Dang Quang Minh: A reward for perseverance and the relentless pursuit of a passion for Robotics

Concepts like data structures or algorithms may seem abstract to many adults. But for Quang Minh – recipient of a 90% Talent Scholarship from the College of Engineering and Computer Science at VinUni, they became a world full of fascination when he was just a child.

In 2019, Minh successfully programmed his first LEGO EV3 robot designed to pick fruit. It may have been a small project, but it marked a turning point: the moment he discovered a lifelong passion for robotics where technology is not just about making machines work, but about using them to create real-world solutions for people.

That passion wasn’t just a phase of curiosity. Over five years studying at Vinschool’s GATE Center for Talent Development, Minh kept reaching new heights: two-time national champion at Vietnam’s largest robotics competitions – VEX and WRO, a Silver Medalist at the 2023 World Robot Olympiad in Panama, and Top 9 Spirit Award at the VEX World Championship in the U.S. But to focus solely on his accolades would be to miss what truly defines Minh: his unwavering perseverance and determination to rise after every failure.

The national WRO finals in 2022 were a major setback. Minh spent the entire summer building and refining a complex robot optimizing algorithms, perfecting mechanical systems, and programming parallel movements. But in the final round, a hardware malfunction prevented the robot from completing its task. “There was no award for all that effort,” Minh recalled. Yet instead of giving up, he spent months analyzing the failure, strengthening every aspect of his skills and came back stronger than ever.

It was during this journey that Minh realized: robotics isn’t just about engineering it’s a human story of resilience, continuous improvement, and the will to go beyond limits. He began sharing his passion with others, founding the first Technology Club at Vinschool, organizing STEM activities across the system, and mentoring younger students taking their first steps into the world of robotics.

At VinUni, with the support of leading professors and a cutting-edge research environment, Minh aims to develop autonomous robotic systems that can self-optimize solutions that not only improve productivity but also help reduce the burden of dangerous or strenuous work on humans.

Alongside this, Minh aspires to deepen his research expertise, build connections with the global tech community, and participate in advanced international academic exchange programs using these as stepping stones to bring Vietnamese technological innovations onto the world stage.

More than just a skilled engineer, Quang Minh wants to become a responsible innovator someone who continually asks: “Is this technology truly improving people’s lives?” To him, VinUni is the launchpad to turn that question into real, meaningful inventions for society.

With steadfast passion, innovative thinking, and a heart for the community, Dang Quang Minh is writing his own story one where each line of code doesn’t just power machines, but powers a deeper desire to make the world better.