Participants at the launching ceremony. — Photo courtesy of NIC

HÀ NỘI — The National Innovation Centre (NIC), in collaboration with UNESCO, the Institute for Research on Innovation and Quality Assurance (RIVA) and other partners, on Friday launched the 2027 National Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (VAIO 2027) as part of preparations for Việt Nam to host the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad (IAIO) next year.

The national competition will identify and train secondary and high school students with strengths in mathematics, computer science, programming and artificial intelligence to represent Việt Nam at IAIO 2027.

Organisers said the national preliminary round is scheduled for October 18, 2026, with the final expected to take place in Hà Nội on January 10, 2027.

Competition rules and eligibility requirements will be announced separately.

The International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad, initiated by Professor John Shawe-Taylor, President of IAIO, provides a platform for school students worldwide to tackle advanced AI problems and exchange academic knowledge.

Việt Nam's team won two silver medals and one bronze medal at IAIO 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, a result organisers said demonstrated the country's growing potential in AI education.

The Institute for Research on Innovation and Quality Assurance (RIVA), under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, has been selected to host IAIO 2027, marking the first time the competition will be held in Việt Nam and Southeast Asia.

The international event is expected to take place in Đà Nẵng from February 25 to March 2, 2027, bringing together around 300 delegates from more than 40 countries and territories.

Organisers said the competition would provide Vietnamese students with greater opportunities to engage with the global AI community while promoting collaboration among educators, researchers and technology experts.

Preparations are being coordinated by RIVA with support from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies, alongside universities, research institutes and technology companies.

The organisers said the competitions are intended to help develop future AI talent as Việt Nam accelerates the implementation of Politburo Resolution No. 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation.

The VAIO 2027 launch on Friday coincided with the final round of the Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026, held in Hà Nội from July 17 to 19, which has attracted nearly 2,500 registrations and more than 300 teams, according to organisers.

The Challenge features a 48-hour hackathon in which finalists develop AI-native solutions to real-world problems proposed by businesses and public-sector organisations. Challenge tracks cover finance and banking, healthcare, education, agriculture, smart public services, innovation, SME operations and disaster management.

Participants are competing for prizes worth more than VNĐ2.1 billion (about US$80,000), including a top cash prize of $10,000. Winning teams will also be eligible for research placements, cloud computing credits and recruitment opportunities from technology companies and research institutions.

The challenge is organised under the Vietnam Innovation Challenge 2026 by the National Innovation Centre, Meta, AI for Vietnam Foundation, FPT and Duy Tân University. — BIZHUB/VNS