Title: "ViQP: Dataset for Vietnamese Question Paraphrasing" Authors: Nguyen Quang Sang - 19522122 - CNCL2019 - Primary Author Vo Dinh Thuc - 19522322 - CNCL2019 - Co-Author Nguyen Phan Anh Duc - 19522573 - CNTT2019 - Co-Author Tran Thanh Dang - 20520428 - CNCL2020 - Co-Author Supervisor: Master Nguyen Van Kiet Abstract: Paraphrasing questions is a crucial task in natural language processing, which has various applications such as information retrieval, question answering, and dialogue systems. Despite the importance of this task, there has been little work on Vietnamese question paraphrasing. To fill this gap, we created a new dataset consisting of pairs of questions, each containing a source question and a paraphrased question. The dataset was constructed by collecting questions from various sources and then paraphrasing them using a team of human annotators. We evaluate the questions generated from the model with the BLEU measure and compare it with human performance. We assess the questions generated from the model with the BLEU measure and compare it with human performance and ChatGPT. We express our gratitude to Master Nguyen Van Kiet, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Information Science and Technology, for his dedicated guidance and for pointing out our limitations during the research and publication of this international scientific paper. The 6th International Conference on Multimedia Analysis and Pattern Recognition (MAPR), sponsored by the Vietnamese Association on Pattern Recognition (VAPR), was held in Quy Nhon on October 5-6, 2023. The conference aims to bring together researchers and experts from academia and industry to share the latest research findings, experimental results, and strengthen potential collaboration opportunities in pattern recognition, multimedia analysis, and related fields. Key topics of interest include Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning, Multimedia Analysis, Biomedical Image Analysis and Biometrics, Computer Vision and Robot Vision, Document Analysis and Recognition, and Applications. For more details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/UIT.Fanpage/posts/pfbid0VwueJjySYAa8xTPSDSBf... Ha Bang - Media Collaborator, University of Information Technology Translation: Nhat Hien

VNUHCM-University of Information Technology, announces the admission process for the formal undergraduate program in 2023, in collaboration with Birmingham City University (BCU) – United Kingdom (awarded by BCU) for Group 2 applicants: Fields of Study and Quota: Computer Science: 25 seats. Computer Networks and Information Security: 25 seats. Eligibility Criteria: Applicants include the following categories: 2.1. Graduates of high school and holders of Higher National Diploma level 5 in fields such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Network Engineering, Data Analysis, Data Science, Information Security, and related areas. 2.2. Candidates with diplomas from universities/colleges in Vietnam or internationally (equivalent to HND level 5) in relevant fields.   2.3. Candidates who have completed the first 2 years of UIT's high quality/advanced/standard programs.   English Proficiency Requirements:       Applicants must meet one of the following English language proficiency criteria: Minimum IELTS score of 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any skill). English proficiency level 04 according to the 6-level foreign language competency framework for Vietnam. Equivalent proficiency recognized by Birmingham City University and the Ministry of Education and Training. Admission Method: Document-based application review. Duration of Study: 01 year (02 semesters). Type of Training: Credit-based program. Degree: Bachelor's degree conferred by Birmingham City University, United Kingdom. Tuition Fee: 140,000,000 VND/course (70,000,000 VND/semester). Study Location: VNUHCM – University of Information Technology, Quarter 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. Application Documents: Completed application form. Certified copy of high school diploma and HND level 5 certificate (for category 2.1 applicants). Certified copy of college diploma (for category 2.2 applicants). University transcript up to the application date (for category 2.3 applicants). Certified copy of English language certificate. Certified copy of national ID card. Application Submission: Applicants can submit documents directly to one of the following addresses: 45 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. (Hotline: 0987 420 020 - 0909 300 994 - Ms. Le Thuan – Admission Officer, BCU International Program).   Special Programs Office (Room E2.1) - University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City – Quarter 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. (Phone: (028) 372 52002 – extra 155).   Application Submission Period: From the announcement date until October 31, 2023. Contact Information: Ms. Le Thuan – Admission Officer, BCU International Program. Address: 45 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Hotline: 0987 420 020 - 0909 300 994.   For more detailed information, please visit: https://tuyensinh.uit.edu.vn/2023-thong-bao-tuyen-sinh-vao-dai-hoc-chuong-trinh-lien-ket-voi-dai-hoc-birmingham-city-vuong-quoc-anh-dot-3-nam-2023   Hạ Băng - Communications Contributor, University of Information Technology English version: Phan Huy Hoang

