Ho Chi Minh City, May 10, 2025 – The 2025 “Girls and STEM” Conference was organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Student Support Center in collaboration with the Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD), and held at Cao Thang Technical College. The event was supported by corporate partners such as Qualcomm Vietnam and MiTek Vietnam. This conference serves as a key event within the framework of MSD Vietnam’s STEMherVN project.
Guests and Students at the Conference
The conference attracted nearly 200 female students from high schools, vocational schools, colleges, and universities across Ho Chi Minh City, along with the participation of experts, businesses, educators, and representatives from social organizations. This event was a key highlight in a series of initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), while also opening up opportunities for female students to access, learn, and enhance their capabilities in their journey of innovation.
With a central theme of empowerment and inspiration for female students, the conference featured a wide range of meaningful and practical activities, including:
-
Creative STEM Exhibition Space: A dynamic area where female students could directly engage with and showcase unique STEM models, products, and ideas they developed themselves.
- STEMherVN 2024 “Positive Ambassador” Recognition Ceremony – Honoring outstanding female individuals who have made a positive impact within the STEM student community.
- Award Ceremony for the Digital Media Creation Contest: “Women in STEM – Equally Creative” – Recognizing outstanding entries that highlight the creativity and contributions of women in STEM through digital media.
- Presentation of “STEMherVN” Scholarships to 11 female students who have overcome adversity, demonstrated outstanding academic achievements, and shown a strong passion for STEM subjects – serving as an encouragement for them to continue their pursuit of knowledge.
- Thematic Panel Discussion: “Vietnamese Female Students and Innovation in the Rising Era” – A forum where female students had the opportunity to listen to and interact with guest speakers who are engineers, entrepreneurs, and scientists – pioneers leading the way in various STEM fields.
In her remarks at the conference, Ms. Trần Vân Anh, Deputy Director of the Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD), emphasized: “STEMherVN is an MSD initiative aimed at advancing gender equality in education access and career orientation, particularly by breaking down gender-based barriers that hinder women from entering and thriving in STEM fields. To date, it has evolved beyond just an initiative; through the growth, confidence, and proactive spirit of our project’s female ambassadors and participating students, STEMherVN affirms that women are fully capable of leading transformative change in the digital era.
We believe that when given equitable access to STEM education and inspired to explore their potential, every female student has the ability to become a creator, a scientist, or an engineer of the future. Today’s conference is a powerful testament to that belief – a place where knowledge, confidence, and pioneering spirit shine through in every glance, smile, and dream of our students, alongside the steadfast commitment of stakeholders in advancing the role and participation of young women in this new era of national development.”
Ms. Trần Vân Anh, Deputy Director, Management and Sustainable Development Institute (MSD)
Sharing from the perspective of a business representative in a company with a large engineering workforce, Ms. Loan Trần highlighted the importance of women in fostering an efficient and high-performing work environment: “At MiTek, women make up 45% of our workforce. It is precisely this gender diversity in the workplace that has significantly contributed to our business success and continuous innovation!”
Ms. Loan Trần – Representative of the sponsoring organization, MiTek Vietnam
Bringing a thoughtful perspective on the job market, career opportunities and challenges for students, as well as the role of passion in empowering young women to shine in their careers, Ms. Lưu Thanh Huyền, Founder of the VOCO Career Guidance Center, delivered an inspiring message to female students. Through sharing her personal journey and relentless efforts to achieve success, she demonstrated how she overcame gender bias both within her family and in society at large.
Her story emphasized the importance of building self-confidence and leadership skills, encouraging young women to pursue their dreams and define their own paths in the professional world.
Ms. Lưu Thanh Huyền, Founder of VOCO Career Guidance Center
She shared: “Vietnamese women have long been recognized for their admirable qualities and great potential across all fields, significantly contributing to economic development. Fortunately, Vietnam offers a relatively equitable environment within the region, and as a result, the country is thriving thanks in large part to the active participation of women in various sectors.”
Panel Highlight: “Vietnamese Female Students and Innovation in the Rising Era”
A major highlight of the conference was the thematic panel discussion aimed at providing young participants with a deeper and more multi-dimensional understanding of the roles, potential, and opportunities available to women in STEM—especially in the context of innovation as a global trend.
During the panel, Dr. Nguyễn Thị Thu Trang, Director of the STEM Education Center at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, addressed the barriers women face in STEM fields: “Women are often expected to pursue careers perceived as gentle or stable, such as teaching or administrative work. In contrast, STEM fields are frequently viewed—by families, society, or even the women themselves—as unsuitable or unattainable due to a lack of visible role models. However, gender and age should never be obstacles to choosing a career or chasing a dream. STEM is now a global trend, and many of its disciplines require logical thinking—something both men and women are equally capable of mastering.”
Ms. Bùi Thị Thanh Tú, Head of Community Management at the Business Startup Support Center (BSSC), added: “In our work supporting young startups, we’ve encountered many talented young female leaders who have not only overcome gender barriers to excel in STEM fields, but who also possess innate strengths. Their ability to observe, their sensitivity, and their deep understanding gained through listening and empathizing with users give them an edge. Their desire to create meaningful, socially impactful solutions results in products that often carry high value and fill key market gaps.”
Finally, Phạm Việt Thùy Trinh, a third-year Chemical Engineering student at the University of Science, Vietnam National University – HCMC, and a 2024 STEMherVN Ambassador, shared her academic journey. She spoke candidly about the impact of gender stereotypes even within STEM education: “Even in STEM learning environments, gender bias still exists. Female students may feel hesitant when assigned technical tasks due to the belief that women are at a disadvantage. But through this journey, I’ve realized that outside opinions matter less than our own actions. It’s about knowing who you are, what you can do, and what you need to do to improve.”
The “Girls and STEM 2025” Conference left a lasting impression, powerfully spreading the message of equal participation and the immense potential of women in the STEM fields. More than just a forum, the event served as a catalyst to ignite belief, passion, and confidence in the new generation of Vietnamese female students as they embark on their journey to conquer new frontiers in knowledge and technology.
