UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025: Promoting Vietnamese Identity through the Creative Flow of Gen Z

07 Aug, 2025

On August 1 and 2, 2025, the UEH College of Technology and Design, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, successfully organized the Final Round of the UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025 with the theme “The Z-Flow: Fostering Vietnam’s Values by the Z Generation.” The event marked a 28-hour nonstop creative journey, where the young generation showcased their ingenuity, innovative mindset, and responsibility in preserving Vietnam’s cultural heritage through technology.

The Z-Flow: A Creative Playground at the Intersection of Culture and Technology'

“The Z-Flow” is not only a symbol of Gen Z’s youthful energy and spirit of innovation, but also a convergence of Vietnamese cultural heritage and digital-era pioneering. Through this theme, the competition highlights the vital role of the younger generation in preserving and promoting cultural heritage through innovative solutions, with technology serving as a key catalyst.

Right from its launch, the program generated significant buzz, attracting 323 registrations from 28 domestic universities and 4 international institutions, spanning over 67 different majors. Through a highly competitive preliminary round, 31 teams comprising 150 students-including 9 international students-were selected to advance to the Final Round and embark on the journey to conquer the challenge.

From Intensive Training to 28 Hours of Nonstop Work – A Journey of Learning, Creativity, and Pushing Personal Boundaries

Taking place from July 21 to August 2, 2025, the Final Round was not merely a technology competition, but a comprehensive experiential journey, including 6 workshops as part of the intensive training series: Here, contestants were not only challenged in their creativity but also had the opportunity to connect, learn, and receive mentorship from leading domestic and international experts in the fields of art technology and the creative industries. The workshops included:

- “Cultural Heritage - Foster the Intergenerational Connection” featuring insights from Mr. Cao Trung Vinh - Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism; Mr. Pham Xuan Nguyen - Former Deputy Director of Bidoup Nui Ba National Park; Mr. Hien Nguyen - CEO & Founder of Pho Ben Doi; and Ms. Phuong Hoa - UEH alumna, Founder of the “Rạng Rỡ Việt Nam” Project;

- “Design Thinking & User-Centric Innovation” with Mr. Giang Nguyen - Creative Director, Behalf Studio;

- “AI Film Making” with Mr. Minh Do - Co-Founder of Machine Cinema & Fintastic Day, Producer at Fairground; and Mr. Lam Vinh - Head of AI Studio, Film Director, Runway Creative Partners;

- “Storytelling & Engagement: How to Engage Gen Z with Culture and Heritage” with Ms. Le Huynh Hai Sa - AI Marketing Specialist, UEH alumna;

- “AI & Business Creation” with Mr. Le Chi Nguyen - Creative Director, Cheil Vietnam;

- “Interactive Visual Art” with Mr. Phan Nhat Trung - UEH ArtTech HUB; Mr. Le Thanh Tung - Founder and Creative Director, The Visual 084; and Mr. Nguyen Tien Cuong - Co-Founder, Notch Artist, 3D Team Leader, MxC Creative.

Field experience activities: such as visiting the Ao Dai Museum and engaging in conversations with artisans and local residents, providing authentic exposure to the values of cultural heritage.

The 28-hour nonstop Hackathon challenge: teams developed prototypes or proof-of-concept solutions under the guidance of 13 mentors through 92 intensive mentoring sessions.

Interdisciplinary collaboration between domestic and international students, creating a “creative powerhouse” that blends global perspectives with local identity.

From Ideas to Action: Gen Z Shapes the Cultural Future with Innovative Thinking

Throughout 28 intense yet inspiring hours of work, the contestants effectively applied advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Digital Twin technology, and human–machine interaction to develop solutions that bring Vietnamese cultural heritage closer to younger generations. By blending technology with creativity, the products offered immersive, vivid, personalized, and highly interactive experiences, opening up new approaches to preserving and promoting culture in the digital era.

At the end of the 28-hour challenge, the 11 most outstanding teams officially advanced to the Final Pitching Round, presenting their solutions before a panel of esteemed judges comprising experts in education, technology, design, and culture:

- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Thuy Anh - Vice Dean of UEH College of Technology and Design, Dean of the School of Media Design;

- Mr. Nguyen Hung Giang - Creative Director, Behalf Studio;

- Dr. Christopher Han - Director of Innovation Strategy, UEH;

- Dr. Yi Dong Su - Deputy Dean of the School of Media Design, UEH-CTD;

- Dr. Le Khanh Duy - Expert in Human–Machine Interaction, UEH;

- Designer, MA Le Si Hoang - Fashion Designer and Founder of the Ao Dai Museum.

Following the emotional and compelling presentations from the competing teams, the Panel of Judges conducted a rigorous and impartial evaluation process to select the most outstanding teams-not only based on creativity and technological application, but also on the depth of cultural insight, practical feasibility, and the potential to spread the values of Vietnamese heritage.

- Champion: Heritech;

- First Runner-up: UEHCMUT;

- Second Runners-up (Joint Third Place): Wecare Formo and Fusion X;

- Consolation Prizes: Moonshot, Bộ Tứ Báo Thủ, YG, Genius, BTS, Cultural.exe, Về nhà ăn cơm.

Additional Awards:

- Z-iconic: Hackaking - awarded for the most inspiring Hackathon recap video;

- Z-bee: Hack the Future - Flow the Roots - awarded to the most hardworking team;

- Đa-Z-năng: Ariser - awarded to the most talented team.

Affirming UEH’s Mission in Education and Promoting Vietnamese Identity in the Digital Age

In her closing remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trinh Thuy Anh - Vice Dean of the UEH College of Technology and Design - emphasized: “This year’s theme - Cultural Heritage - is not only an engaging topic but also reflects the growing concern and responsibility of Generation Z towards Vietnam’s traditional cultural values. With innovative thinking, the contestants have brought forth fresh and youthful perspectives to bring heritage closer to today’s generation.”

UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025 once again reaffirmed the philosophy of “Think Global, Act Local” that UEH upholds: nurturing a generation of global citizens who not only preserve national identity but also harness technology and creativity to help shape a sustainable future. The competition was not merely an academic or technological event-it served as a launchpad for Gen Z to become the new “storytellers” of Vietnamese culture, marked by confidence and intellect in the digital transformation era.

Let us revisit the memorable moments, the spirit of breakthrough, and the journey of spreading Vietnamese heritage through the official recap video of UEH BizTech Hackathon 2025!

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