HCMC – As AI reshapes the workplace, experts say students should focus less on pursuing the most popular majors and more on developing judgment, adaptability, and lifelong learning capabilities that remain valuable across changing industries.
In Vietnam, the annual high-school graduation exam is more than just an academic assessment; it is a high-stakes turning point where families pin their hopes on the “next big thing” in career stability. That decision feels harder today than it did a generation ago as AI is moving quickly into white-collar work.
Globally, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 describes the 2025 – 2030 outlook for employers and workers as increasingly complex, with uncertainty remaining highly shaped by the widespread adoption of AI tools alongside economic, demographic, and geopolitical pressures. The OECD’s Skills Outlook 2025 describes 21st-century skills as capabilities that are relevant across many fields and help people transfer knowledge, cope with complex problems, and adapt to unpredictable situations. This is why students should think carefully about the kind of capability they are building.
Rather than asking only whether a major is popular today, students and parents should consider three deeper questions:
- What real-world problem does this profession help solve?
- What capabilities does it build beyond tools and software?
- Does it offer a structured pathway for long-term growth?
Actuarial science is a strong field that explores these questions. In Vietnam, it is still commonly seen as a field for students who are strong at mathematics or interested in insurance. However, it is much more than that – it is about helping organizations make responsible decisions under uncertainty.
What problem does the profession help solve?
Actuarial science is about making sense of uncertain futures. It helps answer practical questions: can an insurance product still protect families years from now? How should retirement systems prepare as people live longer? What happens if healthcare costs rise faster than expected? How should organizations prepare for financial risks that are not obvious today? These questions matter because many important decisions in life depend on promises about the future. Families buy insurance because they expect protection when something goes wrong. People save for retirement because they hope for security later in life. Healthcare systems need planning so costs do not become overwhelming. A strong career path should connect young people to problems that society and businesses will still need to solve in 10, 20, or 30 years.
“In Vietnam, we see strong mathematical talent among young people, but many students and parents still think actuarial science is only about math or insurance,” says Huy Tran, Appointed Actuary, Techcom Life. “In reality, the path is much broader. The real opportunity is helping students move beyond calculation to build technical depth, practical judgment, and the ability to understand risk, explain uncertainty, and support long-term decisions in finance, healthcare, retirement, and business strategy.”
Does the field offer a structured pathway for long-term growth?
A strong university education provides the foundation. In some fields, that foundation is strengthened through professional standards, continuing education, examinations, and a global community of practice. Actuarial science is one such field, where growth often continues well beyond the first degree.
“In a data-rich world, actuarial education cannot stop at technical mastery,” notes Jessie Li, Regional Director, East & Southeast Asia, Society of Actuaries. “It must also develop the judgment to interpret uncertainty, the discipline to communicate risk clearly, and the professional standards to support decisions across markets. AI does not reduce the need for expertise; it raises the standard for it.”
For Vietnam, career choices are becoming more than a question of which major sounds promising today. As the economy develops and work changes, students will need pathways that prepare them not only for a first job, but for a lifetime of adapting, learning, and making responsible decisions.
In the age of AI, the most resilient careers will not belong only to those who master the newest tools first – they will belong to those who can keep learning, weigh uncertainty, explain trade-offs, and make decisions that others can trust.
