Undergraduate

From international publications in Q1 journals to the IDEERS trophy, the journey of Dr. Pham Phu Anh Huy, Vice Provost of the School of Engineering & Technology (SET) at Duy Tan University (DTU), is an inspiring story that empowers students to push beyond their limits.

Dr. Anh Huy (left) with the DTU students he mentored for the 2023 IDEERS championship - Photo: DTU

Bringing students to international competitions

“What makes me most proud in the long run is seeing students grow up through DTU’s classes, research groups, projects, and competition teams,” Dr. Anh Huy explains.

“When a student who once lacked confidence is now able to solve technical problems on their own, conduct serious research, or pursue higher studies, I feel that a teacher’s work truly makes a difference.”

This is why Dr. Anh Huy started taking students to numerous academic competitions, where classroom knowledge is tested against real-world problems and demanding technical requirements. This gives students validation and gradually takes them towards mastery of their own research projects.

Dr. Anh Huy explains how he began mentoring students in scientific research around 2010-2011 and continued working with them on various topics: reinforced-concrete structures, slabs, columns, and structural problems.

“I enjoy taking students to contests where they have to calculate, build, experiment, and then revise their designs,” Dr. Anh Huy says.

“This teaches them many things that a regular classroom session cannot fully convey: technical thinking, teamwork skills, time management, working under pressure, and especially knowing how to face failure.”

Dr. Anh Huy, Vice Provost of the DTU School of Engineering & Technology - Photo: DTU

This rather practical way of thinking has helped DTU students do very well at a big contest: championship and third prize at the 2023 Asia-Pacific IDEERS contest to design earthquake-resistant buildings in Taiwan.

At the 2023 competition, Prof. Chung-Che Chou, Director of the Taiwanese National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering and chair of the organizing committee, recognized the DTU students’ achievements and expressed surprise at their performance. Although equipment at DTU was not yet like that at institutions in Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan, its students nevertheless outperformed teams from major Asian universities to claim the top spot.

Students under Dr. Anh Huy’s guidance have earned several other awards: consolation prize in Structural Mechanics at the 36th National Mechanics Olympiad in 2025 and consolation prize in the 2025 Danang Student Scientific Research Competition for the project “Behavior of reinforced concrete frames under localized failure and progressive collapse”.

Cultivating knowledge through Q1 international publications

Dr. Anh Huy’s scientific-research journey is closely tied to structural engineering, fracture mechanics, and the behavior of structures under special conditions.

His international publications in recent years reflect a consistent research focus on issues related to the safety and load-bearing capacity of various types of structures. Notable papers include:

    “Assessment of Plastic Hinge Length in Reinforced Concrete Columns”, Structure and Infrastructure Engineering (Q1/SCIE) (2023),
    “Study on Solutions for Early Dismantling of Aluminum Formwork Systems in High-Rise Building Construction”, Civil Engineering Journal (Q1/ESCI) (2024),
    “Progressive Collapse of Reinforced Concrete Frames Considering Large Deformation Effects”, Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering (Q1/SCIE) (2026).

In recognition of his quality publications in international journals, Dr. Anh Huy received a certificate of merit from the Danang city People’s Committee in 2025 for his “outstanding achievements in scientific publishing”.

Drawing on his extensive expertise, he has actively mentored students in scientific research, with “strict data discipline” to prepare them for prestigious international scientific competitions.

Dr. Anh Huy’s recent research, conducted alongside the two students Nguyen Tan Phat and Nguyen Ngoc Han at the School of Engineering & Technology, was recognized with the publication of “Stiffness Degradation Effects on Seismic Behavior of RC Frame Structures” in Civil Engineering Journal (Q1/ESCI) in 2026.

Two undergraduate students having their names on a Q1 international publication is also a milestone that Dr. Anh Huy can be proud of. It highlights DTU students’ confidence, research capabilities, and determination to reach out to the world.

Dr. Anh Huy consistently supports students in scientific research - Photo: DTU

“I don’t want students to simply follow an existing design,” Dr. Anh Huy explains. “A design can look great on the computer but turn out ineffective when implemented in a model. That’s when the most profound engineering lessons emerge. Students need to experiment, make mistakes, and correct them on their own. A teacher should stay close enough to keep them from straying too far off course, yet far enough that the work is genuinely their own.”

Asking thorough questions while not letting students stray too far

The person who has inspired Dr. Anh Huy most is Prof. Chung-Chan Hung of the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan, who was his direct supervisor during his doctoral research there.

“From him I learned rigor, diligence, and discipline in research, as well as how he connects academic research with practical issues in structural engineering and building safety,” Dr. Anh Huy says.

“Working with him helped me realize that the value of a scientific study lies not only in where it’s published, but more importantly in the problems it solves and the contributions it can make to the community.”

“A teacher should stay close enough to the students to keep them from straying

too far off course, yet far enough that the work is genuinely their own” - Photo: DTU

Today, as he mentors his own students, Dr. Anh Huy continues to uphold the same principles. He does not accept a result unless the student fully understands the essence of the problem.

Nguyen Duc Tuan, a student in Civil & Industrial Engineering at DTU, explains how Dr. Anh Huy always reminds students that failure is not the end, but a chance for deeper understanding, for doing better and going further.

“What we appreciate most is not just the knowledge he shares with us,” Tuan says, “but also the confidence he consistently places in us which each step we take toward maturity.”

(Media Center)