According to the Ministry of Education and Training, all eight Vietnamese students competing in the 2025 Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) in Saudi Arabia earned medals, with the team taking home 3 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze medals.

The ministry confirmed that Vietnam’s national team performed exceptionally well at the 25th edition of the APhO, held from May 4 to 12 in Saudi Arabia. A total of 208 students from 30 teams representing 29 countries and territories participated in the competition.

Vietnam’s three gold medalists were Nguyen The Quan (Grade 12, Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, Nghe An province), Nguyen Cong Vinh (Grade 12, Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted, Bac Ninh province), and Truong Duc Dung (Grade 12, High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi).

Silver medals were awarded to Ly Ba Khoi (Grade 12, High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Tran Le Thien Nhan (Grade 12, Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted, Thua Thien Hue province), and Phan Quang Triet (Grade 12, Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, Nghe An province).

The two bronze medals went to Tran Trung Hieu (Grade 12, Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted, Thua Thien Hue province) and Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Anh (Grade 12, Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, Hanoi).

This year’s achievement marks a significant improvement over 2024, when the Vietnamese team earned only 1 gold, 1 silver, and 6 bronze medals.

Under APhO regulations, participants complete two five-hour exams: one theoretical and one experimental. This year’s theory exam covered advanced and real-world physics applications, including Earth’s axial precession and its effects on climate, spin waves related to quantum computing, and the greenhouse effect. The practical exam focused on electromagnetic induction and its application in induction cooktops.

Vietnam ranked among the top five countries and territories with the highest overall achievements at this year’s Olympiad.

Thanh Hung