The tenth edition of the APIE Camp was held from 3–7 August 2026 at the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC) in Hanoi, bringing together 24 participants from ten economies—Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam—for an intensive week of collaborative learning, hands-on technical training, and international exchange.
Hosted for the first time by VNNIC, the camp represented several important milestones for the APIE Program. It was the first APIE Camp held in Viet Nam, the first hosted by a national Internet organization rather than a partner university, and the first to welcome participants from Timor-Leste and Laos. It also marked the first participation of learners from the National University of Laos (NUOL), Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL), Vietnam Japan University (VJU), and Chulalongkorn University in an APIE Camp.
Opening the camp
Welcoming participants to APIE Camp #10, Nguyen Truong Giang, Acting Director General of VNNIC, highlighted that hosting the camp represents Viet Nam’s contribution to the Asia-Pacific Internet community and emphasized the importance of technical capacity building and regional collaboration in developing the next generation of Internet professionals.
He encouraged participants to actively engage, collaborate, and learn from the instructors throughout the week, while also taking the opportunity to explore and enjoy their time in Viet Nam.
Curriculum
Throughout the five-day camp, participants combined lectures with intensive hands-on activities, progressively building a network environment while working toward a proof-of-concept project addressing a real-world challenge.
Day 1 – Network Deployment
Led by Nguyen Van Binh from VNNIC, participants started with the foundations of Internet engineering and hands-on network deployment, covering network topology, IP addressing, VLANs, wireless networks, NAT, and OSPF routing.
Day 2 – Virtualization and Cybersecurity
Noriatsu Kudo from Keio University, the APIE NOC team, and Nguyen Huy Bac from VNNIC guided participants through virtualization, Linux, and practical network security, from deploying virtual machines to securing and monitoring network infrastructure.
Day 3 – DNS
With Makito Lay from APNIC, participants explored how DNS works and gained practical experience configuring DNS servers, zones, records, and secondary servers as part of their network environments.
Day 4 – IoT and Cloud Computing
Led by APNIC’s Community Trainer Affan Basalamah, participants explored IoT and cloud computing, working with sensors, data collection, and cloud services while considering how these technologies could be integrated into their projects.
Day 5 – Industry Visit and Presentations
The final day included a visit to the VNNIC Data Center, connecting the week’s learning with real-world Internet operations. In the afternoon, back at VNNIC headquarters, participants then presented the progress of their group projects, which they will continue developing toward the online Final Presentation on August 24.
Alumni supporting the next generation
The camp was supported by six teaching assistants, all APIE alumni, including four from Viet Nam and two from Indonesia. A three-member NOC team from Japan, Nepal, and Viet Nam prepared and maintained the camp’s technical environment while also contributing to the learning activities.
Their involvement demonstrates how the APIE journey can continue beyond participation, with alumni returning to share their experience, support new learners, and take on new responsibilities within the APIE community. This edition also welcomed seven female participants, representing almost 30% of the cohort, while one female alumna returned as a Teaching Assistant.
Closing the week together
The camp concluded with a closing ceremony and dinner, where all participants received their certificates of participation and celebrated the end of an intensive week together. Over Vietnamese food and countless enthusiastic toasts, the festive evening reflected the strong bonds that had developed among participants, Teaching Assistants, lecturers, and organizers throughout the camp.
The learning journey, however, is not over yet. Participants will continue developing their group projects before presenting their final results during the online Final Presentation on August 24.
The camp was made possible through the collaboration of VNNIC, SOI Asia at Keio University, APNIC, partner universities across the region, and a growing network of APIE alumni. As APIE continues to expand, this edition demonstrated how long-term partnerships can create new opportunities for young people to develop technical skills, build international networks, and connect with the wider Internet community.