On October 5th and 6th, 2023, VNUHCM - University of Information Technology, in collaboration with VAPR (Vietnamese Association on Pattern Recognition), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), and Institute of Information Technology (IOIT), successfully organized the International Conference on Multimedia Analysis and Pattern Recognition (MAPR) in Quy Nhon, Vietnam. MAPR 2023 was sponsored by FPT and the Earth Venture Foundation. The conference this year has convened numerous scientists, researchers, doctoral candidates, and graduate students from various countries worldwide, including the United States, France, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and more. This event serves as a platform for scientists and experts to share their latest scientific research result and experiments in the fields of artificial intelligence, deep learning, recognition, natural language processing, information security, AI-supporting hardware chips, and to strengthen potential collaboration opportunities. The conference unfolded with a range of vibrant activities, including: 4 Scientific Sessions: Engaging presentations were held on key topics such as Object Detection and Recognition, Multimedia Analysis, Language and Vision, Segmentation and Recognition, AI-Enabled Hardware, and System-on-Chip, along with discussions on Applying AI to Build Security Solutions for Protecting Information Systems.  3 Poster Sessions displayed posters corresponding to the research papers. 3 distinguished keynote talks were delivered by reputable professors in the field, including: Professor Junichi Tsujii (the Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan); Professor Minh Hoài (the Computer Science Department, Stony Brook University, USA; and Professor Chan Chee Seng from University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All scientific papers presented at the conference were rigorously reviewed to ensure high quality. At the conclusion of the event, the organizers awarded prizes to outstanding papers. The paper titled “Memory-Driven Region Contrast For Enhanced Polyp Semantic Segmentation” by authors Hoai Nguyen Viet, Hung Pham Vu, and Sang Dinh Viet from Hanoi University of Science and Technology received the Best Paper Award. Additionally, the paper “Comparative Of Object Detection Models For Abnormality Detection On Spinal X-Ray Images” by authors Thanh-Danh Nguyen, Duc-Tuan Luu, Vinh-Tiep Nguyen, and Thanh Duc Ngo from VNUHCM - University of Information Technology was honored with the Best Student Paper Award. In its sixth edition, the MAPR conference has achieved significant success by publishing its proceedings on IEEEXplore (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/1825404/all-proceedings) and being indexed in the Scopus index. This accomplishment underscores MAPR's pivotal role in advancing the field of multimedia analysis and recognition not only in Vietnam but also on a global scale. Article: HNCC Image: HNCC Image link: https://link.uit.edu.vn/MAPR-2023   Ha Bang - Communications Collaborator, University of Information Technology English version: Phan Huy Hoang

Dear students of the Faculty of Computer Science, the Faculty of Computer Science Scholarship Fund is a scholarship program dedicated to students currently studying Computer Science at University of Information Technology. Its purpose is to support students facing financial difficulties and encourage academic excellence and research. The selected students will receive scholarships in the form of partial tuition fee sponsorship for the academic year. This year, the Faculty of Computer Science Scholarship Fund plans to award 10 scholarships to students of the faculty, with specific criteria as follows: 1. Categories and Number of Scholarships: Category 1:  Computer Science students experiencing financial hardship due to natural disasters, storms, epidemics, or belonging to poor families.  Estimated scholarship value: 8,000,000 VND (eight million Vietnamese Dong) per scholarship. Category 2:  Computer Science students with outstanding academic performance and research achievements.  Estimated scholarship value: 4,000,000 VND (four million Vietnamese Dong) per scholarship. 2. Application Requirements: Category 1:   Minimum GPA of 6.0 in the academic year.   Priority given to students not receiving other scholarships from the university. Students with existing          university scholarships can still apply.   Application documents include:   A letter describing the student's circumstances   An essay of no more than 1,000 words on the topic "My Life Philosophy, Dreams, and Future Career Plans," submitted to the Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science.   Additional documents (if available)   Certificate confirming the family's status as impoverished or in difficult circumstances issued by the local authorities.   Certificate of participation in department, university, community, and social activities   Other achievements during the academic year. Category 2:   Minimum GPA of 7.5 in the academic year.   Priority given to students not receiving other scholarships from the university. Students with existing university scholarships can still apply.   Application documents include:   An essay of no more than 1,000 words on the topic "My Life Philosophy, Dreams, and Future Career Plans," submitted to the Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science.   Additional documents (if available)   Certificate of participation in department, university, community, and social activities   Other achievements during the academic year. 3. Application Deadline: Students can submit their applications from the announcement date until November 1, 2023, via the following link: https://forms.gle/duj6vFjzof4AL8u98 The Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science will announce the scholarship recipients starting from November 15, 2023, through the department's website. The scholarship award ceremony will be organized within November 2023. For more details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/uit.cs.aiclub/posts/pfbid0hRsHjVbDBQWv9... Ha Bang - Media Collaborator, University of Information Technology Translation: Nhat Hien

