Significant achievements in the international arena

According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) all six students, competing at the at the 58th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2017 in Brazil, won medals including four gold, a silver and a bronze medal.

Notably, in addition to winning medals, Vietnamese students also achieved high marks, helping the math team finish third in the world, after the Republic of Korea (ROK) and China. 12th grader Hoang Huu Quoc Huy from Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted (Ba Ria-Vung Tau province) was one of the three students to win gold medals, with the highest score of 35 points, among more than 600 students of 112 delegates taking part in the 2017 event.

Meanwhile, five students competing in the 48th International Physics Olympiad in Indonesia all won medals, bringing home four gold and one silver medal. This result is the highest ever, helping Vietnam rank fifth after China, the ROK, Russia and Singapore.

Whilst at the 49th International Chemistry Olympiad in Thailand, which gathered 297 students from 76 different countries and territories, all four members of Vietnam’s team bagged medals, including three golds and one silver. The US ranked first with four gold medals, while Vietnam and China were level in second.

Among the three gold winners, Dinh Quang Hieu, a 12th grader from the High School for Gifted Students under the University of Natural Sciences, Hanoi-based Vietnam National University, recorded 92.13/100 points, ranking ninth among 297 competitors, the highest achievement that Vietnam has obtained at an International Chemistry Olympiad.

Following the success of the above teams, three out of four Vietnamese students attending the 2017 International Biology Olympiad in the UK have also won medals, including one gold and two silver medals. 

This is also the best result Vietnam has ever attained at an International Biology Olympiad.

12th grader Truong Dong Hung from Hue High School for the Gifted won the only gold medal for Vietnam. Hung’s results (55% practical and 75% theoretical) were ranked 22 out of 245 candidates and were also the highest personal achievement of any Vietnamese student to attend the event so far.

During the 2017 Olympiads, in addition to recording high achievements (with 18 medals in total) the exams left a big impression on the students. In 2017, there are 11 provinces and cities and two specialised high schools under Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam National University that are sending students to compete at the Olympiads; of which, Binh Phuoc province sent students to join the Asian Physics Olympiad for the first time and Ba Ria-Vung Tau also had its first student to compete in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Among the 15 international Olympiad medalists in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, students from Phan Boi Chau High School in Nghe An won the most medals, including two golds and two silvers (Nguyen Canh Hoang won gold for Mathematics, Tran Huu Binh Minh won gold for Physics, Phan Tuan Linh won silver for Physics and Hoang Nghia Tuyen won silver in Chemistry).

Meanwhile, all three students from the High School for Gifted Students under the University of Natural Sciences won gold medals (Ta Ba Dung, gold medal in Physics, Dinh Quang Hieu and Pham Duc Anh, gold medal in Chemistry). The Hanoi-Amsterdam High School won two gold and one silver medal by Nguyen Bang Thanh Lam, gold medal in Chemistry; Dinh Anh Dung, gold medal in Physics and Pham Nam Khanh, silver in Mathematics).

There are two students that have won the international gold medal for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017) (Dinh Quang Hieu, High School for Gifted Students under the University of Natural Sciences, gold medal in Chemistry and Nguyen The Quynh from Vo Nguyen Giap High School in Quang Binh, gold medal in Physics).

Improving comprehensive education

According to Assoc. Prof., Dr. Le Anh Vinh, head of the Vietnamese delegation attending the International Mathematical Olympiad 2017, this year the Vietnamese team was well prepared with more than 20 lecturers and senior high school teachers supporting the six students for a period of approximately two months.

All six students in the team have been trying their best to study and practice, with a sense of self-study and creativity. During training, their weaknesses and strength were supplemented by the teachers to improve their knowledge and ability. In addition, during the rehearsal, they also supported each other effectively as each student demonstrated their own strength.

In each exam for the math team, the biggest concern is stress, as this would prevent students from performing to their full strength. However, at this year's exam, all six students remained focused, strengthened their efforts and did their best to achieve the high results. This is the highest ever achievement to be recorded over the 43 years of Vietnam's participation in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Meanwhile, Assoc. Prof., Dr. Nguyen The Khoi, head of the Vietnamese delegation attending the International Physics Olympiad 2017, said that it is a good news that all five Vietnamese students won a prize. 

The results show the great efforts of the students, proving that they have prepared very well and are very confident in the international arena.

According to Assoc. Prof., Dr. Mai Van Trinh, Head of Quality Management Department under the MOET, the achievements highlight Vietnam's intellect within the international arena. The achievements show that the MOET has performed effectively over recent years, especially since the education and training sector undertook a radical and comprehensive reform of education and training.

Accordingly, on the basis of well-implemented mass education, localities have also done a good job to facilitate education in order to improve people's knowledge, train human resources and nurture talents. 

MOET is not surprised by the results of the Vietnamese Olympiad delegations as it is rooted in the efforts of the schools, local authorities’ attention and especially in the endeavours of the students and their families’ support.

Dr. Trinh added that there are many reasons leading to the proud achievement but the first and foremost is the effort and the passion for science and creativity, in learning and training, shown by the students in the Olympiad teams.

In addition, in 2017, the MOET undertook an early selection of students joining the contests, to increase the time for training of regional and international Olympiad teams, with specific training plans in each subject that gradually approach regional and international competitions’ standards.

On the other hand, the implementation of synchronous solutions in the work of examinations and marking during the domestic qualification rounds, in order to select good students, have helped ensure objective assessment and the proper selection of eligible students participating in regional and international Olympiads.

Nhan Dan