Meet the 'Golden Boy' of the International Chemistry Olympiad

From humanistic dreams

Born in the land of learning and examinations in Kinh Bac, in a disciplined and well-educated family environment, from a young age, Nguyen Huu Tien Hung trained himself in daily life as well as in studying. Therefore, his academic achievements were always in the top group of the school and class.

Hung said that since he was a child, he had a special passion for natural sciences, including Chemistry, because he dreamed of growing up to become a good doctor to cure people. The person who inspired him was his older sister - a former student of the Chemistry Specialized Class at Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted.

"I am very passionate about Chemistry because this subject allows me to experience the appeal of chemical reactions, creating colorful colors, precipitation, evaporation... When studying this subject, I can easily explain things, phenomena, research the composition, structure, properties and changes of matter. It is very close to everyone's life. In particular, this is a subject with many applications in life", Hung shared.

Leaders of the Department of Education and Training of Bac Ninh province and Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted welcomed and presented flowers to congratulate Tien Hung on his return after participating in the 2024 International Chemistry Olympiad.

Hung started joining the Chemistry team in grade 9. That same year, he won first prize in the Chemistry competition for excellent students in Bac Ninh province. In grade 10, Hung entered Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted. From then on, he was accompanied by Ms. Vu Thi Len, the homeroom teacher and head of the school's Chemistry team. Here, Hung had a time of tireless efforts.

Nguyen Huu Tien Hung said that to study Chemistry well, one needs to understand the root cause of the problem, grasp the basic knowledge, and from there solve difficult problems. Therefore, he always creates for himself seriousness and self-awareness in studying. Every day, he builds a reasonable schedule between relaxing and studying, thereby creating a comfortable and excited feeling to absorb knowledge and research documents.

Sharing his secret to taking the exam at the recent international competition, Hung said: "At first, when I read the exam questions, I felt a bit confused because the exam questions had many new points and were also topical, requiring candidates to have the ability to think comprehensively and perform operational skills accurately. The theoretical exam mentioned the applications of chemistry in industry, environmental pollution treatment, and advanced materials. At that time, I quickly regained my composure, remembering the words of encouragement from my teachers to solve problems from basic knowledge, with the motto of doing easy things first, difficult things later, doing things firmly as much as possible, so I was in a comfortable mood and achieved good results."

Touch the glory

Recalling the glorious moment when his name was called on the international podium when receiving the Gold Medal, Hung said: "I am very happy, proud and happy because I have contributed a small part to bring achievements to the Fatherland, the province, the school and my family. This is not only my own achievement but also the efforts of the entire team of teachers in the School, along with the support and encouragement of my family. At that moment, the first person to share my joy was teacher Vu Thi Len, with a bright smile mixed with tears of happiness. I thank her for always being by my side, accompanying me, along with the care and encouragement of my family, the leaders of the Department and the school".

Always accompanying and following his son's every step, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hoa, the parent of Nguyen Huu Tien Hung, could not hide his emotion: "When watching the live award ceremony, the moment my son was called, winning the most prestigious Gold Medal of the competition, the whole family burst into joy and pride. It was a worthy reward for his efforts, but it was also Hung's reward for the hard work of his teachers. The family is always grateful for the care and encouragement of the teachers."

Tien Hung returned after winning the Gold Medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Witnessing Hung's growth, teacher Vu Thi Len shared that as Hung's homeroom teacher since grade 10, she fully understood the strengths and weaknesses of each student in the class in order to come up with appropriate teaching methods and maximize their abilities. Ms. Len saw that Hung showed comprehensive qualities, with a special love and passion for Chemistry. Hung arranged his daily schedule very scientifically, spent time exercising, self-studying subjects, especially Chemistry, which helped him always achieve the best results in Chemistry in the class. In the 2022-2023 school year, Hung won second prize in the National High School Chemistry Competition, and the Asian Chemistry Olympiad Gold Medal. In the 2023-2024 school year, Hung won first prize in the National High School Chemistry Competition and the International Chemistry Olympiad Gold Medal with the highest score of the Vietnamese delegation, ranking 17th globally.

In particular, this school year, Hung was honored to be in the Party's ranks. Ms. Len hopes that this tradition will continue to be inherited and developed by generations of students at Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted in the future.

Sharing his plans for the future, Hung said he will study at Hanoi Medical University to continue his dream of becoming a good doctor, treating and helping people. This is also the wish and desire of his parents.

The 56th International Chemistry Olympiad was held from July 21-30, 2024 in Saudi Arabia with 327 contestants from 89 countries and territories. In the medal table compared to other national teams, the Vietnamese team ranked second with the US team and only behind the Chinese team.

In Bac Ninh, in recent years, the quality of mass education and key education has always been among the top in the country. In the 2023-2024 school year, in terms of key education, at the National High School Excellent Student Selection Exam for the 2023-2024 school year, Bac Ninh had 79/86 students winning prizes, ranking 2nd nationwide. There were 15 students from Bac Ninh province summoned to participate in the National Olympic Team Selection Exam for regional and international competitions; of which, two students entered the National Team for the International Olympiad in Mathematics and Chemistry, and one student participated in the European Physics Olympiad in 2024. Students from the province who achieved high results include: Nguyen Cong Vinh, who won the Bronze Medal at the European Physics Olympiad in 2024; Nguyen Van Hoang won the Bronze Medal at the International Math Olympiad in 2024; Nguyen Huu Tien Hung won the Gold Medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad in 2024.

In previous school years, at regional and international Olympic competitions, Bac Ninh students won 3 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, and 6 Bronze Medals.

Source: https://vtv.vn/giao-duc/gap-go-chang-trai-vang-olympic-hoa-hoc-quoc-te-20240802012218429.htm