On the morning of October 12th, the grand final of the "COPLAY WITH UIT 2023: REMOTEBOT AI CHALLENGE" competition officially took place at the E.12 Hall of University of Information Technology (UIT). After two months of intense competition with the participation of over 300 contestants from 11 universities in Ho Chi Minh City, the competition organizers selected the top 8 outstanding teams for the final. Attending the final round of the competition, UIT was represented by Dr. Nguyen Luu Thuy Ngan - Vice President of UIT,Dr. Nguyen Minh Son - Dean of the Faculty of Computer Engineering, Dr. Le Trung Quan - Dean of the Faculty of Computer Networks and Communications. Dr. Nguyen Minh Son, representing the organizing committee, delivering a speech at the final round.   The event was also honored by the presence of Mr. Sim Jae Yoon - Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, Mr. Lee Yong Bum - KOCHAM Dong Nai Vice Chairman and CEO of KingoSpring Vietnam, Mr. Kang Seongil - Co-founder and CTO of TeamGRIT, Mr. Phan Thanh Binh - Director of Marketing at Hanwha Life Vietnam, and Mr. Lee Han Byeol - Deputy General Director of Shinhan Bank Vietnam. Dr. Nguyen Minh Son presenting appreciation gifts to partner institutions, guests, and sponsors.   The final was a thrilling competition among the 8 best teams from University of Information Technology, University of Technology, and University of Sai Gon... The final round was organized in the form of direct one-on-one battles to determine the champion of the competition. In each match, the teams built control solutions based on AI gesture recognition and the Moth Server system provided by TeamGRIT Korea (the competition's partner) to remotely control robot vehicles through live camera footage from the arena. The contestants were extremely enthusiastic and competitive.   After more than two hours of intense and exciting competition, LTTL team from the Faculty of Computer Engineering triumphed the final, with a prize value of up to 30,000,000 VND. The second and third prizes were awarded to the DMX and Ultron teams, respectively. Sharing the feeling after a convincing victory, Le Duc Tri, a student from the Faculty of Computer Engineering and a member of the LTTL team, said: "I am very happy to have achieved our initial goal of winning the highest prize in the competition. My team and I have tried our best, and I appreciate the efforts of everyone. Through the competition, I have learned a lot of useful knowledge about AI, how to integrate technology into vehicle control. In the future, I will continue to learn and research how to apply AI to vehicle control to create self-driving vehicles for a more developed life." LTTL excellently won the top prize at CoPlay with UIT 2023.   CoPlay with UIT 2023 is a competition organized by the Faculty of Computer Engineering, VNUHCM-University of Information Technology, in collaboration with TeamGRIT (Korea) with the desire to bring an engaging and challenging playground for technology enthusiasts interested in robotics and artificial intelligence. The theme of this year's competition, Remotebot AI Challenge, focuses on controlling robots through gesture recognition with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, allowing participants to gain valuable experiences while learning and having fun. CoPlay is a competition developed by TeamGRIT and was first introduced in 2021 in Korea with the theme "Controlling vehicles through web browsers and 5G technology." In 2022, the competition was simultaneously held in Korea and Japan with remotely controlled vehicles in both countries. With the aim of inspiring all students about the interesting combination of creativity and technology, CoPlay arrived in Vietnam in 2023. CoPlay with UIT 2023 combines AI processing technology and wireless communication technology to ignite the passion for technology and innovation among young talents in Vietnam.   Thuy Linh Translation: Nhat Hien

