Hanoi (VNA) – All four members of the Vietnamese team won medals at the 60th International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad (IMChO) held in Moscow, Russia from April 15–23, the Ministry of Education and Training reported on April 22.
Specifically, two gold medals were awarded to Ngo Hoang Minh, a 12th-grade student at Hanoi–Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, who placed second overall; and Nguyen Thai Minh, an 11th-grade student at the High School for Gifted Students under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi), who ranked 11th.
Two silvers went to Nguyen Huu Tue, a 12th-grade student at the High School for Gifted Students under the VNU-Hanoi, who finished 24th; and Nguyen Cong Thanh, a 12th-grade student at Chu Van An High School, Hanoi, who came in 29th.
This was only Vietnam’s second official trip to the IMChO, and the strong showing once again proved that Vietnamese students have the competence, grit and speed to hang with the world’s best in cutthroat global academic contests.
The success also spotlights the ministry’s smart push to open up elite academic competitions to more students. By running national qualifiers, it's giving standout students a real shot to test themselves, rack up experience and level up on the international stage.
The IMChO features three rounds over three days, including two theoretical exams and one practical exam, each lasting five hours. About 60% of contestants walked away with awards, in a strict 1:2:3 ratio for gold, silver and bronze. Thanks to its rigorous difficulty and razor-sharp ranking power, experts rank the IMChO right up there with the International Chemistry Olympiad as one of the toughest chemistry showdowns on the planet.
The Vietnamese team was selected from the 2026 national qualifying exams for international and regional Olympiads held by the ministry. The goal is to give more talented students an access to global academic exchange while sharpening their skills alongside the official IChO squad. This year, the crew secured financial backing from the “Tradition and Friendship” Fund for Russia-Vietnam cooperation and plenty of support from their schools.
The IMChO was held under the auspices of the “Decade of Science and Technology in Russia,” announced by President Vladimir Putin. It was co-organised by the Faculty of Chemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Melnichenko Foundation. The contest traces its roots back to the old All-Union Chemistry Olympiad of the Soviet Union, which started in 1967. The 60th edition this year pulled in participants from 37 countries./.
