Robotics inspires Vietnam’s next generation of engineers

The Next-Gen Engineers: Robotics Mentorship & Scrimmage 2026 kicked off on October 5 with a mentorship session at the American Center Hanoi. The programme is co-organised by the centre and the STEM Education Promotion Alliance, and led by SWITCH Robotics.

"The role of Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in nurturing students’ spirit of exploration and creativity is significantly highlighted. Curiosity is where learning and innovation begin, encouraging young people to ask questions, seek answers and continue growing," said Sasha Stone, Economic Attaché at the US Embassy in Hanoi.

Sasha Stone, economic attaché at the US Embassy in Hanoi. Photo: The US Embassy in Hanoi

For SWITCH Robotics, that philosophy has been shaped through years of hands-on experience in competitive robotics. The team now fields three competing teams, each with a growing record of achievements on both the national and international robotics stage.

Team 15167A, SWITCH, has won seven Excellence Awards, six Teamwork or Tournament Champion titles, five Design Awards, two Robot Skills Champion titles and one Think Award. At the VEX Robotics World Championship (VEX Worlds), the team won a Design Award in the 2022-2023 Slapshot season, finished second in the Teamwork Challenge Division in 2023-2024 under Full Volume, placed second in the qualification rounds in the 2024-2025 Rapid Relay season, and reached the Division Quarterfinals in the 2025-2026 Push Back season.

Team 79813J, BRAVE, has secured four Teamwork Champion titles, two Judges Awards, one Amaze Award and one Think Award. At VEX Worlds, the team won the Teamwork Challenge Division at the Dome Finals during the 2023-2024 Full Volume season and finished second in the same division in the 2024-2025 Rapid Relay season.

Team 15167B, WLR, has earned one Excellence Award, two Teamwork Champion Awards, one Robot Skills Champion title and one Amaze Award. In the 2025-2026 Mix & Match season, the team also competed at VEX Worlds.

The record reflects SWITCH’s sustained presence on the world’s largest student robotics stage, from winning a Design Award at VEX Worlds in the 2022-2023 season to claiming the Teamwork Challenge Division title in 2023-2024 and continuing to compete at the highest level in subsequent seasons.

SWITCH Robotics and the organizing team at the mentorship session. Photo: The US Embassy in Hanoi

Those experiences now form the foundation for SWITCH Robotics to pass practical lessons on to younger students. The mentorship session covered team building and role allocation, the Engineering Notebook, judging interview skills, competition experience and rules analysis, alongside a live question-and-answer session.

For Ho Van Son, SWITCH’s coach, the journey is also deeply personal.

“I’ve been with the team since the members were young fourth-graders, and I’ve watched them take their first steps in robotics and gradually grow in confidence, skills and achievements. Today, they’ve even grown to be taller than their coach,” he said.

The mentorship session will be followed by the Scrimmage on October 13 at the American Centre Hanoi, where secondary school students will have the opportunity to put their newly acquired knowledge and skills directly into practice in competition.

SWITCH Robotics’ journey captures the central message of the programme: every young person can become a next-generation engineer, starting simply with curiosity.

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