Introduction to Sharding Sharding is fundamentally a technique of divide conquer, dividing a large blockchain into multiple smaller shards with the goal of increasing the system's throughput (increasing the number of transactions per second) by attempting to process transactions in each shard in parallel. By dividing a blockchain into n shards, the speed can be increased significantly. Components in sharding include nodes, pending transactions, and the ledger. Each shard can use different consensus mechanisms such as PoS, PoW, BFT-based, etc. When implementing sharding, there are two main issues to consider: Intra-consensus-safety and Cross-shard-atomicity. Deciding the number of shards to be divided is also crucial because the more shards there are, the less computational power is needed to control a shard, but it may compromise the system's scalability (a trade-off between security and scalability). Scaling Solutions - Layer 1 Blockchain Scaling Strategies:  Reducing Overhead: Decreasing the amount of data exchanged between nodes and reducing computational tasks on that data. Vertical Scaling: Adding resources to nodes. For example, increasing the number of transactions per block or reducing the block generation time. Horizontal Scaling: Sharding. Intra-Consensus-Safety Intra-consensus-safety deals with handling transactions within a single shard. In this scenario, measures need to be taken to avoid a 1% attack. A 1% attack implies that more than 50% of computational power is required to control the system. When using sharding, dividing the blockchain into n shards means the computational power required to control the system is P > PT/n*(50%). In simpler terms, by dividing the blockchain into many shards, one only needs to control one shard instead of the entire system. Since the computational power in each shard is much less than the entire system, it becomes easier to attack. To minimize the risk of a 1% attack, methods such as randomizing node allocation to different shards at the beginning of each new block are used. Additionally, the selection of leaders relies on random methods. For example, the RandHound protocol in Omniledger. Cross-Shard-Atomicity Cross-shard transactions involve transactions where the source and destination do not belong to the same shard. Handling these transactions is complex and time-consuming. Moreover, these transactions make up a significant portion, so efficient processing methods are necessary. Cross-shard-atomicity is a requirement during processing: if a cross-shard transaction fails, the money must be returned to the sender's account to prevent double-spending. To address this issue, mechanisms like Locking/Unlocking are commonly used. Locking/Unlocking Mechanism: First, the client sends cross-shard transactions to input shards to gather proof (sufficient funds, whether it's locked, etc.) from the input shards. The input shards will then lock the client's money while sending the proofs. If all proofs are valid (Accepted), the client sends the transaction to the output shard for processing, unlocking the money to transfer to the destination account. Conversely, if the proofs are invalid (Rejected), the money is unlocked and returned to the client, ensuring Atomicity. Locking/Unlocking mechanisms operate in blockchains like Omniledger, RapidChain, ChainSpace, etc. Apart from Locking/Unlocking, there are other mechanisms such as Eventual Atomicity or Junking, etc. Eventual Atomicity is used in the Monoxide blockchain along with the Chu-ko-nu mining mechanism. Some Sharding-Based Blockchains Academic: Elastico (BFT), Omniledger (BFT), Rapidchain (BFT), Monochain (Nakamoto), ChainSpace (BFT). Industrial: Ethereum 2.0, Zilliqa, Harmony, Near Protocol. References: G. Yu, X. Wang, K. Yu, W. Ni, J. A. Zhang, and R. P. Liu, "Survey: Sharding in Blockchains," in IEEE Access, vol. 8, pp. 14155-14181, 2020, doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2965147. By Vo Truong Trung Hieu For more detailed information, please visit: https://inseclab.uit.edu.vn/ky-thuat-sharding-trong-blockchain/?fbclid=IwAR3TkRrEkqpl6A0EwxSAI6rzHl2FeifRNLZaxwaXkptEgStJgCvWHOv1xTQ Ha Bang - Communications Collaborator, University of Information Technology English version: Phan Huy Hoang

Dear UIT Freshmen and Sophomores! UIT has received information about the Canada-ASEAN Scholarship and Education Exchange for Development (SEED) Program by the Government of Canada. Here are the details: Information about the SEED Program: link. For a summary of the SEED Program in Vietnamese, please refer to the attached file: [SEED Program Information 2023-10-13] List of 9 Canadian Universities with IT Majors: Brock University: https://brocku.ca/ The University of British Columbia: https://www.ubc.ca/ The University of Western Ontario:  https://www.uwo.ca/ University of Regina: https://www.uregina.ca/ Lakehead University: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/ Kwantlen Polytechnic University: https://www.kpu.ca/ University of Victoria: https://www.uvic.ca/ York University: ttps://www.yorku.ca/ University of Ottawa: https://www.uottawa.ca/en Office of External Relations invites first and second-year students who are interested in participating in the student exchange program at one of the 9 Canadian universities to email Office of External Relations at qhdn@uit.edu.vn. This will enable the office to facilitate the implementation of this collaboration. Deadline for Email Responses: Until 20th October (Friday) Students should include the following information in the email: Email Subject: [Full Name] _Registration for Student Exchange Program (SEED) with Canadian University. To register, students need to fill out the required information and personal preferences as specified in the attached file and send it to the email address Office of External Relations (qhdn@uit.edu.vn). For detailed information, please visit: https://forum.uit.edu.vn/node/566362 Ha Bang - Communications Collaborator, University of Information Technology English version: Phan Huy Hoang

UIT Career Day is an annual event of UIT We are pleased to extend an invitation to your esteemed company to participate in and sponsor UIT Career Day 2023. UIT CAREER DAY 2023 DETAILS: -Date: Morning of December 1, 2023 (Friday) -Venue: University of Information Technology (UIT), Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Quarter 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City. For sponsorship and participation details, we kindly invite businesses to visit: https://ctsv.uit.edu.vn/bai-viet/cac-hoat-dong-doanh-nghiep For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/UIT.Fanpage/posts/pfbid02D1mzvaM... Ha Bang - Media Collaborator, University of Information Technology Translation: Nhat Hien

