We need mechanisms to support talented individuals in reaching their full potential and returning to serve the country.

Photo caption — Students were commended and rewarded at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Tung/TTXVN

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Le Quan extended his congratulations to the students who achieved high results in this year's International Olympiads and Science and Technology competitions.

According to the Deputy Minister, while in previous years Vietnamese students consistently excelled in traditional subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, this year they also achieved very high results in technology-based subjects like Informatics and in science and technology competitions, demonstrating strong teamwork skills, and with the participation of outstanding female students.

Deputy Minister Le Quan noted that the early assignment of scientific research tasks, the involvement of scientists, teachers, and practitioners to support students, and the integration of learning with practical research and career guidance have yielded positive results. Looking back over the years, the work of nurturing gifted students has seen positive changes with widespread involvement. This training is no longer limited to award-winning students but is linked to cultivating elite talents, providing comprehensive education, and a pathway from high school to university and postgraduate studies. Many students who have won international medals have received good guidance to pursue their studies both domestically and abroad.

Reporting at the meeting, Mr. Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Quality Management Department, Ministry of Education and Training, stated: In 2025, Vietnam had 7 delegations participating in international and regional Olympiads, with a total of 37 students. The Vietnamese student delegations brought home outstanding achievements, with all contestants winning awards. In addition, in 2025, many students achieved excellent results in the 2nd International Mathematical Olympiad in Turkmenistan, the 9th European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO-2025) in Bulgaria, the Mendeleev International Chemistry Olympiad (IMChO), the Abu Rayhan-Beruni International Chemistry Olympiad in Uzbekistan, and the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) in China.

The Ministry of Education and Training also coordinated with relevant units to select and form the national team to participate in the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad. As a result, all 8/8 students won awards, including 3 Gold Medals, 1 Silver Medal, 3 Bronze Medals, and 1 Certificate of Merit, ranking 4th out of 60 participating countries and territories.

This year, the Vietnamese delegation marked a significant milestone, winning 2 Second Prizes, 1 Third Prize, 3 Fourth Prizes, and 4 Special Prizes from sponsors at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in the United States. This is the highest award Vietnam has achieved in 13 years since the national science and engineering competition was first held nationwide and Vietnam has participated in the International Science and Engineering Fair since 2013.

In the coming period, the Ministry of Education and Training will continue to implement comprehensive educational reform solutions, focusing on identifying and nurturing talent; at the same time, building mechanisms to attract talent, support them in developing their full potential and returning to serve the country.

Representing the teachers leading the delegation, Associate Professor Dr. Do Danh Bich, Head of the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) delegation and Head of the Physics Department at Hanoi University of Education, shared: "The medals the students brought home are not only the result of their intellect and individual efforts, but also the culmination of an educational ecosystem built persistently over many years, where each force plays an irreplaceable role. It is a serious and long-term training process where students not only learn to solve difficult problems, but more importantly, learn how to ask questions, test hypotheses, and accept mistakes in scientific thinking."

According to Associate Professor Dr. Do Danh Bich, behind today's achievements are years of silent training: long study hours, summer vacations in the laboratory, and failures that forced students to start over. It is during this process that students gradually develop scientific competence, intellectual honesty, and a sense of responsibility towards knowledge – core qualities of future scientists. If they maintain their passion and sense of responsibility towards knowledge, they will not only be Olympic medal-winning students, but will also become scientists who make real contributions to society and the country.

Associate Professor Dr. Do Danh Bich proposed that the State continue to research and develop national scholarship programs for students who win international Olympiads, linked to key industries and leading universities worldwide. At the same time, mechanisms should be established to encourage and attract returnees, creating a suitable research and work environment and providing appropriate incentives so that they can make long-term contributions to the country. Without strategic and consistent policies, Vietnam risks wasting a very valuable intellectual resource.

Sharing the difficulties on his journey to the Olympiad, Ngo Quang Minh, a 12th-grade student (academic year 2024-2025) from Bac Ninh Specialized High School, Bac Ninh province, who won a Gold Medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad, said: "The biggest challenge was learning to overcome myself; overcoming the fatigue of long study days that lasted until the whole city was asleep; overcoming moments when the knowledge seemed overwhelming and sometimes made us feel small; overcoming failures in mock exams, times when scores fell lower than expected, and the feeling of discouragement that lasted for many days."

“Without the dedicated guidance of our teachers, we certainly wouldn't have been able to come this far. There were evenings when our teachers sat with us for hours just to analyze a math problem or a piece of programming code that seemed to have no solution. There were times when our teachers worried more about our experimental data than we worried about ourselves. That dedication and sacrifice will always be the motivation for us to continue on our journey ahead,” shared Ngo Quang Minh. He also expressed his sincere gratitude to his parents for their patience and unconditional love that has always been with him throughout this difficult and challenging journey.

Ngo Quang Minh believes that: In the journey towards scientific knowledge, the challenges have only just begun. Ahead lies a much greater responsibility. Today's success is not the final destination, but only the beginning of a new journey, requiring even more effort to contribute to the country, to science, and to the community.

At the meeting, the Ministry of Education and Training awarded certificates of merit and commemorative medals to collectives and individuals who have achieved outstanding results in training, teaching, mentoring, and leading student delegations to competitions; and to students who won prizes in the International Olympiads in various subjects and the International Science and Technology Research Competition in 2025.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/giao-duc/can-co-che-ho-tro-nhan-tai-phat-trien-toi-da-va-tro-ve-phuc-vu-dat-nuoc-20251212182636045.htm