Technology and Academia: When Reading Culture Goes Hand in Hand with AI and AR
Opening the series of activities was the workshop “Applying AI Hay Tools for Learning and Research”, held on March 23, 2026, which offered students the opportunity to approach AI as a modern academic assistant. Guided directly by experts from AI Hay, participants were equipped with practical skills to use AI Hay for summarizing documents, developing research ideas, verifying information, and optimizing their learning processes. Notably, the program emphasized academic ethics in AI usage, helping students develop a selective, responsible, effective, and human-centered approach to AI — an essential competency in today’s digital education landscape.
Continuing the spirit of innovation, the program “AR Knowledge Quest: Decode the Clues”, held from March 18 to March 31, 2026, transformed the library into an interactive journey of knowledge discovery. Using mobile devices, students scanned AR codes on displayed publications within the book stacks to unlock expanded digital resources, including archival images, videos, and supplementary materials, in order to collect keywords, decode intellectual clues, and uncover the final answer. The activity not only created an engaging reading experience but also strengthened participants’ abilities in information searching, analysis, processing, and connection — core competencies of reading culture in the digital era.
Community Engagement: Spreading Reading Culture from Universities to High Schools
As part of TDTU Open Day 2026, the INSPiRE Reading Promotion Network created a remarkable highlight by attracting more than 2,700 students from over 25 high schools to participate in library experiences. Through activities such as AR-powered book exploration, literary decoding challenges, knowledge quests, and personalized bookmark design, the program created a vibrant and inspiring bridge between high school students and the university environment. More than just a career orientation activity, it also planted the seeds of reading culture for future generations.
At the same time, the Reading Culture Development Book Fair 2026, jointly organized by the Library and Saigon Books from March 28 to April 3, 2026, introduced hundreds of titles across multiple disciplines, with a focus on skills development, artificial intelligence, and career orientation. The book fair became an inter-level knowledge bridge connecting high school and university students, while reaffirming the role of the library as an open learning space that promotes self-learning and lifelong learning.
Identity and Global Integration: From National History to Global Citizenship
In celebration of the 51st anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2026), the Inspiring Library organized the “Proud of Vietnam” check-in corner alongside a themed book exhibition on April 30, offering a fresh approach to history education. At the History and Politics Space, participants not only accessed historical materials through books but also interacted directly with digitized content, historical footage, and AR-based visual models. The contest “30/4 Moments” further spread national pride, creating connections between historical knowledge, technological experiences, and the emotions of the younger generation. Notably, on April 20, 2026, Prof. Dr. Lê Quân, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, visited and personally experienced the space, recognizing the creativity in integrating digital technology with traditional education.
Concluding the series was the speaker exchange program “Go Global – Live, Work & Shine Globally”, held on April 22, 2026, at Hall 10F, attracting more than 200 students. Inspired by the book “Go Global” by Nguyễn Phi Vân, the program featured three experienced speakers: Dr. Nguyễn Tuấn Quỳnh (Chairman of Saigon Books), Mr. Ngô Quốc Hùng (Recruitment Director of HDBank), and M.A. Cát Nghiêm Hiếu Tuấn (Technology Specialist at FPT Software and former TDTU student). Through practical, relatable, and highly applicable discussions, the speakers provided students with realistic insights into global citizenship, multicultural adaptability, international career skills, and innovative thinking in the context of global competition. In particular, the message “Speak Human” — communicating with emotional intelligence and human values in the age of AI — became a powerful highlight, helping students realize that amid rapid technological advancement and expanding knowledge systems, reading culture and human character remain the most sustainable competitive advantages.
Affirming an Innovative Library Model in the Digital Era
With its diversity of formats, depth of content, and impressive scale of community engagement, the series of activities celebrating the 5th Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day 2026 at the Inspiring Library went beyond the framework of a conventional reading promotion program to become a model for reading culture development in the digital era. It was not only a place to inspire a love for books, but also a platform empowering learners to develop digital thinking, information literacy, global integration capabilities, and a lifelong learning mindset. Through these efforts, the library continues to affirm its pioneering role in redefining modern reading culture: reading to understand, reading to create, reading to integrate, and reading to shape the future.
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