HSU Students Earn Second Prize in the Southern Region’s 2026 National Youth Innovation Competition

Building on a product developed for an HSU academic competition, a team of students from Hoa Sen University’s Faculty of Technology won second prize in the Artificial Intelligence category at the Southern regional round of the 2026 National Youth Innovation Competition. Their project, Prompt FireWall App, is a system that classifies prompts and recognizes objects for large language models (LLMs).

Turning Classroom Ideas into National Achievements

The learning environment of the Faculty of Technology at Hoa Sen University (HSU) encourages students to explore ideas, think creatively, and turn knowledge into practical solutions. Students are encouraged to experiment, explore new ideas, and turn their creativity into practical solutions.

Drawing on their classroom knowledge, the student team developed an AI-powered product that earned recognition at the 2026 National Youth Innovation Competition. Their achievement reflects a learning approach grounded in practice, empowering students to take initiative, explore technological possibilities, and develop solutions to real-world challenges.

With more than 200 teams representing 29 provinces and cities nationwide, the 2026 National Young Innovation Competition in Artificial Intelligence (AI), launched by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, serves as a platform for young people to showcase their creativity and technological capabilities. Beyond showcasing innovative ideas, the competition aims to identify and support the next generation of talent in AI and digital technology.

Prompt FireWall App: An Input Security Layer for LLM

Developed by Mr. Nguyen Hong Dang, an AI student, alongside Mr. Vu Liet Thuan and Mr. Nguyen Gia Huy, both from the Software Engineering program, the project was carried out under the supervision of Mr. Bui Ngoc Le, MA, HSU Program Director of the AI program.

At its core, Prompt FireWall App introduces an input control layer that checks and filters prompts before they reach an LLM, adding an extra layer of control to the interaction process.

Key Features of Prompt FireWall App:

• User Prompt Classification: Classifies prompts submitted by users before they are processed by the LLM;
• Target Age Group Identification: Identifies the intended users’ age range to help tailor responses to their needs and context;
• Information Security: Helps protect information throughout the interaction between users and the LLM; and,
• Safer Response Generation: Helps prevent the LLM from generating unsafe or inappropriate responses.

The Process of Developing and Refining the Project

Building on a product that Hong Dang had previously developed for an HSU academic competition, the team continued to improve and expand the project for the 2026 National Youth Innovation Competition. During three weeks of preparation, the three members divided responsibilities and collaborated on refining the model, processing data, and developing the user interface.

The regional round gave the team five days to research, test, and compare different approaches before choosing the solution with the strongest results. The team noted that the specialized knowledge they gained at HSU provided an essential foundation for addressing the competition challenge. Bringing together students from Software Engineering and AI also encouraged the exchange of perspectives, the use of complementary expertise, and further product development.

As AI becomes increasingly influential in today’s world, this achievement reflects the value of an educational approach that connects theory with practice, encourages interdisciplinary learning, and empowers students to take initiative in addressing technological challenges.

Beyond the competition result, this achievement reflects how HSU connects learning with practical experience. It also gives students a valuable foundation for developing their professional skills and transforming creative ideas into solutions with real-world applications. Through “Experiential Learning”, HSU encourages students to put knowledge into practice, collaborate across disciplines, and build the skills needed to address challenges beyond the classroom.

Translated: Tai Do