Investing resources for the Natural Science High School to develop to its full potential

On October 4, at the National Convention Center, the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, University of Natural Sciences (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) held a ceremony to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the tradition of the General Specialized Block, the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences and to receive the Labor Medal.

High School for Natural Sciences received a noble award.

General Secretary To Lam sent a congratulatory flower basket; Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long attended and delivered a speech.

Training thousands of talented students

According to the Organizing Committee, in September 1965, at the Thai Nguyen evacuation area of ​​Hanoi University, the first 38 students of the specialized Math class officially entered the new school year. Decision No. 198/CP of the Government Council allowing the opening of this special class laid the foundation for the specialized education model in Vietnam - a place to discover and nurture students with outstanding talents in Mathematics, and then other basic science fields.

From that first “seed”, specialized blocks were born one after another: Physics (1985), Chemistry (1992), Biology (1998), expanding Mathematics to Mathematics-Informatics (1993). In 2010, the Natural Science Specialized High School was officially established on the basis of merging specialized blocks, marking a new maturity of the talent training model in the Vietnamese general education system.

Delegates attending the celebration ceremony.

Today, after 60 years, from a small classroom, the School has developed into a large-scale educational institution with 5 specialized blocks: Mathematics, Information Technology, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with 44 classes, more than 1,800 students and a team of nearly 70 staff and teachers, most of whom have postgraduate degrees - a leading pedagogical force in the high school sector nationwide.

Over the past 6 decades, the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences has not only been a place to nurture scientific dreams for tens of thousands of students, but also a "launching pad" that has helped many generations grow up and shine in the international arena. Names such as Professor Ngo Bao Chau - Fields Medal 2010, Professor Dam Thanh Son - Dirac Prize 2018, or famous scientists and scholars such as Professor Ngo Dac Tuan, Professor Dao Hai Long... all originated from this school. Not only scientists, many former students have become managers, businessmen, and leaders of stature, making important contributions to the country's innovation.

A large number of students attended the celebration.

The reputation of the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences is confirmed through the “speaking” numbers at international Olympics. By 2025, the school’s students had brought home hundreds of gold, silver, and bronze medals at international Olympics in the subjects of Mathematics, Physics, Informatics, Chemistry, Biology, and Artificial Intelligence.

The school also marked a series of first-time records: Ngo Quy Dang - the only 10th grader from Vietnam to win a gold medal at the International Math Olympiad; Vo Hoang Hai - won two consecutive gold medals at the International Physics Olympiad; Nguyen Phuong Thao - the highest score at the 2018 International Biology Olympiad.

In particular, the School is the only unit that has ever taken charge of the entire national team at the Informatics Olympiad (2003, 2015, 2024) and the Physics team once (1999); both Vietnamese students who won two consecutive gold medals at the International Informatics Olympiad were students of the General - Natural Sciences Specialized School...

Looking back on the 60-year journey, Dr. Le Cong Loi, Principal of the Natural Science High School, affirmed: “The greatest achievement lies not only in the number of medals or titles, but also in the pioneering training model, international integration and constant innovation - a model that has become a model for the specialized school system nationwide.”

At the ceremony, Director of Hanoi National University Hoang Minh Son expressed his emotion and pride when, together with generations of teachers, students and parents, he reviewed the 60-year journey of formation and development of the General Education Department - 15 years of establishment of the Natural Science High School.

Director of Hanoi National University Hoang Minh Son speaks.

He affirmed that this is not only an important milestone for the school, the University of Natural Sciences and the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, but also a common pride of Vietnam's general education.

From the first specialized class model established during the arduous war period, the Natural Science High School has become the cradle of discovering, nurturing and training thousands of talented students, contributing many outstanding talents to the country and making Vietnamese intelligence famous in the international arena...

Strong innovation in specialized school model

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts and results that the school has achieved over the past 60 years. He said that on September 14, 1965, in the fierce and difficult situation of the war to protect the Fatherland and unify the country, the first special Math class with 38 students of Hanoi University of Science was established in Thai Nguyen province with the purpose of teaching students with aptitude for Mathematics.

This demonstrates the strategic orientation and vision of the Party and State in proactively preparing early and from a distance for training young talents in Mathematics and science and technology; at the same time, it is a historical milestone in the formation and development of the system of specialized high schools nationwide.

Recently, the Politburo has issued many important and breakthrough policies, including Resolution No. 57 on science, technology development, innovation and national digital transformation; Resolution No. 71 on education and training development; thereby, continuing to affirm the view that education and training is the top national policy; identifying high-quality human resources and scientific and technological talents as the driving force and competitive advantage of the country.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long awarded the Second Class Labor Medal to the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences; the First Class Labor Medal to the Department of Physics and the Third Class Labor Medal to the Department of Mathematics.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long gave a speech at the ceremony.

With that foundation, the Deputy Prime Minister hopes that in the coming time, the school will continue to implement well the development orientations that have been set. In order to effectively carry out the work of discovering, training and nurturing excellent and gifted students, the Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi National University, and the University of Natural Sciences will research and find solutions to innovate the model of specialized high schools in the direction of both breadth and depth, creating the basis and foundation for the system of specialized high schools to develop.

At the same time, research and develop a project to discover, train and nurture young Vietnamese talents; nurture and train talents from high school to PhD level; prioritize investment in resources and adequate funding to upgrade facilities, learning equipment, laboratories, and functional room systems for the Natural Science High School to be worthy of being the number 1 school in the country; have mechanisms and policies to recognize and honor teachers and students who have achieved outstanding achievements...

Quy Tung

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dau-tu-nguon-luc-de-truong-trung-hoc-pho-thong-chuyen-khoa-hoc-tu-nhien-phat-trien-xung-tam-post912913.html