Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
Outstanding achievements in training international Olympiad students
For more than a decade, Dr Do Thi Thanh Huyen, a teacher at the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences under the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, has played a key role in making the school's Biology team one of Vietnam's leading performers in national and international academic competitions.
Between 2015 and 2026, Huyen coached and supervised 11 student entries at the International Biology Olympiad (IBO). All 11 won medals, including three golds, four silvers and four bronzes.
At the national level, she managed and trained 120 student entries, of which 112 won awards: 23 first prizes, 52 second prizes, 21 third prizes and 16 consolation prizes.
In recognition of her contributions to nurturing talented students, the Vietnam Women's Union presented Huyen with the 2026 Vietnam Women's Award.
Her achievements have also earned her several prestigious honours, including the third-class Labour Order in 2025, a Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit in 2019, Certificates of Merit from the Minister of Education and Training in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2023, and a ministerial-level Emulation Fighter title in 2020.
Huyen believes every student has different strengths. Alongside continually updating her own knowledge, she works to identify each student's abilities, help them manage pressure and turn that pressure into motivation.
In preparing students for academic competitions, she sees herself not only as a teacher but also as a coordinator and coach.
"The amount of knowledge students need today is enormous. Rather than simply teaching in the traditional way, I guide them towards independent learning and critical thinking so they can actively explore information from different sources," she said.
Giving students the opportunity to fulfil their potential
One of Huyen's most unforgettable experiences involves Vu Thi Chinh, a student in the school's specialised Biology class, in 2015.
That year, Chinh won first prize in the national Biology competition and qualified among 32 students for the second selection round, which would determine Vietnam's team for the International Biology Olympiad.
"When Chinh won first prize, we were both overwhelmed with happiness. But just 15 minutes later, she called me and asked to withdraw from the selection round because her family was struggling financially," Huyen recalled.
"Her parents had already made enormous sacrifices to send her from their hometown to study in Hanoi. She didn't want to place any more pressure on them."
The thought of a talented student abandoning her ambitions because of financial hardship was heartbreaking for Huyen.
"As soon as Chinh finished speaking, I told her that giving up would mean losing so many opportunities. I reassured her that I would find a way to cover all the necessary educational expenses," she said.
Drawing on her own savings and seeking assistance from individuals and organisations, Huyen raised enough money to allow Chinh to continue preparing for the competition.
However, Chinh finished fifth in the selection round, narrowly missing out on one of the four places on the national team.
The disappointment left the young student discouraged once again. She worried that continuing to pursue her dream would only add to her teacher's financial burden.
"As the person responsible for the team, I felt it was my duty to nurture talent and create the best possible environment for her to develop," Huyen said.
For a second time, she persuaded Chinh not to give up.
Over the following year, teacher and student worked tirelessly together, overcoming setbacks and continuing their preparation.
Their persistence finally paid off when Chinh won a gold medal at the 2016 International Biology Olympiad.
Huyen has many other treasured memories of students whose potential emerged in unexpected ways.
She vividly remembers a day in 2017 when a boy specialising in Physics ran after her across the schoolyard and asked to join the preliminary Biology training class.
"At first, I was quite concerned about the gaps in his foundational knowledge. But the more I worked with him, the more I realised how intelligent he was and how capable he was of learning independently. So I decided to accept him into the class," she recalled.
That student, Dong Ngoc Ha, went on to rank first in the 2020 national competition and win a silver medal at the International Biology Olympiad.
Today, the former student she once took a chance on is pursuing doctoral research at Harvard University in the United States.
After years of coaching gifted students, one issue continues to trouble Huyen: some students demonstrate exceptional intellectual ability but fail to achieve their expected results because of examination pressure and the weight of expectations.
She noted that the knowledge required for national and international academic competitions is becoming increasingly extensive and specialised.
At the same time, rapid advances in artificial intelligence are accelerating the growth of available information, while the time students and teachers have for learning and instruction remains limited.
Looking ahead, Huyen plans to continue rethinking how students approach knowledge and adapting her teaching methods to keep pace with these changes.
Her goal is to improve the quality of training while better meeting the learning needs of each student.
Thanh Hung
.svg){kind=icon}
