Right after the ceremony, we managed to grasp an exciting opportunity to talk to a lovely, nimble girl, Nguyen Thuy Linh – from Biology Class – one of the three students who won the first prize in Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) held at Viet Duc High School today!

Interviewer: Hi. Firstly, on behalf of the website group, I would like to congratulate you on your success in Intel ISEF this year. Can you introduce yourself to the readers?

Linh: Hello. My name is Nguyen Thuy Linh, a grade 10 student from Biology class at Hanoi – Amsterdam High School.

Interviewer: You have just got the first prize, overcoming a lot of competitors from many schools in various areas of Hanoi. So how do you feel now?

Linh: I feel very happy and surprised because at first, I just hoped to take part in the contest and have never thought that I could win the top prize like that.

Interviewer: Can you introduce something about your product to us?

Linh: Our project is “Handling toxic substances based on grade 10 chemistry experiments by chemical and biological methods” . The initial idea of this project results from our observation that when we conducted practical experiments, the total amount of emissions discharged is relatively high, causing environmental pollution. So, I discussed with my friends and asked my Biology teacher if we could deal with that significant amount of toxic substances.  Our teacher suggested that we should use chemistry methods, whereby after some experiments, we could alter with biology methods. And after a sustained period of time, we did gain this success. That’s very great!

Interviewer: I also find this project very interesting and practical to the life. But, do you think whether your idea is applicable to human reality?

Linh:  We all can assert that this idea can completely be used in practice. We are still working on it and will continue the process at school. It’s easy to do and can be applied in many parts of the country.

Interviewer: What about the funding for building projects?

Linh: Absolutely no problems at all. During the experiment, we just spent 70 thousands dong  buying algae and less than 100 thousands dong buying chemicals. We can grow algae in a culture medium. Coping with 4 – 5 liters of toxic substances just costs only 10 thousands dong.

Interviewer: It means that the fees are relatively little compared to the amount of toxic substances that should be handled, or does it seem negligible?

Linh: Yes, that’s right.

Interviewer: During the process, did you guys encounter any difficulties?

Linh: The only difficulty that we experienced was time limit. The time we dedicated to the project was simultaneous with the period we sat for our final exam, which literally got on our nerves. However, thanks to the heartfelt sympathy and considerable assistance from the teachers, we managed to finish our work.

Interviewer: What do you think about other products in the contest?

Linh: I think that they are all unique and creative. Even though  they didn’t win the prize, I hope that those people still continue researching and creating many useful products for our life.

Interviewer: So which product impressed you most?

Linh: I was impressed by ‘Smart Desk’. When we sit at the table, the light of the lamp will automatically turn on. When we leave the table, the light will automatically turn off. So, even when we forget, we can still save huge amounts of electricity wasted. It’s very creative.

Interviewer: Finally, do you have any advices for people who also have a passion for science and technology to win the prizes like you?

Linh: I just want to say that “Keep passion for science, never give up and believe in your dreams”.

Interviewer: Thank you very much for your  sharing. Wish you success in your plans!

Interviewers: Minh Phuong  –  Ngoc Linh (CE Class)

Translator: Thao My (A2 11-14)