On November 21, news of the national team's results at the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics  was reported from Thailand. The team had won 4 prizes, including 2 Silver medals by Tran Duc Huy and Nguyen Tien Nhan and 2 Consolation Prizes by Le Hong Long and Tran Quang Thanh. All four of them are 12th grade students from Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.

This is the second time Vietnam has competed in the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA). The Ministry of Education and Training has instructed the Hanoi Department of Education and Training to organize a five-student team to register for this competition, with Mr. Duong Cong Thinh, Master of Physics, Deputy Head of the Department of Secondary Education as the team leader.

The IOAA was first held in 2007 in Thailand with the participation of 21 nations. This year is the 9th year it has been held, attracting students from 44 different countries around the world.

These achievements by the Hanoi team are solid proof of the members’ great efforts, as astronomy and astrophysics are not included in the Vietnamese educational program. Most of the student body do not pay much attention to these subjects. Therefore, these results would bring tremendous motivation for students to explore these fields.

In 2016 – the first year Vietnam took part in IOAA, the students from Hanoi also excellently won 1 Silver medal and 4 Consolation prizes. What is more, all of last year’s 5 team members were also students from Hanoi – Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.

Translator: Phuong Uyen – English 1 17-20