A gap in educational guidance needs to be filled.

Each year, over 1 million Vietnamese students face one of the most important decisions of their lives: choosing a major, choosing a school, and orienting their future.

But reality shows that students are making choices without enough experience to know which choice is suitable:

More than 50% of students do not truly understand whether they are suited to pursue that path
75% of students do not feel fully guided in their careers and are not connected with experts
70% of young workers do not fully understand the skills needed for their jobs
And are almost unprepared for a world rapidly changing due to AI and technology.

This is not just a gap in information. It is a gap in experience, in real-world connections, and in the ability to help young people understand themselves before making choices.

Future Fest was developed from this very gap.

Not just as a career guidance event, but as an experiential platform to help young people:

Understand themselves before choosing a major,
Understand the world they live in,
And directly connect with perspectives, people, and experiences that can change how young talents understand learning, education, and making suitable choices.

At Future Fest, the journey of choosing a major does not start from a list of courses.

That journey begins with young people being placed in real experiences to understand themselves, understand the world they live in, and understand the capabilities they need to prepare for the future.

6 Days, 3 Destinations, and a Very Real Need of the Young Generation

Over the first 6 days at 3 economic, industrial, and socio-cultural centers of the country including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Hanoi, Future Fest has gradually made a mark in the high school student community, universities, businesses, and those interested in education.

More valuable is that the program has shown a very real need of today's young generation: Real, understandable experiences to understand what they are suited for in a world that is changing every day.

The Future Fest journey has passed through Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong University of Economics and Technology in Binh Duong, and Phuong Dong University in Hanoi, attracting over 20,000 high school students from more than 300 schools nationwide.

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More than 7,300 students from 145 high schools in the Ho Chi Minh City area participated in experiential activities to understand themselves at Future Fest Day on March 28-29 and April 11 at Van Lang campus

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At the economic-industrial heart of Binh Duong, Future Fest Day 4 welcomed over 1500 students from more than 60 high schools in the area

Future Fest Day 5-6 saw the enthusiastic participation of over 12,000 students from more than 110 high schools in Hanoi, attending, listening, and experiencing sharing sessions and experiential classes

Conversations Not Only Inspire but Open New Perspectives on Education and the Future

One of the most special aspects of Future Fest is the presence of over 200 speakers and more than 120 businesses accompanying throughout the journey.

Among them are many leading domestic and international speakers, from educational leaders, strategic experts, researchers, entrepreneurs to those directly creating change in society.

However, Future Fest does not create stages for "success talks."

What the program pursues are real dialogues. Real perspectives. And real questions about people, education, careers, and the future:

In the age of AI, what truly is the core capability of humans?
How does education need to change so young people do not fall behind?
How can a young person have enough inner strength to self-orient their life?
And what will help Vietnam truly "take off" in the future?

These questions make many discussions at Future Fest go beyond the framework of a typical "career talk." It is not just about sharing which industries are "hot," which jobs have good income, or which skills are in demand.

These are generational dialogues. There, young people listen to deeper perspectives from over 200 speakers who are business leaders, educational leaders, field experts

Voices that lead thinking, figures with national and international influence.

At Future Fest, familiar big names with the public through sharing sessions have brought a consistent message: Understanding a field does not start from choosing a profession, but from understanding oneself and the world one lives in.

Ms. Pham Chi Lan, Economist, Former Government Advisor shares about the Role of the Young Generation in National Development

Artist, Translator Trinh Lu shares: "My future begins with being truly honest with myself"

Heartfelt Shares from Educational Leaders

The subsequent shares open a deeper perspective on the role of education, clarifying one thing: Education is not just about imparting knowledge, but about building core capabilities and inner strength so that each person can self-orient their path.

Prof. Jay Siegel brings a perspective on liberal education and the journey of "becoming" - where young people not only learn to know but learn to become a more responsible and resilient version with the world.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi My Dieu shares the educational philosophy "Strong Roots – Reach Far," emphasizing the role of inner strength, thinking, and learning ability in a world continuously transformed by technology and AI.

