Indian students use AI to preserve Vietnamese women’s heritage

Over two weeks, a group of students from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT) in India stepped into a very different learning environment, surrounded by stories of Vietnamese women, from wartime memories to traditional crafts passed down through generations.

The 16 students were in Hanoi on a global internship and symposium program hosted by RMIT University Vietnam in partnership with the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. From late May to early June, they attended workshops with experts from Vietnam, India, Australia, and China, and explored new ways to preserve and promote cultural heritage using AI and data science.

Professor Valliappan Raman, Head of the Department of AI and Data Science at CIT, highlights the importance of the cross-disciplinary internship to the students.

“In an interconnected world, interdisciplinary collaboration is not just beneficial—it’s essential for shaping the next generation of impactful AI practitioners. Collaborating with professionals from fields like cultural heritage, healthcare, or design deepens their understanding of human-centred applications and ethical considerations. These experiences cultivate holistic thinkers who can innovate responsibly, interpret data meaningfully, and co-create solutions with broader societal impact,” he said.

The students worked with oral history transcripts provided by the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, applying AI and natural language processing to uncover key themes such as motherhood, wartime roles, economic struggles, crafts, and traditions.

They also analysed the museum’s social media performance, identifying what types of posts and hashtags connect most with online audiences.

Guided by academics from RMIT University in Vietnam and Australia, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, CIT, as well as the Communications department of the Vietnamese Women’s Museum, the students turned data into insight. They developed visual charts, maps of trending topics, and recommendations to help the museum engage younger generations and organise their collections more effectively.

“The students’ projects have offered valuable suggestions for future directions in integrating and promoting heritage values through technology,” said Ms Le Cam Nhung, Head of Communications at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum.

“This approach also aligns with the Museum’s development strategy in the coming period. Initiatives to connect with international universities will be one of our key activities to enhance knowledge sharing and to transform the Museum into an open learning environment for the public.”

The collaboration was not just technical. Students were also guided through ethical considerations when working with personal stories and cultural data, learning to approach their work with sensitivity and respect.

Outside of the internship program, they had a chance to immerse themselves in the local culture through sightseeing activities and engagement with RMIT Vietnam students.

CIT student Dhivyaabharathi S said that this was her first experience in a truly international academic setting, and she valued the more hands-on, real-world experience compared to typical academic projects.

“Collaborating with a museum made the work especially engaging. My internship at RMIT University in Hanoi was more than just a professional achievement—it was a transformative personal journey that contributed significantly to my growth both academically and personally.”

Fellow student Arya Nakshathra N K said: “The internship was an incredibly exciting and enriching journey. Working with the museum allowed me to explore culture, storytelling, and mass media in a meaningful way. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to work in such a diverse and inspiring environment.”

The program reflects RMIT Vietnam’s broader commitment to meaningful, real-world learning experiences, connecting students across borders and across disciplines to solve contemporary challenges. This aligns with the University’s focus on regional collaboration and social innovation, showing how universities can play a key role in bringing people and ideas together.

As RMIT Associate Lecturer in Design Studies and the lead organiser of the program Mr Ondris Pui shared, “We are constantly looking to collaborate with international universities who are willing to contribute to or assist local Vietnamese organisations.”

“These collaborations inspire fresh, unexplored outputs that benefit both society and culture. By blending creative thinking, technology and human stories, students also gain a deeper sense of purpose. I hope to see more AI-creative partnerships that build impactful, inclusive solutions for the communities we serve.”

Whether helping a museum connect with today’s audiences or uncovering untold stories through data, this cultural tech exchange shows how students, with the right support, can start to make a real impact.

Story: Ngoc Hoang

Masthead image: Linh Dang