Thanh's journey to the silver medal at the Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad

Le Kien Thanh, a 12th grade IT student at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted (Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh), won a silver medal at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad (APIO).

According to the results announced by the APIO 2025 Organizing Committee at 4:00 p.m. on May 27, Le Kien Thanh scored 195.5/300 points, ranked 38th in the region, and won a silver medal.

APIO 2025 Organizing Committee announced that Le Kien Thanh won the silver medal. SCREENSHOT

APIO 2025, hosted by Uzbekistan, took place online on May 17-18. The Vietnamese team of 15 members competed at the University of Technology (Vietnam National University, Hanoi ).

Leading the Vietnamese team to the International Olympiad in Informatics

Previously, based on the results of the 2025 national excellent student exam organized by the Ministry of Education and Training, 31 high school students who won the highest prizes (including first and second prizes) and 5 students with special privileges (in the team participating in the international informatics competition in 2024) were selected to participate in the national team selection exam for the APIO and International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) competitions in Bolivia.

Round 2 of the selection exam was held on March 26-27 at the University of Technology, resulting in 15 students being selected for the Vietnamese team to participate in APIO 2025. Le Kien Thanh, with a total score of 248.45/600, excelled over 35 best candidates from provinces and cities across the country, continuing to affirm his position as one of the top IT students in Vietnam.

Le Kien Thanh (middle) with his father and homeroom teacher after the APIO 2025 exam. PHOTO: NVCC

Combining the scores from the two selection rounds and the APIO 2025 exam, Le Kien Thanh achieved 443.95 points, officially being in the group of 4 Vietnamese students participating in the IOI 2025 exam, scheduled to take place from July 27 to August 3 in Bolivia.

Golden face of IT

It is not until now that the name Le Kien Thanh has attracted attention among IT students. Since he was in grade 10, he won first prize in the provincial IT competition (for grade 12), second prize in the national IT competition in 2023. In the same year, he was also crowned at the Le Quy Don Online Judge Cup 2023 held in Da Nang City and won first prize in group C1 at the National Youth IT Competition.

Le Kien Thanh (right cover) is an excellent student at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted (Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh). PHOTO: OANH TRUONG

With a series of impressive achievements, Le Kien Thanh has been awarded certificates of merit many times by the Minister of Education and Training and the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province. The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union also awarded him the Creative Youth Badge. Recently, Thanh was one of five outstanding delegates of Binh Dinh province to attend the 8th National Congress of Advanced Youth Following Uncle Ho's Teachings.

"Learning is a journey of discovery"

Sharing with Thanh Nien reporter , Le Kien Thanh said that he does not consider studying as a burden but as a journey of discovery. Every day he spends about 5 hours on computer science, the remaining time is spent learning English and learning new technologies.

"I find learning an interesting journey. Every time I find a solution to a difficult problem or write a useful application, I feel very happy," Thanh said.

Mr. Le Oanh Truong and his son Le Kien Thanh. PHOTO: NVCC

According to Mr. Le Oanh Truong, Thanh's father, since he was a child, he loved reading English books, participating in online academic forums, and actively registering for national and international programming competitions. "The family only plays a supporting role, while Thanh is proactive in finding opportunities. The school and teachers always accompany and help him develop his strengths," Mr. Truong shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu, Thanh's homeroom teacher and IT lecturer for 3 years, said: "Thanh has very good logical thinking, always looking for many ways to solve problems. He is also very serious and passionate about IT. In particular, he is very inquisitive, willing to learn from friends and from specialized English documents, which helps Thanh progress quickly."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu and student Le Kien Thanh. PHOTO: NVCC

Not only is Le Kien Thanh a good student, he is also loved by his friends for sharing and being willing to support others in their studies. "He is not afraid to help his friends solve problems, guide them in how to think, and is truly a shining example in class," Ms. Kieu added.

The school creates maximum conditions for talented students.

According to Mr. Huynh Le Minh, Principal of Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted (Binh Dinh), the school always prioritizes supporting gifted students like Le Kien Thanh by designing specialized programs with outstanding difficulty and depth. Students learn from documents and textbooks from universities and research institutes at home and abroad.

Mr. Minh (right) and Ms. Kieu encourage Le Kien Thanh before the APIO 2025 exam at the University of Technology. PHOTO: NVCC

"Excellent, experienced, and dedicated teachers are assigned to tutor and nurture each student in the gifted student team. The school also regularly updates international competitions such as IOI and Olympics to guide students to participate," said Mr. Minh.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hanh-trinh-den-huy-chuong-bac-olympic-tin-hoc-chau-a-thai-binh-duong-cua-thanh-185250527181050532.htm