Information technology museum a spotlight of Vietnam’s digital transformation journey

By touching a first-generation computer and listening to stories of the pioneers who brought technology to Vietnam during the subsidy period, visitors understand why this museum is regarded as a symbolic site for science enthusiasts. 

It is home not only to rare artifacts but also to the memory of Vietnam’s first steps toward national digital transformation.

The guardian of knowledge

Dressed simply in a dark khaki shirt, Dr. Nguyen Chi Cong, the founder of Vietnam’s first IT museum, cheerfully takes on the role of a guide. 

"The museum is also my life,” he says with emotion.

In 2020, encouraged by colleagues at FPT, one of Vietnam's leading tech companies, Dr. Cong cleared dust from the old equipment and documents stored in his warehouse, persuaded his wife to let him sell their car, and turned the garage into an exhibition space.

From that modest start, the Information Technology Museum took shape in his private home on Dong Tac Street in Kim Lien Ward, Hanoi.

The first impression comes from two information walls, one displaying milestones in Vietnam’s IT industry in 1960-2000 and the other charting global developments from antiquity to 1995.

Nearby are vintage computer models whose unusual shapes contrast with modern machines. Each device and component carries its own story.

Pointing to a small object in a glass case, Dr. Cong explained, "These are semiconductor chips, RAM, CPUs, CDs, and the first network-connected phones.

"Some I researched while studying in the former Czechoslovakia, some I bought because they intrigued me. 

"Some were failed experiments; others were breakthroughs.

"From black-and-white analog models with TV-like screens to digital versions with color displays. There’s even a first-generation Macintosh, famed for its graphics, which cost me tens of thousands of dollars decades ago -- and it still works.”

Books on information technology, computer history, microprocessors, operating systems, and basic computing, many of which were authored, co-authored, or translated by Dr. Cong, are also on display.

“Through reading, translating, and writing books, I've gained deep knowledge that often surprises people,” he recalled with a laugh.

“But before that, they were even more surprised when I would vanish for a week, buried in books.”

One corner especially captures visitors’ attention: a towering sculpture shaped like an open book. Its 'pages' hold portraits and biographies of professors and scientists who shaped Vietnam’s IT field.

“Each page represents a life,” Dr. Cong said.

“A key purpose of this museum is to honor my predecessors."

He then introduced the portraits: Professor Ta Quang Buu, a visionary who laid the foundation for many modern sciences, including computing; Professor Phan Dinh Dieu, a leading computer scientist who designed training programs for Vietnam’s IT workforce; Professor Nguyen Ba Hao, the first PhD in computer science who pioneered formal education in the field; and engineer Duong Quang Thien, who introduced computing into management and practical training.

The 'made in Vietnam' computer

Vietnam’s IT story began in 1960, when Professor Ta Quang Buu initiated plans for a computer industry within the State Committee for Science and Technology in the north.

Meanwhile, in 1965 in the south, engineer Duong Quang Thien, Vietnam’s first computer engineer trained in France and recruited by IBM, returned to Saigon, applying computing to management for the first time.

“The country was underdeveloped and at war, but in both the north and south, we had people who recognized the power of computers to change lives,” Dr. Cong recalls with admiration.

In 1972, after studying computer science in Czechoslovakia, Dr. Cong joined the State Committee for Science and Technology under Professor Phan Dinh Dieu, later working at the Institute of Computational and Control Sciences on Lieu Giai Street in Hanoi.

January 1977 marked a milestone: the successful creation of Vietnam’s first domestically built computer, the FT8080, also known as the VT80. 

Dr. Cong and his colleagues overcame daunting challenges under the guidance of French scientist Alain Teissonnière.

“Many professors and PhDs thought building a computer was impossible back then and called us ‘wild dreamers,’” Dr. Cong laughed.

“But Professor Phan Dinh Dieu believed in us. 

"He foresaw that information technology would be the future.”

A fellow engineer later wrote: “The young team working with Alain were poor and gaunt, their lunchboxes filled with eggplants and pickles. Yet they were eager to learn and quick to master technology. More than a dozen of them -- Nguyen Gia Hieu, Nguyen Chi Cong, Huynh Thuc Cuoc, Nguyen Trung Dong, Nghiem My, Nguyen Van Tam, Phan Minh Tan, and more -- worked tirelessly.”

