.

From a practical application perspective, the group’s research direction can be applied to a wide range of optimization problems or problems with very large sample spaces, especially in fields that require complex data processing. Examples include finance (portfolio optimization), logistics (route optimization and resource allocation), as well as materials science and pharmaceuticals (discovering new structures or formulations). These are all problems characterized by vast solution spaces, where genetic algorithms and quantum computing are expected to demonstrate significant advantages.

Poster presenting the group’s First Prize–winning research project at the 6th Student Scientific Research Conference, 2025.

Nguyễn Hồng Phước added: “In the short term, the project can be applied in research and simulation environments, supporting scientists in testing quantum machine learning models more effectively. In the long term, we hope it will contribute to bringing quantum machine learning closer to real-world problems faced by businesses and industry.”

Keyword: HCMIU, IU, SDG4-Quality education , SDG9-Industry innovation and infrastructure

BTT: Why did the team choose this research topic? Did the motivation stem from a real-world problem, industry trends, or personal experience?

Research Team: From a practical standpoint, the use of blue light in healthcare and daily life is rapidly expanding; however, laboratory tools for assessing its cellular toxicity remain insufficiently standardized. Most existing setups rely on improvised lighting systems with limited accuracy. In terms of industry trends, biomedical engineering is clearly shifting toward high-throughput systems and digital control to replace manual methods, with the goal of improving reproducibility and experimental precision.
Through hands-on work in the lab, our team experienced firsthand the difficulties of adjusting light intensity using voltage regulators and dealing with temperature-related errors that could damage or kill biological samples. These challenges motivated us to design a fully automated platform.

BTT: During the research process, what were the major challenges your team faced?

Research Team: From a technical and equipment perspective, the greatest challenge was the discrepancy between theory and experimental results. We spent extensive time in the lab reviewing each line of code and every hardware component to identify the root causes of system errors. Calibrating the equipment to achieve high accuracy and managing the heat generated by LED light sources so as not to affect biological samples proved to be particularly demanding, both in terms of time and effort.

Mr. Võ Đăng Khoa – a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and Mr. Nguyễn Nhật Minh – a graduate student of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, received the First Prize certificates at the 6th Student Scientific Research Conference in 2025.

BTT: How did the team overcome these challenges? Were there any “hard-earned lessons” along the way?
Research Team: To overcome these challenges, the team persistently carried out a systematic troubleshooting process, combining hardware optimization with precise calibration using specialized measurement instruments. The most significant “hard-earned lesson” we learned was the critical importance of temperature control and digital component management. Instead of using fixed resistors, switching to digital potentiometers completely resolved the lack of flexibility in controlling light intensity. A key practical takeaway was the need to consistently cross-check experimental data with standard measurement devices rather than relying solely on theoretical calculations. This approach enabled the team to achieve extremely high experimental linearity, with an R² value exceeding 0.99.

BTT: Could you share the highlight that your team finds most meaningful in this research project—for example, a new discovery, experimental result, model, method, dataset, or demo product?
Research Team: The aspect we feel most proud of is the successful development of a flexible digital light-control system integrating an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, a CAT4104 driver, and an AD5160 digital potentiometer. This solution allows lighting intensity and pulse-width modulation (PWM) modes to be configured entirely via software with exceptionally high accuracy and repeatability, fully replacing manual adjustments that are prone to error. Experimental results demonstrated the superiority of this system, achieving near-perfect linearity with an R² value of up to 0.999, effectively transforming a low-cost research device into a reliable, standardized platform for phototoxicity assessment.

Poster of the research project by Mr. Võ Đăng Khoa – fourth-year student of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, and Mr. Nguyễn Nhật Minh – graduate student of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering.

BTT: How does the team expect this research topic to be applied in practice?

Research Team: We expect this system to become a standardized tool in biomedical laboratories for in-depth studies on the effects of light on cells. Specifically, the project can be applied in the following areas:

• Biomedical Research and Ophthalmology: Used in research institutes to determine safe exposure thresholds of blue light, particularly in studies on retinal damage and macular degeneration.
• Pharmaceuticals and Drug Screening: Applied in photosensitive drug testing processes, enabling rapid assessment of phototoxicity in high-throughput screening workflows using 96-well plates.
• Clinical Treatment: Supporting the development of safer and more effective light-based therapy (phototherapy) protocols in fields such as dermatology or rehabilitation medicine.
  Target users: Scientists, healthcare professionals, and students in Biomedical Engineering who require a highly accurate yet cost-effective experimental platform.

