STEM Festival for students

With 13 challenging competitions, STEM Festival 2024 held at Nha Trang University has provided an opportunity to highlight innovative student-led solutions.

Various initiatives and solutions

The event consisted of such competitions as ship model racing, homemade car racing NTU 2024; maritime transport and logistics; catching wind on Lasan Hill; designing electrical and electronic engineering models; spaghetti bridges; traffic solutions and models; badminton shuttle feeders, spring-powered vehicles, rope climbing robots, tracking robots; designing air conditioning and ventilation, electricity and water systems for buildings; designing and manufacturing solar water heaters, etc.

Car models made by students.

Four faculties, namely the Faculty of Transportation Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Construction and Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering participated in the event. Many products were highly appreciated for their innovative achievements from design, trial and completion.

According to PhD. Bui Thuc Minh, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 15 models created by students of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering under the guidance of lecturers joined the festival.

This year, the models used advanced technologies with highly practical applications such as a smart orchid garden care and management system using solar energy; a dissolved oxygen control system in aquaculture, a remote control and monitoring system of robotic arms and a smart home where appliances and devices can be automatically controlled remotely with an internet connection.

According to PhD Huynh Van Vu, Dean of the Faculty of Transportation Engineering, Nha Trang University, there were many outstanding products such as remote-controlled cars using renewable energy (from the sun, wind, etc.) and seaport models to provide better service. As many as 500 students from 40 teams participated in the event. The faculty will propose expanding the contest to other faculties at the university and to high schools with more propaganda on mass media.

Hands-on experiences

The competitions allowed students from different faculties to meet, share knowledge and learn about scientific research models and technology applications.

Student Huynh Gia Hoa, K64 Class, Martine Science Major, Faculty of Transportation Engineering said, “As soon as the STEM Festival was initiated, my friends and I excitedly registered to participate and started to prepare materials and take steps to complete the product. The competition not only helps us develop our abilities but also provides an opportunity for us to boost our teamwork, learning and sharing knowledge together."

Reportedly, STEM-related faculties are among the key fields in the development strategy of Nha Trang University. STEM Festival 2024 has a larger scale than previously with an interdisciplinary combination developed from competitions of faculties and institutes.

According to PhD. Quach Hoai Nam, Vice-Principal of Nha Trang University, the biggest achievement gained from the event was that it inspired students’ scientific research and application of what they had learned into real-world problem-solving. Through these activities, lecturers have a better understanding of the roles and meanings of STEM education to have appropriate teaching methods and practical guidance in an effort to make the learning and research environment more interactive, dynamic and fun. The event also aimed to create interest from the society and business community to further develop the university’s STEM-related sector.

H.N

Translated by N.T