Vietnam brings home 4 gold medals from International Chemistry Olympiad

Three of the winners are 12th graders, including Ngo Quang Minh from Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted in Bac Ninh Province; Nguyen Hoang Khoi from the High School for the Gifted under the Hanoi National University of Education; and Giang Duc Dung from the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences at the Vietnam National University – Hanoi.

The fourth, an 11th grader, is Nguyen Manh Tuan from Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted.

With that performance, Vietnam matched China and the U.S. in the total number of gold medals.

This milestone marks the first time in history that Vietnam has won four gold medals at an in-person IChO.

Between 2020 and 2025, all 24 Vietnamese participants earned 21 golds and three silvers.

Held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from July 5 to 14, the 57th IChO attracted 354 contestants from 90 countries and territories.

The competition comprises two five-hour exams: a theoretical test and a practical laboratory exam.

The 2025 practical exam required advanced laboratory skills such as synthesizing and analyzing coordination compounds, identifying amino acids, performing thin-layer chromatography for organic compounds, titrations, and UVVis spectrophotometry, which demanded precision, logical reasoning, and skilled techniques.

The theoretical exam featured real-world chemistry problems—such as seawater desalination, solar energy, tennis balls, and lanterns—requiring candidates to apply integrated knowledge and critical thinking.

This year’s exam structure was praised for its creativity, relevance to everyday life, and scientific depth.

The IChO is widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious and largest-scale chemistry competition for secondary students.