The 57th IChO was held from July 5 to 14 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the participation of delegations from 90 countries and territories, featuring a total of 354 contestants.
The Vietnamese team secured four gold medals, including two who placed in the top 10 globally. Specifically, Ngo Quang Minh (12th grade, Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted in Bac Ninh Province) ranked 7th; Nguyen Hoang Khoi (12th grade, the High School for Gifted Students under the Ha Noi National University of Education) ranked 10th; Giang Duc Dung (12th grade, the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, University of Science under the Viet Nam National University, Ha Noi) ranked 14th; and Nguyen Manh Tuan (11th grade, Ha Noi–Amsterdam High School for the Gifted) ranked 37th.
Viet Nam tied with China and the US for the highest number of gold medals at this year’s competition.
According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this is the first time in history that Viet Nam has won four gold medals in an in-person International Chemistry Olympiad. This year’s achievement adds to Viet Nam’s impressive record at international Olympiads in recent years. From 2020 to 2025, Viet Nam sent a total of 24 contestants to the IChO and won medals in all cases including 21 gold and 3 silver.
The outstanding results reaffirm the strength of Viet Nam’s specialised education alongside mainstream education and reflect the effectiveness of the Ministry’s policies in identifying, selecting, and nurturing talented students.
The International Chemistry Olympiad consists of two exams: a theoretical test, and a practical laboratory exam, each lasting five hours.
The 2025 Olympiad practical exam required participants to master a wide range of experimental techniques, from basic to advanced, including the synthesis and analysis of coordination compounds, amino acid identification, detection of organic substances using thin-layer chromatography, titration, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. This portion of the competition demanded precision, logical reasoning, and strong laboratory skills.
Meanwhile, the theoretical exam tackled real-world chemistry topics such as environmental issues, technology, and chemical applications in daily life, including seawater desalination, solar energy, tennis balls, and lanterns. Contestants were challenged to apply interdisciplinary knowledge and critical thinking to solve these problems. This year’s test structure was praised for its creativity and relevance to real-life situations while maintaining scientific depth.
