Hanoi (VNA) – All four Vietnamese students have won medals at the International Biology Olympiad 2025, including one gold, two silvers and one bronze, the Ministry of Education and Training announced on July 26.
Specifically, Nguyen Luong Thai Duy, an 11th-grade student at the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, won the gold medal. Duy ranked 7th out of a total of 298 contestants.
The silver medalists are Nguyen Huu Thanh, a 12th-grade student at the Tran Phu High School for the Gifted in Hai Phong City, and Bui Hoang Dai Duong, a 12th grader at the Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted in Hue City.
Meanwhile, Le Hoang Kieu Anh, a 12th grader at the Hanoi-Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, earned the bronze medal.
With this achievement, the Vietnamese team ranked among the top 10 countries with the highest overall scores, continuing the country's tradition of strong performances at international Olympiads in 2025.
The 36th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) was held in the Philippines from July 19 to 27, with the participation of 81 teams from 81 countries and territories, including 3 observer teams, and a total of 298 contestants.
The competition included two official exam days: one day for theory consisting of two exams, each lasting 180 minutes, and one day for practice with four lab exams, each lasting 90 minutes. In reality, due to the time needed for sample and equipment preparation, contestants completed the practice section over a continuous 12-hour period, from 12:30pm on July 22 to 12:03am on July 23.
The two theory exams featured 85 questions focusing on global practical issues such as environmental pollution, green growth, carbon neutrality, climate change mitigation, public health, and the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases based on the principles of precision medicine.
The four practical lab exams covered topics in biomedical sciences, molecular and cellular biology, ecology and systematics, and microbiology. The biomedical sciences section required skills in interpreting electrocardiograms, blood and urine biochemical tests, analysing X-ray images, as well as measuring and selecting antibiotics for common medical conditions.
The molecular and cellular biology section demanded abilities in gene and protein analysis, and measuring molecular activities within cells to identify and predict the evolution of parasitic pathogens.
The ecology and systematics section required anatomical and classification skills to support the identification, monitoring, and sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture activities.
The microbiology section involved skills in classifying and studying the growth processes of bacteria and fungi that cause food poisoning in humans.
The IBO is widely regarded as the leading comprehensive international high school-level natural science competition worldwide. It requires integrated knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and environmental science, along with basic laboratory skills, involving molecular, organismal, ecosystem, and biosphere analysis.
The Ministry of Education and Training stated that this year’s results at the International Biology Olympiad affirm the quality of general education, as well as the proper orientation in identifying and nurturing gifted students and integrating international standards in training and assessment.
Vietnam first participated in the IBO in 1996. The country’s best achievements were in 2018 and 2024, winning three gold medals and one silver medal./.
