The event brought together Dr. Dinh Ngoc Thanh, technical director at OpenEdu and vice-president of the Vietnam Global Young Intellectual Forum; Pham Cong Nhat, a communications specialist and university lecturer; and Tran Thien Minh, an IELTS and SAT instructor at DOL English, twice achieving a perfect 9.0 IELTS score.

Nhat has been sponsored seven times as the only Vietnamese journalist to attend Germany’s prestigious Heidelberg Laureate Forum on computer science.

Together, they explored how Vietnamese teachers and students can thrive in an era defined by artificial intelligence, global integration, and lifelong learning.

Balancing busy lives with self-learning

For professionals and educators juggling heavy workloads, self-study – especially language learning – remains a challenge.

“Language is a living skill. I listen to English or Mandarin podcasts every morning and night for 15 minutes. It’s about tiny efforts that add up,” Nhat advised small, consistent habits.

Nhat was the first Vietnamese journalist to interview Vinton Gray Cerf, known as the ‘Father of the Internet,’ and is now a lecturer in international programs at several universities in Ho Chi Minh City.

He compared language practice to exercise, saying a healthy body sharpens the mind.

“Even when I’m tired, I keep my 30-minute gym and podcast routine,” he said.

“It keeps me alert, less stressed, and more receptive to new knowledge.”

Pham Cong Nhat (R), a communications specialist and university lecturer, and Vinton Gray Cerf, known as the ‘Father of the Internet,’ at Heidelberg Laureate Forum on computer science in Germany in 2017

Why teachers are quitting, how AI could help

According to UNESCO, the global teacher attrition rate has doubled in seven years.

In Vietnam, more than 7,200 teachers left their jobs between August 2023 and April 2024.

While low pay is a factor, Nhat pointed to deeper issues: students’ shifting expectations, lack of respect, and digital distractions.

“Some teachers feel unappreciated when students stare at their phones,” he said.

“But often it’s not disrespect, maybe they’re checking messages from home.

“Understanding this helps teachers avoid frustration.”

He proposed using interactive lessons and gamified learning, and even flipped classroom models where students prepare lessons beforehand.

“Instead of fearing technology, teachers can integrate it. Students are already using AI, our job is to guide them to use it wisely,” the communication specialist said.

Teacher’s new skillset: Empathy, lifelong learning

In an age of AI, technical knowledge alone is not enough. Teachers must model lifelong learning and emotional intelligence.

“Schools exist not because students are perfect, but because we all need to improve,” said Nhat. “You can’t teach what you don’t have yourself, like curiosity and adaptability.”

He stated that in Asian culture, teachers often fear losing authority when students challenge ideas.

“But argument is not defiance, it’s critical thinking,” he remarked.

“The world doesn’t need teachers who know everything, but teachers who inspire questioning.”

Linearthinking: New method in English education

For DOL English’s Minh, critical thinking lies at the heart of effective English learning.

His school’s signature Linearthinking method, now being digitized, helps learners build logical connections rather than memorize isolated rules.

“The biggest barrier for teachers isn’t lack of knowledge, it’s lack of a system to deliver it,” Minh explained.

“Linearthinking gives teachers a structured logic to design lessons that train students to think, not just remember.”

DOL has embedded this methodology into an online ecosystem, including SuperLMS and dolenglish.vn, allowing students, even those in remote areas, to study through personalized, AI-assisted pathways.

“Technology is just a tool,” Minh said. “The real change comes from how we train the mind to reason.”

He added that this system helps strengthen critical thinking through English reading, writing, and speaking exercises.

“Students don’t just learn English; they learn how to think clearly, a skill that serves them far beyond the classroom,” Minh said.

Tran Thien Minh, an IELTS and SAT instructor at DOL English, twice achieving a perfect 9.0 IELTS score

Flipped classroom at DOL English

Minh also highlighted how DOL has adopted flipped classroom models.

“Students prepare theory before class and present it. Teachers then refine and provide feedback,” he said.

“This deepens understanding and personalizes learning, but it requires self-discipline from students and adaptability from teachers.”

The OpenEdu revolution: Teachers as creators of AI

While DOL focuses on cognitive skill-building, OpenEdu is redefining the infrastructure of AI-driven education.

“AI doesn’t replace teachers but it liberates them,” said Dr. Thanh.

“It removes repetitive tasks so teachers can focus on the human part, i.e. guiding and inspiring.”

OpenEdu’s platform allows educators to design their own AI Agents, or personal virtual teaching assistants that interact with students 24/7 based on the teacher’s unique style.

“Each AI Agent is trained with the teacher’s materials, methods, and communication tone,” Thanh elaborated.

“When a student asks a question at 11:00 pm, AI answers exactly the way that teacher would.”

Building one takes just 30-45 minutes. Teachers upload lesson slides, exercises, and define how they want the AI to respond. No coding is required.

The AI learns over time, identifying common student mistakes and refining responses.

“It’s not just automation, it’s augmentation,” Thanh said.

Dr. Dinh Ngoc Thanh, technical director at OpenEdu and vice-president of the Vietnam Global Young Intellectual Forum

AI that teaches students to think

OpenEdu’s AI Safety Layer ensures the system does not just hand out answers.

Instead, it questions the student: What kind of equation is this? What is the first step you’d take?

“It’s like a good tutor as it makes the student think,” Thanh said.

Teachers can also set ‘AI boundaries,’ such as response hours, or limit how many hints the AI gives.

This design prevents overreliance on AI while maintaining engagement.

“We can’t ban AI, but we can make it teach, not cheat,” he added.

Expanding access: From classrooms to cloud

OpenEdu’s mission, ‘For a Vietnam that masters AI technology,’ has already reached more than 150,000 learners through its nationwide AI literacy initiative, in partnership with the Central Youth Union.

Over 80,000 participants have earned AI certificates in just two months.

OpenEdu is also working with the Ministry of Education and Training to integrate AI training into universities and junior colleges nationwide, including the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Hanoi University of Industry.

To support educators, OpenEdu is offering six months of free AI Pro accounts for teachers, enabling them to build their own AI Agents. Teachers can register at openedu.net/en/ai-agent.

English, technology, future of learning

English fluency, according to Nhat, remains a gateway to global opportunities and mental agility.

“Teaching in English pays two to three times higher. More importantly, bilingualism delays cognitive decline by over four years,” he said, citing the Neurology journal.

He and Minh recommended trusted English-learning sources for teachers like dolenglish.vn, dolacademy.vn, and grammar.dolenglish.vn, as well as international resources like TeachingEnglish and LearnEnglish Kids from the British Council.

From fear to empowerment

For Thanh, the question is not whether AI will replace teachers, but which teachers will first learn to harness it.

“AI is not the enemy, it’s the ultimate assistant,” he said. “The teachers who adapt will become more powerful than ever.”

As Vietnam’s classrooms transform, the future of education may not be about teaching facts, but about teaching how to learn, think, and evolve in an age of intelligent machines.