Despite becoming the "golden boy" of the International Chemistry Olympiad, Hung's initial passion and choice wasn't chemistry, but English. During his primary school years, Hung dedicated much time to his favorite foreign language, quickly becoming fluent in communication and reading additional materials in English to supplement his studies. In grades 6 and 7, Hung set a goal to excel in English so he could participate in the provincial-level English proficiency competition at the end of his primary school years.
Nguyen Huu Tien Hung and the Vietnamese team won the Gold Medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad.
From the 8th grade, Hung shifted his focus to Biology to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. However, during his studies, when he was introduced to Chemistry, the young man was captivated by the fascinating chemical reactions, from simple to complex.
Hung often watches YouTube videos explaining everyday phenomena and common illnesses, starting with Ted-ed videos that simply explain disease-causing agents and disease progression, and then delving deeper into the immune system through the Osmosis from Elsevier channel.
Those videos drew Hung into chemistry without him even realizing it. With encouragement from his older sister, also a chemistry student at Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students, Hung shifted his focus to studying chemistry.
Hung sought out and read chemistry textbooks taught at universities in the UK and the US. Among them, David Klein's Organic Chemistry helped him grasp the fundamentals of organic chemistry. His other chemistry knowledge was gleaned from various sources and learning channels.
Through his tireless efforts, Nguyen Huu Tien Hung excellently won first prize in the provincial-level Chemistry competition for 9th-grade students, much to the surprise and joy of his teachers and friends.
Despite starting later and slower, through perseverance, dedication, and self-study, Hung accelerated to the finish line with impressive results. With this achievement, Tien Hung was directly admitted to the 10th grade specialized Chemistry class at Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students and joined the school's gifted student team.
In the early days of his time on the Chemistry gifted student team at Bac Ninh Specialized High School, Hung continued to face challenges as his initial scores in the team were not good, even reaching only 20 out of 40 points on one occasion.
"That score shocked me, and I had to pull myself together, reassess everything, and study seriously. During that time, I also received strong support from my teachers and gradually made progress and proved myself," Hung recounted.
In 11th grade, the outstanding student won second prize in the National Excellent Student Selection Exam in Chemistry and a gold medal at the Asian Chemistry Olympiad. This served as a springboard, giving him confidence on his journey to conquer chemistry and achieve brilliant successes later on.
Every day, Hung spends about 3 hours on Chemistry, balancing the rest of his time with other subjects. The male student believes that although he loves Chemistry, he must balance his studies across all subjects because knowledge from one subject complements that of another.
"If you excel in natural science subjects like Math, Physics, and Biology, it will greatly support your Chemistry studies. Similarly, being proficient in English provides a means to explore more foreign resources and broaden your knowledge," Hung shared, adding that to study well, one needs to understand the root of the problem and grasp the fundamental knowledge, which will then enable them to solve difficult problems.
Hung's principle is to limit staying up late and create a reasonable schedule to balance studying, resting, and holistic development. After each stressful study session, he usually listens to music, reads books, and exercises.
With that learning method, in 12th grade, Tien Hung continued to win first prize in the national excellent student competition in Chemistry and was one of the four members of the Vietnamese team participating in the 2024 International Chemistry Olympiad.
During those hectic days of intense preparation for the International Chemistry Olympiad at Hanoi Pedagogical University, Hung received great news - he was admitted into the Communist Party of Vietnam.
And on June 3rd, 2024, Hung returned to Bac Ninh Specialized High School to attend the Party membership ceremony - one of the memorable milestones of his vibrant youth at the age of 18.
More than three weeks after his Party membership ceremony, Hung set off for Saudi Arabia to participate in the International Chemistry Olympiad. “Going to the competition not just as a student, but also as an 18-year-old Party member, gave me a mixed feeling – joy, anxiety, pride, and a sense of responsibility to do my best in this competition,” Hung said.
The International Chemistry Olympiad consists of two parts: a 4.5-hour theoretical test and a 1.5-hour practical test. The theoretical test is worth 60 points, and the practical test is worth 40 points.
Each test was graded independently, and the total score from all sections was the final result for the candidate. Despite encountering difficult questions, remembering his teachers' advice, Hung calmly read each question carefully, solving the easy ones first and the difficult ones later, ensuring he was confident in each step. With his effort and intense concentration, he even had about 15 minutes left to review his work.
Although quite confident in my work, I couldn't help but feel nervous, because the results of the International Chemistry Olympiad are kept secret until the last minute, announced at the awards ceremony on the night of July 29, 2024 (Vietnam time).
Hung was overwhelmed with happiness and joy when his name was announced as the winner of the 2024 International Chemistry Olympiad Gold Medal, with the highest score in the Vietnamese team and ranking 17th in the world. This outstanding achievement by the young man from the Quan Ho region contributed to Vietnam's second-place ranking in the world (tied with the US) after China.
“Even now, I still feel the same overwhelming pride and happiness I felt when I held the Vietnamese flag on the podium to receive the Gold Medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad. How proud I was to hear the name 'Vietnam' shouted out on the international Olympic stage. That joy is also a great motivation that helps me not rest on my laurels but to continue striving to achieve even more outstanding results, contributing to bringing glory to my homeland and country,” Tiến Hưng said.
Hung is currently a first-year student at Hanoi Medical University. Despite having opportunities to study abroad, this "golden boy" of Chemistry chose this dream university to pursue his goal of becoming a skilled doctor and saving lives.
"I want to study domestically to build a solid foundation of knowledge. Later, if I have the opportunity, I will study abroad to broaden my horizons, improve my knowledge, skills, and relationships, but my ultimate goal is to return to my country and contribute to the development of the national medical field," Hung shared.
With his tireless efforts and outstanding achievements, Hung is one of the 19 outstanding young people nominated for the Outstanding Young Vietnamese Award 2024.
Nguyen Huu Tien Hung's impressive achievements:
- Gold Medal at the 2024 International Chemistry Olympiad.
- Second-class Labor Medal.
- Gold Medal at the 2023 Asian Chemistry Olympiad.
- First Prize in the National Excellent Student Selection Examination in Chemistry (12th grade).
- First prize in the Bac Ninh Provincial Excellent Student Selection Exam in Chemistry, 9th grade.
- Second Prize in the National Excellent Student Selection Exam in Chemistry (11th grade).
- He was admitted as a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam while he was a 12th-grade student.
Content: Liu Zhen | Graphics: Kieu Tu
Source: https://tienphong.vn/tam-huy-chuong-cua-su-no-luc-ben-bi-post1722715.tpo
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