The VT80 was essentially a 'mother machine,' a development system for producing other computers. 

Successive models -- the VT81, VT82, and VT83 -- were deployed to agencies and enterprises. 

Leaders such as Minister Vo Nguyen Giap and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong praised the achievement.

“At the time, building a personal computer in Asia was like a farmer building a submarine or a helicopter,” Dr. Cong recalls. “Even French experts doubted Vietnam could do it.”

The road to the Internet

After the war, only France was willing to cooperate with Vietnam, while the U.S. maintained its embargo.

“France was our only gateway to the world,” General Vo Nguyen Giap remarked.

“Though modest in funding, IT cooperation brought quick and tangible results.”

The first successful military application was an anti-eavesdropping communication device. 

The Department of Cryptography’s teletypewriter was fitted with a small computer that could send and receive encrypted text instantly. This unique solution was Dr. Cong’s idea.

In 1981, Ho Chi Minh City chairman Vo Van Kiet supported Sinco, a leading garment factory, in applying IT to management. 

Its director traveled north to seek Dr. Cong’s assistance.

In 1986, the Institute of Applied Technology (Nacentech), founded by Professor Vu Dinh Cu, became a pioneer in moving from theory to practical applications. 

Its VT81 and VT83 computers were used in factories, government offices, and security agencies.

By the late 1980s, Vietnam had entered the Doi Moi (Renovation) period. 

The Vietnam Association for Informatics was established, with spin-off companies quickly emerging. 

Around the same time, FPT was founded under the Vietnam Academy of Science.

In 1993, the Government issued Resolution 49/CP on IT development as part of the National Key Science and Technology Program. 

National IT standards were introduced, with Dr. Cong as chief drafter, a role he still holds.

The National IT Program (IT2000) was launched, headed by Dang Huu. 

In 1996, Dr. Cong became head of its Network Subcommittee. 

In 1997, Vietnam officially opened its Internet gateway, marking the country’s full entry into the digital age.

Immortal scientific heritage

Throughout his career, Dr. Cong devoted himself to teaching and writing. He lectured at IFI in France and authored influential series such as Microprocessor Technology and Basic Informatics (grades 1-9), still widely used in schools.

Now nearly 80, after four heart surgeries, he continues to share stories with youthful energy. 

Since the museum opened, groups from across Vietnam and abroad have visited, and he frequently meets young people to discuss IT.

“Young people should know that we Vietnamese are capable and never inferior,” he advises. 

"With confidence, passion for learning, and pure intentions, opportunities will come. 

"If not today, then tomorrow.”

His advice goes beyond technology: professional skills matter, but so does knowledge of history, culture, and the arts.

From decades of experience, he distilled three lessons: 1) Don’t work on obsolete technologies (like 8-bit machines or black-and-white TVs). 2) Don’t take on tasks beyond reach (like chipmaking, which requires ultra-clean facilities). 3) Focus on marketable products (like FPT’s pivot to computer sales, or Samsung’s memory chips that outpaced the U.S. and Japan).

Located on a 30-hectare site in Thung Nai, former Hoa Binh Province, now part of Phu Tho Province, the Vietnamese Scientists Heritage Park (Meddom) offers a tranquil setting of streams and pines. 

Its name signifies a castle of memory dedicated to education and future generations.

The museum houses over one million artifacts, documents, and research works from more than 7,000 Vietnamese scientists. 

Items include ink pens, diaries, manuscripts, and even birth certificates in classical Chinese characters, some dating back to the 1930s.

The archive is dynamic, with paper, artifacts, photographs, films, audio recordings, and digital databases.

Professor Nguyen Anh Tri, who spearheaded Meddom, explained: “While studying abroad, I treasured scientists’ written feedback on my thesis. Those documents were invaluable -- not only for academic work but as life lessons.”

With his family’s support, he began building the museum in 2003. Funded by Med-Group, the project cost about VND500 billion (US$19 million).

“This heritage belongs to the people,” he said. “It is a place for future generations to nurture their love of science. Scientists come from the people, and their work is the people’s treasure.”

Once, he overheard a schoolboy whisper, “I want to be a scientist too.” He felt his heart “blossom with spring flowers.” That, he said, is the museum’s success: inspiring the young to complete unfinished work and dedicate themselves to science.

To ensure this mission, Professor Tri recently handed over Meddom to the state for management.