“The Young and Brilliant: A Portrait of VinMotion’s Chairman, Nguyen Trung Quan.”

The public’s attention has been captured by the introduction of humanoid robots from VinMotion, a Vingroup ecosystem affiliate. This interest isn’t just about the company’s achievements but also the man behind it all – Chairman Nguyen Trung Quan.

Chairman Nguyen Trung Quan, born in 1989 and hailing from Nghe An province, is an alumnus of Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School, one of Vietnam’s top high schools, where he specialized in physics.

According to Vietnamnet, Quan won third place in the National Excellent Student Awards in physics in grade 11 and was expected to excel further in his final year. However, he again placed third in grade 12, missing the chance to represent Vietnam internationally. This came as a significant shock to the young man from Nghe An.

Undeterred, Quan pursued a technical field in higher education, gaining admission to the Hanoi University of Science and Technology’s Talent Engineer Program in Automation and Control. In his fourth year, he began exploring robotics, driven by his passion for the subject. This interest led him to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the US, a world leader in robotics.

Initially, Quan’s application for a doctoral program at CMU was rejected due to insufficient IELTS scores. However, he persevered and successfully applied a second time, gaining admission. Remarkably, he completed his Ph.D. in just 3.5 years (the typical US doctoral program duration is 5 years) and was recognized as the best graduate in his cohort—a rare feat.

In late 2017, Dr. Quan was offered a Postdoctoral position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). By early 2019, he had secured a role as an Associate Professor of Robotics at the University of Southern California (USC), one of the top 10 US technology universities, beating out numerous international candidates.

In early 2025, Dr. Quan shared on his personal page about his work at VinMotion: “I believe that VinMotion has many advantages and potentials. But to achieve our ambitions, we need the collaboration of numerous talents from both within and outside the country.”

“I am confident that this is a tremendous opportunity for Vietnam to become a powerhouse in robotics. This dream and ambition will never come true without the contribution and unity of Vietnamese talent worldwide.”

On August 8, 2025, at the 32nd anniversary of Vingroup, the VinMotion robot team showcased their dynamic synchronized dancing skills while maintaining balance and avoiding collisions thanks to their sensor systems, despite interference from thousands of mobile devices in the vicinity.

According to Life and Law, Chairman Quan shared with the press about the humanoid robots: “Since the robots are entirely autonomous and do not require human intervention, they use a sensor system to maintain distance and balance while performing flexible dance moves, rather than just passively following pre-programmed routines.”

Regarding VinMotion, a company specializing in the research, development, and application of multipurpose robots, it was established with a charter capital of VND 1,000 billion. In less than seven months, VinMotion introduced five versions of humanoid robots that were entirely “make in Vietnam,” from design to mechanics, electronics, software, AI, and control—all accomplished by Vietnamese engineers.

“We have complete control over the process, from mechanics and electronics to software development, without importing complete products or frames from any company. Every detail is developed in Vietnam,” shared Chairman Quan.