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Nguyễn Duy Hoàng, a student majoring in Information Security and a member of the InSecLab research group, for having his research paper on the application of Blockchain and Federated Learning in information security accepted at the "2023 Rivf International Conference on Computing and Communication Technologies (Rivf 2023)." The RIVF 2023 conference will take place in Hanoi in December 2023 and is hosted by Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology. Details of the Scientific Paper: Paper Title: “DeFL-BC: Empowering Reliable Cyberattack Detection through Decentralized Federated Learning and Poisoning Attack Defense” Student: Nguyễn Duy Hoàng - Class: Information Security 2019 – High Quality Program – Faculty of Computer Networks and Communications. Supervisors: MSc. Phan Thế Duy & MSc. Trần Tuấn Dũng General Information about RIVF Conference: The RIVF conference is an international Conference on Electronics, Communications and Information Technology, a significant global scientific gathering of researchers and scientists in the domains of computing and communications in Vietnam and around the world, embodying the theme "Research, Innovation, and Vision for the Future" (abbreviated as RIVF). The RIVF conference is listed among the prestigious conferences as proposed by SCOPUS and ISI Web of Science. RIVF has a rich history, with the 2023 event being the 16th edition. RIVF 2023 revolves around several key topics, including Image, Speech and Voice Processing, Communication & Computer Networks, Network Security, Distributed Systems, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Big Data Analytics, Intelligent Computing, Software Engineering, Information Systems, and Computational Models. The RIVF conferences originated in 2003 through the efforts of professors Patrick Bellot, Marc Bùi, Dương Nguyên Vũ, and others in France, in collaboration with colleagues from various countries, and Professor Nguyễn Đình Trí and professors from Computer Science Institute for the Francophonie (IFI) in Hanoi. In 2007, RIVF, initially a conference in computer science organized in Vietnam by the French-speaking community, was transformed into an international conference under IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) jurisdiction, encompassing both IT&C and enhanced quality. Abstract of the Paper: “This work presents a collaborative and trust assurance model for network attack detection using Federated Learning (FL) in edge computing environments. This study leverages the capabilities of Federated Learning (FL) and blockchain technologies, specifically the Hyperledger Fabric platform, to construct a decentralized Federated Learning model, named DeFL-BC framework that can encourage contribution from the community and resist to poisoning attacks. Our framework aims to detect and prevent network attacks effectively in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) contexts with the knowledge sharing from collaborative participants without privacy leakage. The experiments conducted on two datasets, Edge-IIoTset and CIC-IDS2018 demonstrate that the proposed framework is robust in reducing a single point of failure of the system, and showing outstanding performance under poisoning attacks when the accuracy is up to more than 90\% and addressing limited computing resources and intermittent network connectivity in cyberattack scenarios. Furthermore, the integration of blockchain technology enhances security and resilience, effectively mitigating the risks of the single point of failure in conventional FL approaches.” Link: https://rivf2023.org/ Detailed Information: https://www.facebook.com/inseclab/posts/pfbid0hKRa9Y4WQT3c3P4MC4uyAz2Xd4EgQ2GGT Hải Băng - Communication Contributor, University of Information Technology English version: Phan Huy Hoang

Throughout over 20 seasons of broadcast, "Đường Lên Đỉnh Olympia" (The Road to Mount Olympia) continues to capture the attention of a broad audience, not only from television viewers but also from the online community. Most of the contestants who emerge from this competition have achieved notable success, primarily due to their outstanding academic records. One individual among them is Tran Vinh Khánh, born in 2005, a former student of Quang Tri Town High School. Vinh Khánh previously clinched the second prize in one of the monthly competitions featured in "Đường Lên Đỉnh Olympia." Recently, this exceptional young man was awarded a scholarship of 500 million VND to encourage his academic pursuits, along with 24 million VND for university dormitory expenses, courtesy of the University of Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, a part of the National University. Vinh Khánh proudly shared that he has now become a freshman in the Computer Science program at the University of Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh City. With a scholarship valued at half a billion VND, he can now offer financial support to his family for educational purposes. Vinh Khánh's decision to major in Computer Science was influenced by his belief that it aligns well with his interests and his knowledge of the university's focus on nurturing talented students. In the near future, Vinh Khánh plans to acquire practical skills that can be applied in real-world scenarios, expand his social circle by joining university clubs to become more dynamic. Looking ahead, this ambitious young man harbors dreams of excelling in his studies to secure a well-paying job.