A team of students from the University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), won First Prize in the final round of the “Youth Innovation – Action for Clean Air” Competition with their project “Smart Campus Air Shield – An Intelligent Air Quality Monitoring and Alert System for School Campuses.”
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The competition, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with UNICEF, aimed to encourage young people to develop innovative solutions to improve air quality and protect community health.
This year, the competition received 103 applications, with 96 eligible teams representing approximately 70 universities nationwide. The VNU team’s “Smart Campus Air Shield” was selected for First Prize in the final round held on September 7, 2026.
Turning Air Quality Data into Health-Protective Action
“Smart Campus Air Shield” is an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem integrated with artificial intelligence (AI), designed to monitor air quality on school campuses and help protect students and the wider school community from the impacts of air pollution.
Rather than remaining a conceptual proposal, the system has been assembled and put into pilot operation in Hanoi. It collects and processes air quality data, transforming it into useful information that enables users to identify potential risks and take appropriate action to protect their health.
Through the project, the team seeks to turn “invisible” environmental data into practical action, using technology as a proactive tool to support healthier and safer school environments.
Interdisciplinary Innovation across VNU
The project was developed by five students from two VNU member universities. Four students are from the Faculty of English Language and Culture, ULIS: Nguyen Thu Thuy, Pham Thi Loan, Tran Duc Vu and Trinh Phuong Thao. The fifth member, Pham Quoc Hung, is from the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications, UET.
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The collaboration brings together strengths in language, communication and social thinking with expertise in engineering and technology. This interdisciplinary approach enabled the students to address air pollution not only as a technical challenge but also as an issue requiring accessible information and effective communication with users.
The First Prize recognizes the students’ creativity and efforts while highlighting the potential of interdisciplinary and inter-university collaboration within VNU. The achievement also demonstrates how students can connect knowledge from different fields, transform ideas into practical solutions and contribute to addressing real-world challenges facing the community.
