From April 2 to April 13, 2025, Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (HUCE) in collaboration with Singapore Polytechnique (SPI) successfully organized the Learning Express program (LEX) with impressive results. The course was led by SP Officer  Tan Kah Keng, instructed and coordinated by lecturers Ong Chai Lin, Adrian Aw, Dr. Handojo Djiati Utomo (lecturers from Singapore Polytechnique); Dr. Nguyen Doan Binh, Dr. Nguyen Van Tam, MSc. Nguyen Ngoc Hieu (lecturers from HUCE). In addition, the course also had valuable advisories from A/Prof.Dr. Ta Quynh Hoa; A/Prof.Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Huyen and A/Prof.Dr.Tong Ton Kien from HUCE.

Students and lecturers at the Closing Ceremony

Following the success and strong impression of its inaugural year in 2024, the LEX program 2025 has attracted a large number of student registrations from both institutions. After the selection process, LEX program 2025 includes the participation of 30 students from Singapore Polytechnic and 34 students from Hanoi University of Civil Engineering.

The program involved a series of activities from design thinking, project planning, site visits for current status assessment, and field studies of community issues. This year, students have the opportunity to explore the traditional craft of mosaic in Thuong village and carpentry in Dong Vinh village, located in Chuyen My commune, Thuong Tin district, Hanoi city.

Field surveys in the craft villages for emerging issues from communities

After conducting field research in the craft villages, student groups engaged in discussions, exchanges, and prototyping to address prominent issues such as air pollution caused by dust from bottle cutting or wood sawing, and water pollution from wood shaving or shell mosaic. Students from both institutions were enthusiastic about the valuable and meaningful knowledge and experiences gained through the discussions and field studies.

Proposal of options to solve pollution problems

The research results were presented through models and shared with local villagers. These included a sawdust collection system for saw machines, a dust collection and reduction model for the clam shell-cutting process, a block model made from sawdust, a block model using shell powder as a substitute for cement, and a model designed to reduce dust and alleviate back pain for mosaic craft workers. All these ideas were warmly welcomed by the communities of Thuong and Dong Vinh villages, who also provided feedback for the students to refine the models to better fit real-life conditions. The villagers expressed a desire to see these models implemented in actual craft village settings. 

On the morning of April 12, all the prototypes developed by the student groups were exhibited at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and received considerable attention and interest from both students and faculty members. Lecturers and experts from the LEX 2025 course evaluated the projects based on specific criteria and selected the groups with the most outstanding idea and solutions.

Students who successfully completed LEX program 2025 were awarded certificates and meaningful commemorative gifts. Through the course, they had the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills, learn how to work effectively in teams, and improve their English language.

Students received certificates and gifts from the teachers

At the closing ceremony, heartfelt speeches and impressive musical performances brought the LEX 2025 participants closer together. Everyone highly appreciated the course and considered it a meaningful activity that marked the successful collaboration between Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and Singapore Polytechnic.