World’s largest memory maker taps Vietnamese talent to strengthen AI, semiconductor workforce

The strategy recently drew attention after Hoang Huong Giang, one of Vietnam's top performers in the 2026 national high school graduation examination, chose to pursue a degree in computer science at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology on a four-year Samsung scholarship.

Giang, a student at the High School for the Gifted under the Hanoi National University of Education, achieved a perfect SAT score of 1,600, an IELTS score of 8.0, and was among the country's top scorers in the A01 examination group, which combines Mathematics, Physics and English.

Experts say, her case reflects Samsung's long-term strategy of identifying and developing promising young talent in key technology fields, such as AI, semiconductors, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT).

At the core of this strategy is the Samsung Innovation Campus program, launched in 2019 and now operating in about 40 countries. The initiative provides young people with training in AI, IoT, coding, big data and other digital technologies.

A Samsung store in Shenzhen, China, in April 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Luu Quy

Vietnam has been identified as one of Samsung's key markets for developing high-tech human resources. In April, Samsung Vietnam launched the 2026 Samsung Innovation Campus program in Bac Ninh in cooperation with the National Innovation Center and High Tech Vietnam.

For the first time, the program includes semiconductor technology alongside courses on AI, IoT and big data.

Samsung plans to partner with about 20 universities and colleges to train more than 2,200 students this year, supporting Vietnam's goal of producing 50,000 semiconductor engineers by 2030. The company said it will offer training from basic to advanced levels while also preparing instructors to expand the program's reach.

Samsung has also established technology training centers in Vietnam equipped with STEM laboratories, XR/VR practice rooms and semiconductor design simulation facilities.

In June, the company signed a cooperation agreement for 2026–2028 with the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, and the Hanoi University of Science and Technology. The partnership covers training, research, scholarships, internships and recruitment.

Under the agreement, Samsung will provide scholarships worth about VND17 billion (over US$646,500) for outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students in information technology, AI, electronics, telecommunications, multimedia and cybersecurity. Since 2012, the company has invested around VND180 billion in university partnership programs in Vietnam.

Samsung is also expanding AI training programs in other countries, while its Solve for Tomorrow initiative has attracted more than three million students in 68 countries.