From ideas to reality: Student start-ups at Thai Nguyen University

The spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation is increasingly spreading strongly among students of Thai Nguyen University. No longer just ideas on paper, many projects have emerged from real-life situations and familiar concerns, gradually shaping clear and practical directions.

The Final Round of the 2026 Student Start-up Competition brought together the 10 most outstanding projects, selected from 22 initial ideas. Each project represents a different story and approach, yet all clearly reflect a bold mindset and a desire to create value for the community. Among them, the Lai Chau ginseng cultivation project by a student group from the Thai Nguyen University Branch in Lao Cai stood out.

Student Tan A Phinh from the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, Thai Nguyen University Branch in Lao Cai, shared: “We hope not only to cultivate ginseng but also to develop a technical process that can later be transferred to local people. If successful, this will become a long-term economic development direction for highland communities.”

While agricultural and medicinal projects take advantage of natural conditions, technology has become a tool in another direction: addressing challenges in education. The “Cambridge Exam Room” project was developed from a familiar reality: learners often focus on practising test questions without fully understanding their own abilities. From that, the student group built an AI-based platform to analyse strengths and weaknesses and create personalised learning pathways.

Student Thieu Hai Yen from the Department of Language and Culture, University of Sciences, Thai Nguyen University, said: “We want to build a system that not only helps students practise for exams but also helps them understand where they are strong and where they are weak. That way, learning will be more effective instead of just doing a large number of practice tests.”

From agriculture and medicinal herbs to technology, each project follows its own path. However, a common point is that all projects are rooted in real life, aligned with social needs, and clearly application-oriented.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Ha, Chairman of the Trade Union of Thai Nguyen University, stressed: “These projects are not merely business ideas but also solutions connected to daily life, with depth and strong human values. If they continue to receive investment and further refinement, many of them can absolutely become successful start-up models.”

From ideas still being nurtured, the start-up journey of Thai Nguyen University students is gradually taking clearer shape. When knowledge is connected with real-world practice, and aspirations are supported by the right environment, today’s ideas can indeed become sustainable values for the community in the future.