Pham Bui Gia Khanh, 15 years old, is the first Vietnamese student to win a prize at the International Philosophy Olympiad (IPO) in mid-May in Greece.
This is the world’s largest philosophy competition for 15-18 year olds. This year, IPO had 103 contestants from 49 countries participating. The organizers awarded 13 medals and 24 Honorable Mentions, a 35% winning rate. Gia Khanh, a student at the British International School BIS Hanoi, made it into the top 20 of the competition and received the Honorable Mention award.
Recalling the moment his name was called, Gia Khanh said he was "doubting" because of the difference in pronunciation. It was only when he heard "Vietnam" that he believed he had won the award.
"I haven't been studying Philosophy for long, so I just hope I can do my best in the competition. Winning a prize is something I never thought of," Khanh said.
Gia Khanh on the campus of the International Olympic Academy IOA (Greece), in Khanh's hand is the certificate of Honorable Mention, May 2023. Photo: Character provided
The 15-year-old student came to Philosophy by chance. During a trip abroad earlier this year, Khanh visited a literature museum and was interested in the theories of many philosophers on display. Returning home, the student looked for more related documents to read.
This surprised many of her friends, asking why Khanh chose such a difficult subject. The female student said that when she studies deeply enough, any field is difficult, the important thing is that she is excited. Khanh also thinks that Philosophy is just one aspect of many issues she is interested in. In addition to studying, the female student plays many sports such as dancing, volleyball, and athletics.
Mr. Christopher Newman, Headmaster of Secondary School at the British International School Hanoi, commented that Gia Khanh is one of the "busiest" students at the school because he participates in many activities. According to Mr. Chris, Gia Khanh is intelligent, imaginative and decisive. He is full of positive energy and always completes his commitments well.
Khanh was excited about her new field, but her learning process was not always smooth. She struggled to understand Plato's Theory of Forms. Khanh described this theory as talking about a completely new world, abstract and separate from the world we live in. Despite reading related documents and theories, Khanh still felt confused and decided to seek help from teachers.
Similar to other issues, when encountering difficult content, Khanh often asks many people. She believes that from personal experience, each person will have a way to explain and link different perspectives together. This may seem confusing, but it helps Khanh have a comprehensive, multi-dimensional view.
"Every time I understand a theory, I feel liberated, enlightened and full of energy," Khanh shared.
Khanh and her teammates won first prize in women's football at the Fobisia multi-sport tournament held in Thailand in November 2022. Photo: Character provided
Knowing about the International Philosophy Olympiad in mid-April, Khanh hesitated. At the age of 15, it had not been long since he had been introduced to Philosophy, while life experience is an important factor in helping students understand complex issues, Khanh was not sure he was capable of participating in the competition. Finally, with encouragement from his family and teachers, he decided to give it a try.
To participate, students must submit an application that includes academic transcripts, proof of English writing ability, passion for philosophy, standardized test results, experience, and international awards (if any). Except for the host country, each country can only have two representatives. When Gia Khanh received notification that he had been selected, the competition was less than two weeks away.
At the same time, Khanh had to take the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Math exam. Between studying at school and preparing for the IPO, he didn't have much time, mainly reading books in the library and discussing philosophical issues with his teachers.
In the competition, each contestant chooses one of four topics and writes an essay on that topic for four hours straight. The essay is then anonymously sent to eight independent judges for evaluation and scoring, and finally reviewed by the Competition Council, which includes five professors from the University of Patras (Greece) and Harvard University (USA).
Khanh chose topic number 4, discussing the principle of equality in relationships between people and non-human animals. The female student spent half of her time thinking of ideas, arguments and evidence, then writing.
"All around me, the contestants were typing away on their keyboards. I encouraged myself to stay calm and not panic," Khanh recalled. She said she just wanted to do her best, so she tried not to be distracted or discouraged by the other contestants' performances.
Khanh breathed a sigh of relief after finishing the essay just in time. Feeling that the essay was not bad, Khanh hoped for a good result in her first time attending IPO. However, achieving 7.06/10 points, ranking 20th, was still beyond her expectations.
Gia Khanh received the Honorable Mention award at IPO, May 2023. Photo: Character provided
As the leader of two Vietnamese students participating in this year's IPO, Mr. Dang Minh Tuan, a lecturer at the University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that international candidates have an advantage in terms of their background in Philosophy, because the general education program in some countries includes this subject, while the two Vietnamese students only have about a month to prepare. However, Mr. Tuan highly appreciated Gia Khanh's way of posing questions and her ability to update new knowledge.
Nguyen Quang Minh, a graduate student majoring in Philosophy at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, was impressed by Khanh's intelligence and positivity right from the first class. Having taught Philosophy to many students, Minh said that very few students have the ability to grasp and implement problems as quickly as Khanh.
However, for a 15-year-old student who has only been studying Philosophy for 2-3 months, he assessed that winning an award at IPO was "almost impossible". Before the competition, Mr. Minh did ideological work for Khanh and his family, pointing out the fact that the contestants had all studied Philosophy for a long time, systematically, and most of them were older than Khanh.
"When Khanh announced that he won the prize, I was very happy and surprised. What Khanh did was almost a miracle," said Minh.
Khanh believes that studying Philosophy helps him persevere because he has to find many ways to understand a difficult theory. The IPO experience gives Khanh the opportunity to meet and get to know many friends with similar interests and international competition experience. This helps Khanh feel confident and motivated to continue pursuing this field.
"I haven't decided what major to choose when I enter university. My immediate goal is to participate in IPO next year and win a higher prize," Khanh said.
Thanh Hang
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