With its flexible programmability and stable temperature control, the device is expected to replace improvised lighting setups, thereby enhancing the reliability of domestic research outcomes and helping them meet international standardization requirements.

Keyword: HCMIU, IU, SDG3-Sức khỏe và cuộc sống tốt, SDG4- Hm88nhacai tỷ lệ kèo WC 2026 có chất lượng, SDG9- Hm8888 còn Trải Nghiệm Độc Đáo sáng tạo và phát triển hạ tầng

The QT.B4 project is expected to supplement laboratories and classrooms to serve teaching, learning, and scientific research in accordance with the strategic development plan of International University, in particular, and VNU-HCM in general. The project is aligned with the zoning plan of VNU-HCM and the detailed construction plan of International University. It is also the first project of the University to be developed through an architectural design competition, serving as a landmark in the campus’s architectural and landscape design.

With a strategic vision and a modern, environmentally friendly architectural orientation, the QT.B4 classroom–laboratory building is expected to contribute to breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and national digital transformation, in line with Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW currently being actively implemented by universities nationwide.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Thang – President of the International University – delivered remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony of the QT.B4 classroom–laboratory building on January 20, 2026.

The investment project for the QT.B4 classroom–laboratory building was approved in principle by VNU-HCM in 2021, and its architectural design was selected in the same year. However, due to certain objective reasons related to the completion of legal planning procedures, the project could not commence construction as initially approved. Based on the zoning plan of VNU-HCM approved by the Prime Minister in July 2023 and the adjustment of the detailed construction plan of the International University approved by the Ministry of Construction in April 2025, the International University continued to carry out the necessary investment and construction procedures.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tam – Vice President of VNU-HCM – spoke on behalf of the VNU-HCM Board of Directors, providing guidance and assigning tasks to the International University and relevant units to ensure the project is implemented smoothly and on schedule.

Recently, International University has demonstrated perseverance and determination in completing tasks related to adjusting the detailed construction plan, preparing the feasibility study report, and implementing design work under the close guidance of VNU-HCM leadership, along with the efforts and commitment of all relevant parties.

Throughout the project implementation process, International University has received close, regular guidance and strong support from local authorities, the VNU-HCM Board of Directors, and the cooperation of departments, agencies, and related units. These factors have created significant motivation for the University to mobilize resources, accelerate progress, and invest in the construction of the QT.B4 project.

Mr. Le Sy Tuan – Director of Phu Gia Construction Investment Design Joint Stock Company, lead member of the QT-B4 Consortium – delivered remarks, expressed commitment during the construction process, and shared the orientation for coordination with the International University to ensure the project is implemented in accordance with its stated objectives.

“With close attention and direction of leaders at all levels, the strong coordination among relevant units, and the high sense of responsibility of the contractors, we hope that the QT.B4 project will be implemented on schedule, ensuring quality and safety, and will soon be put into effective operation,” shared Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Van Thang – President of International University.

Image of the QT.B4 building upon completion in 2027.

Sustainable Development Goals: SDG4-Quality education, SDG9-Industry, innovation and infrastructure

The Student Scientific Research Conference is an engaging academic event that has drawn strong student interest, which has been held annually since 2020. It is regarded as a valuable academic platform and a place that creates precious opportunities to connect young intellectuals. At the same time, the conference is also an occasion to honor outstanding young scientists who have made significant research efforts over the past year at International University (IU).

As with the previous five conferences, this year’s event aims to promote the student scientific research movement, especially students’ capacity for independent research and creativity. The conference also contributes to improving training quality while recognizing exemplary student research projects at IU.

The IU Student Scientific Research Conference 2025 attracted more than 180 students. Research groups presented their posters to the judging panel within the framework of the 6th conference.

Over the past more than 22 years, IU has continuously innovated in science and technology activities alongside education and training, with particular emphasis on student research activities. Each year, the university allocates up to VND 850 million to support student research activities, and this funding level continues to increase annually.

This year’s conference featured nearly 60 research projects, with participation from more than 180 students across various fields, including biotechnology, biomedical engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences, demonstrating the strong research potential of IU students.

Prof. PhD. Phạm Văn Hùng, Head of the Office of Scientific Research Management at the International University, delivered the opening remarks at the Conference, emphasizing the importance of scientific research for students.

Award-winning Topics in the Field of Engineering and Natural Sciences.

Award-Winning Projects at the Student Scientific Research Conference

Award-Winning Projects – Biotechnology & Biomedical Engineering.

Award-Winning Projects – Social Sciences.

Outstanding Poster Award–Winning Projects.

Keyword: HCMIU, IU, SDG4-Quality education , SDG9-Industry innovation and infrastructure