VinUniversity’s Electrical Engineering Student Departing for The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA) as a Research Intern with a Monthly Stipend of $1,700/Month

“The opportunity for international students to take part in world-class interdisciplinary projects with distinguished Professors from prestigious universities is truly rare. So, when I found out that I will be joining my supervisor at VinUniversity to conduct research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), I was extremely happy and grateful,”  shared Phan Nhat Huy, an Electrical Engineering sophomore from the VinUniversity College of Engineering and Computer Science.

In a few days time, Nhat Huy will depart for UIUC with Prof. Do Ngoc Minh – Director of the VinUni – Illinois Smart Health Center (VISHC) and Honorary Vice Provost of VinUniversity. Together with other professors from UIUC, they will work on a research project in smart healthcare that utilizes technological solutions, titled: “Towards a Comprehensive Solution for a Vision-based Digitized Neurological Examination”. The goal of the study is to develop a program that conducts neurological diagnosis by analyzing patients’ images and videos of patients’ motions in an accurate, timely, and replicable manner.

By participating in the project as a Research Intern during his 3-month summer holiday, Nhat Huy will receive 1,700 USD/month (equivalent to nearly 40 million VND/month). Through working directly and regularly with Professors and researchers at UIUC, Huy hopes to improve his research skills, connect with the talented academic community, and experience life and culture in the US.

“This research was inspired by an American neurologist who can accurately diagnose through motions. Since there are few doctors that possess this unique ability, in order to reduce time as well as improve efficiency and accuracy, we need a program that can help machines perform similar tasks,” Nhat Huy shared.

The project has completed its 1st stage – developing the application and basic infrastructure for the diagnostic method. In the 2nd stage, Huy will help come up with advanced algorithms and collect data. “My aim is to write a research article summarizing the results of the project after 3 months at UIUC. I believe that the things I’ve learned at VinUniversity, my engineering knowledge, and my foundational knowledge will help me successfully complete the assigned tasks and goals,” Huy added.

Previously, as a freshman, Huy had the chance to work with VinUniversity Professors as a Research Intern in the paid Work-Study program. Through this opportunity, Huy was able to develop professional research skills, mindset, attitude, and ethics. Above all, he was motivated to pursue academia and research at the Doctorate level.

At the moment, Huy is also working on his independent research project at VinUniversity in order to submit for publication in international journals. His research aims to apply AI and IoT in developing a smart, optimal, and preventive medical support system for Vietnamese.