For many years, the biggest question for high school seniors has often been: "What major should I choose?"

But at Future Fest Hanoi 2026, that question seems to have been reframed in a different way. No longer revolving around choosing a specific career, the event – with over 10,000 students attending and more than 100 speakers from various fields along with discussion sessions – opened up a more fundamental issue:

How to make the right and most suitable choice for oneself in the current context?

The special feature of Future Fest does not lie in the number of topics or speakers, but in the way perspectives – from different fields – gradually connect with each other, forming a mindset that helps young people better understand themselves before making decisions.

Choosing a Career is No Longer a Solitary Journey

One of the notable starting points is how many speakers do not begin with the story of choosing a career but place the issue in a broader context.

Economist and former government advisor Pham Chi Lan emphasized that a nation's development does not only depend on models or institutions, but most importantly on people – individuals with competence, culture, and self-reliance.

From another perspective, economist Tran Si Chuong also affirmed that intelligence and value do not lie in external factors, but begin with each person's understanding of who they are and what they can contribute.

When placed side by side, these two perspectives clarify one thing: choosing a career is no longer a solitary personal decision, but a way for each person to position themselves in a larger societal picture.

Education is Not Just Accumulating Knowledge, But a Journey of Becoming

If the question "who are you" has been asked, then speakers in the field of education continue to push the story further: "who are you becoming?"

Prof. Jay Siegel offers a concise but meaningful definition: learning is not just to know, but to become, education does not stop at accumulating knowledge, but aims at shaping people. The concept of "learning to become" that he emphasizes shifts the focus of learning from "what to know" to "who to become".

In this approach, elements such as autonomy, a sense of responsibility, and personal voice become more important than making a perfect choice from the start. Notably, he suggests that these qualities are not formed by avoiding mistakes, but through experiences, including failures and overcoming them.

This opens up a different perspective on the future: not a path that needs to be chosen correctly, but a journey that needs to be built through experience and growth.

The Biggest Knot is Not What to Choose, But Whether the Chooser Understands Themselves?

If the story of identity is a step forward, then the perspective of translator – artist Trinh Lu brings listeners back to a more fundamental point.

Mr. Trinh Lu emphasizes a foundational element: honesty with oneself. According to him, the future of each person does not begin with choosing a major, but with the ability to understand and be honest with oneself.

In an environment where students are influenced from many sides – family, society, trends – maintaining this honesty becomes a significant challenge. However, it is also the condition for all subsequent decisions to be proactive, rather than just reactions to external pressures.

From a different perspective in the medical field, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Thi Ngoc Dung also shares that the biggest challenge in work does not lie in what one will do out there, but in the ability to work with oneself – from discipline, awareness to emotional control.

Maintaining Personal Identity in a World Full of Molds

Even when overcoming internal pressure, young people still face another challenge: the pressure to resemble existing successful models.

According to Dr. Le Nguyen Phuong, many students make decisions under the influence of pressure and fear – which makes choices inaccurate. He believes that when the mind is unclear, making important decisions can lead to long-term consequences.

Director – photographer Phuong Vu believes that going far does not require becoming a version like others, but depends on the ability to maintain one's own identity, and the feeling of "not good enough" actually serves as motivation for each individual to keep moving forward.

Meanwhile, director Tran Thanh Huy emphasizes that creativity does not come from tools, but from how each person observes and expresses the world.

This message is particularly noteworthy in the context of increasingly popular social media and success standards, causing many young people to unconsciously chase after existing molds. Maintaining one's own "voice", according to him, is not easy, but it is a necessary condition for sustainable development.

In a Changing World, What Matters is How You Think and Adapt

When the story expands to the future, many speakers agree that the important thing is not choosing the "right" career, but the ability to adapt in the long run.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Minh Ha believes that thinking – how people think and solve problems – is the "compass" that helps each individual navigate in a world of many fluctuations.

Researcher Tran Quang Duc offers a thought-provoking approach. According to him, when information is no longer a competitive advantage, what makes a difference is not knowing more, but the ability to think independently, connect knowledge, and deeply understand oneself.

In terms of future markets and technology, with the context of AI, Dr. Ngo Minh Hai points out that career boundaries are increasingly blurred, and value no longer lies in following a linear path. In this context, the ability to learn, connect knowledge, and adapt to change becomes a decisive factor.

In the Age of AI, Where is Human Value and Should We Worry?

AI is the present, the future, thousands of new jobs appear thanks to AI and just as many are taken away. In such a rapidly developing technological context, how will we adapt and steer our choices?

FUTURE FEST_HN_ÔNG THÁI ANH TOÀN (TAION).jpg

As Mr. Thai Anh Toan, an influential AI expert, emphasizes, no matter how fast AI develops, the true master is each individual. And cultivating one's own inner strength is what we need to focus on.

Tools can support, but cannot replace personal perspective. Therefore, the difference in value is no longer a choice, but becomes an advantage that needs to be preserved.

A Reference System Instead of an Answer

The special feature of Future Fest Hanoi 2026 does not lie in individual sharing sessions, but in how these perspectives connect with each other.

From the role of individuals in society, to the nature of learning, from internal challenges to external pressures, and finally the question of human value in the new era – all form a reference system that helps young people reassess their journey.

The event does not provide an answer to what major to choose. But by offering many practical and profound perspectives, Future Fest helps students gather enough data to ask the right questions – and from there, make choices that suit themselves.

In a world where there is no longer a single path, choosing correctly from the start may not be the most important thing.

What is more important is to become someone who is understanding, resilient, and flexible enough to keep going, even when the road ahead changes.

And perhaps, that is the greatest value that Future Fest Hanoi 2026 brings – not an answer, but the ability to find one's own answer.

--

Highlights from Future Fest Hanoi 2026 will continue to be updated on Future Fest Hub - where learners can further explore majors, skills, career opportunities, and expert perspectives for the journey ahead.