Conclusions Applied in Specific Fields from Leading Field Experts

From questions about understanding oneself, understanding the world, understanding the role of education, Future Fest raises bigger issues in the context of AI with each field from business, finance, art, creativity,...

Director Phuong Vu raises the question about the "personal voice" in the age of AI, when creativity is no longer about resembling someone, but about understanding oneself deeply enough to maintain a unique identity.

Director Tran Thanh Huy brings a perspective on cinema as a way of seeing the world and reflecting life, helping young people understand that creativity is not just a skill, but also the ability to observe and empathize with people.

TaiOn (Thai Anh Toan) opens frank dialogues about AI and the future of the creative industry, where technology does not replace humans but forces people to understand their unique value more than ever.

Mr. Edward Lim shares the journey of connection between Vietnam and Singapore, also bringing a perspective on building a career in a borderless world - where global thinking becomes an essential capability of the young generation.

This makes many discussions at Future Fest no longer just "career talks," but become generational dialogues.

Over 100 Real-Life Experiential Classes: When Learning No Longer Stays on Slides

One of the areas attracting a large number of students during the 6 days of Future Fest is the system of over 100 real-life experiential classes.

Here, students not only "hear about the major." They directly experience how industries operate, how knowledge is applied in reality, and what constitutes the essence of a job.

From technology, design, communication, business to engineering, psychology, or creative fields, Future Fest creates opportunities for young people:

Students eagerly participate in experiential classes

The Livestreaming Experiential Class offers interesting situations for students

Many students shared that this was the first time they felt the gap between "subject" and "career future" became so close.

And perhaps, that is when education becomes most meaningful.

From an Event, Future Fest is Gradually Becoming an Educational Initiative Welcomed by the Community

After the first 6 days, Future Fest not only created attraction at the event. The program also sparked broader conversations in the community about education, careers, and the future of young people.

More than 100 articles, 80+ KOLs, over 50 community pages, and more than 60 media agencies have simultaneously shared about this journey

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But the greatest value of Future Fest does not lie in the number of media mentions, but in this educational initiative gradually creating a platform for young people to explore, connect, dialogue, and gradually build the ability to make choices for themselves.

If education in the past often focused on imparting knowledge, initiatives like Future Fest show a new need: education needs to help learners understand how to use knowledge, understand themselves in relation to society, and understand how to prepare for an ever-changing future.

The Journey Will Continue at Future Fest Day 7

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If the first 6 days are evidence of the values that Future Fest has created, then Future Fest Day 7 will be the next touchpoint for that journey to continue spreading.

Not only extending dialogues within the country, Future Fest Day 7 will bring young people closer to global perspectives.

This will be where they hear real stories from students, alumni, and academic representatives studying, researching, and working in elite educational environments around the world.

From stories of choosing schools, choosing majors, adapting to international environments, developing academic capabilities, to preparing for the future in a globalized world, Future Fest Day 7 will continue to expand the core question that Future Fest pursues:

How can young people understand themselves deeply enough, understand the world broadly enough, and choose their future more proactively?

Stay tuned for information about Future Fest Day 7 - Global Live Talks, which will be updated on the Future Fest Website soon

An Open Platform for Partners Sharing Concerns About the Future of Learners

Initiated from the Van Lang educational ecosystem, Future Fest is oriented to develop as an open platform, connecting more broadly with global educational organizations, elite universities, leading domestic universities, research institutes, businesses, and partners sharing concerns in supporting learners.

Because the journey to help young people understand themselves and choose the right future cannot come from just one organization, one school, or a single event.

It needs to be a joint effort of many parties: educators, experts, businesses, communities, parents, and the learners themselves.

Therefore, Future Fest does not only look at a past event. Future Fest looks at a longer journey: a journey to create a platform where young people can access experiences, people, and knowledge that help them broaden their horizons, understand themselves better, and be more confident when stepping into the future.

FUTURE FEST
Expand Horizons – Self
Open Journey – Right