Moscow (VNA) – A six-member Vietnamese team from the University of Natural Sciences under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) is taking part in the international finals of Global HackAtom 2026 in Russia from September 11–17.
It marks the first time Vietnam has participated in the major nuclear technology and atomic energy competition.
The finals are being held in Yekaterinburg as part of the 2026 International Youth Festival, bringing together top teams that qualified through national rounds in countries including Brazil, Türkiye, Serbia, Egypt, South Africa and Indonesia.
Vietnam hosted its first national qualifying round in Hanoi on March 26–27 to select representatives for the international competition.
Ha Thi Thuy Linh, head of the Vietnamese team and an official at the Nuclear Energy Centre of the Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, said Global HackAtom is a major opportunity for Vietnamese students to explore nuclear science and engineering.
The competition challenges participants to develop practical, innovative solutions to real-world problems within 15–20 hours. This year’s event features 17 teams working on 17 different challenges.
The competition offers Vietnamese students an opportunity to compete directly with peers from leading Russian universities with long-standing traditions in nuclear science, including Tomsk Polytechnic University and the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI.
Global HackAtom is an innovation marathon focused on nuclear technology and atomic energy applications. Participants are required to develop original solutions to challenges in areas such as nuclear medicine, geological resource management and green energy.
The Vietnamese team’s travel, accommodation and cultural and academic activities in Russia are covered by Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation, and the organising committee.
Vietnam’s participation in the finals provides its students with valuable international experience and highlights the potential of young Vietnamese people in advanced science and technology fields, contributing to the country’s sustainable development goals./.
