Le Ba Tung Duong, a student in the Automation and Informatics program at VNU International School (VNU-IS), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), and his team won the “Most Technologically Impressive Award” at the Global Competition on Design for Future (GCD4F) 2026 held in Malaysia.
The competition is co-organized by Beijing Normal University (BNU) and the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education (UNESCO IITE), running from January to October 2026. GCD4F 2026 is an international innovation competition focused on applying AI to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s theme centers on AI-driven solutions across three tracks: AI for Science, AI for Education, and AI for Society.
Le Ba Tung Duong and his team receive the “Most Technologically Impressive Award” at the Global Competition on Design for Future (GCD4F) 2026 in Malaysia.
The regional finals brought together 17 teams from Vietnam, Malaysia, and China. VNU was represented by five outstanding teams comprising students from VNU International School, VNU University of Science, VNU University of Education, VNU University of Languages and International Studies, and VNU University of Engineering and Technology. The competing teams included TDN Team, Team Educators, Team SoulTech, Team VNU Geo-Resilience, and Team A.C.T. Ultimately, Tung Duong’s TDN Team claimed the “Most Technologically Impressive Award” for its project titled “A Transparent Diagnostic Network (TDN) for Pediatric MRI Lesion Segmentation and Clinical Decision Support.”
Delegates and student teams representing Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) at the regional finals of GCD4F 2026.
The TDN project is an AI-powered solution designed to optimize the diagnosis and monitoring of Multiple Sclerosis through MRI analysis and patient data. By integrating an advanced lesion segmentation model with Explainable AI and an intuitive web interface, the project enables precise delineation of white matter lesion boundaries and visualization of model confidence. The solution not only helps neurologists and radiologists save time and improve diagnostic accuracy but also contributes to narrowing the gap in access to high-quality healthcare at facilities with limited specialist resources.
TDN Team presenting their transparent diagnostic AI model during the competition evaluation round.
“This trip and competition were an invaluable opportunity for us to gain hands-on experience, learn design thinking, apply AI and technology in practice, and strengthen our interdisciplinary teamwork skills alongside international peers. Our team would like to express our sincere gratitude to VNU-IS and our professors for their unwavering support and guidance throughout this journey,”
— Le Ba Tung Duong
The Global Competition on Design for Future (GCD4F) is a prestigious international academic and innovation competition co-organized by Beijing Normal University (BNU) and UNESCO IITE. Over its eight-year history, the competition has attracted more than 17,000 participants from over 40 countries and produced more than 3,500 innovative solutions.
