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Former teacher in southern Vietnam gets third university degree at age of 70

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Huynh Thi Thu, a retired teacher in Tinh Thoi Commune, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, has been known as a good example of pursuing lifelong learning as she has obtained her third bachelor’s degree in Chinese language at the age of 70.

Thu is a former teacher of Cao Huu Lau Middle School in Cao Lanh City.

Besides the bachelor’s degree in Chinese language that Thu got in August this year, she has a university degree in Sino-Vietnamese pedagogy and another in English pedagogy.

Learning many languages

After graduating from Can Tho University in the namesake city in southern Vietnam in 1973, Thu worked in Can Tho’s neighbor, Vinh Long Province, with the intention of returning to Can Tho to obtain a bachelor’s degree in literature.

The awards that Cao Lanh City authorities give to Huynh Thi Thu, proving her lifelong learning efforts. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

The awards that Cao Lanh City authorities gave to Huynh Thi Thu, proving her lifelong learning efforts. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

However, due to fluctuations at the time, she had to put her studying on hold after several months, leaving her dream half-done.

In 1990, she began to teach at Kim Hong School, which is now Kim Hong Middle School, in Dong Thap so that she could take care of her mother. 

She obtained the English pedagogy bachelor’s degree at Dong Thap University in 1997.

She later moved to Pham Huu Lau Middle School and worked there until she retired. Due to her love for the teaching career and the learning journey, she has not got married.

“It was extremely difficult to go to school in the past. We had to roll up ao dai [Vietnamese traditional dress] and carry bicycles on our backs on muddy roads,” Thu said.

“We had to register to buy newspapers at a library and get new knowledge from books only.

“Despite not getting married, I have a meaningful life by learning and teaching,”

Coming to lecture hall at 66

In 2007, Thu retired. Spending many years learning, teaching, and looking after her parents gives her moral support and helps her live optimistically.

She does exercise in a park with her friends every morning and later hangs about in her house with her nephews and nieces.

Huynh Thi Thu can now use smartphones to read books online and look for information. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

Huynh Thi Thu can now use smartphones to read books online and look for information. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

She lost her moral support after her parents passed away, so she wanted to return to the studying journey.

“In the early 2018 academic year, I saw Dong Thap University’s announcement on its enrollment plan for a part-time course. I registered for a Chinese language major,” Thu said.

“The school did not hesitate but accepted my application immediately.”

After tens of years, she came back to school and studied with youngsters.

One of her teachers was her old student. However, the awkward atmosphere was cleared quickly.

“At the beginning, I bought the most updated Chinese dictionary and carried it to my class,” Thu retold a memory of her first days at the university at the age of 66.

“Some other students told me that they rarely looked up words in printed dictionaries as it was time-consuming.

“They did the job on smartphones instead.”

Following her classmates’ advice, Thu bought a smartphone to install social media apps, form online learning groups, look for information on the Internet, look up words in dictionaries, watch cai luong, a form of modern folk opera popular in southern Vietnam, and especially learn online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Huynh Thi Thu has received many certificates of merit from the People’s Committee of Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, for contributing to building a learning society. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

Huynh Thi Thu has received many certificates of merit from the People’s Committee of Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam for contributing to building a learning society. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

“Studying helps satisfy my language research passion and integrate into the modern and progressive era,” Thu said.

“Therefore, youngsters with favorable studying conditions should pursue a learning journey.

“I do not use laptops and smartphones well, so I will register for an computing course in the coming time.”

On the occasion of honoring Cao Lanh as a learning city in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, the People’s Committee of Cao Lanh City awarded Thu a certificate of merit for her contributions to the development of a learning society.

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Huynh Thi Thu, a retired teacher in Tinh Thoi Commune, Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, has been known as a good example of pursuing lifelong learning as she has obtained her third bachelor’s degree in Chinese language at the age of 70.

Thu is a former teacher of Cao Huu Lau Middle School in Cao Lanh City.

Besides the bachelor’s degree in Chinese language that Thu got in August this year, she has a university degree in Sino-Vietnamese pedagogy and another in English pedagogy.

Learning many languages

After graduating from Can Tho University in the namesake city in southern Vietnam in 1973, Thu worked in Can Tho’s neighbor, Vinh Long Province, with the intention of returning to Can Tho to obtain a bachelor’s degree in literature.

The awards that Cao Lanh City authorities give to Huynh Thi Thu, proving her lifelong learning efforts. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

The awards that Cao Lanh City authorities gave to Huynh Thi Thu, proving her lifelong learning efforts. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

However, due to fluctuations at the time, she had to put her studying on hold after several months, leaving her dream half-done.

In 1990, she began to teach at Kim Hong School, which is now Kim Hong Middle School, in Dong Thap so that she could take care of her mother. 

She obtained the English pedagogy bachelor’s degree at Dong Thap University in 1997.

She later moved to Pham Huu Lau Middle School and worked there until she retired. Due to her love for the teaching career and the learning journey, she has not got married.

“It was extremely difficult to go to school in the past. We had to roll up ao dai [Vietnamese traditional dress] and carry bicycles on our backs on muddy roads,” Thu said.

“We had to register to buy newspapers at a library and get new knowledge from books only.

“Despite not getting married, I have a meaningful life by learning and teaching,”

Coming to lecture hall at 66

In 2007, Thu retired. Spending many years learning, teaching, and looking after her parents gives her moral support and helps her live optimistically.

She does exercise in a park with her friends every morning and later hangs about in her house with her nephews and nieces.

Huynh Thi Thu can now use smartphones to read books online and look for information. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

Huynh Thi Thu can now use smartphones to read books online and look for information. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

She lost her moral support after her parents passed away, so she wanted to return to the studying journey.

“In the early 2018 academic year, I saw Dong Thap University’s announcement on its enrollment plan for a part-time course. I registered for a Chinese language major,” Thu said.

“The school did not hesitate but accepted my application immediately.”

After tens of years, she came back to school and studied with youngsters.

One of her teachers was her old student. However, the awkward atmosphere was cleared quickly.

“At the beginning, I bought the most updated Chinese dictionary and carried it to my class,” Thu retold a memory of her first days at the university at the age of 66.

“Some other students told me that they rarely looked up words in printed dictionaries as it was time-consuming.

“They did the job on smartphones instead.”

Following her classmates’ advice, Thu bought a smartphone to install social media apps, form online learning groups, look for information on the Internet, look up words in dictionaries, watch cai luong, a form of modern folk opera popular in southern Vietnam, and especially learn online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Huynh Thi Thu has received many certificates of merit from the People’s Committee of Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, for contributing to building a learning society. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

Huynh Thi Thu has received many certificates of merit from the People’s Committee of Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, Vietnam for contributing to building a learning society. Photo: Dang Tuyet / Tuoi Tre

“Studying helps satisfy my language research passion and integrate into the modern and progressive era,” Thu said.

“Therefore, youngsters with favorable studying conditions should pursue a learning journey.

“I do not use laptops and smartphones well, so I will register for an computing course in the coming time.”

On the occasion of honoring Cao Lanh as a learning city in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, the People’s Committee of Cao Lanh City awarded Thu a certificate of merit for her contributions to the development of a learning society.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20221214/former-teacher-in-southern-vietnam-gets-third-university-degree-at-age-of-70/70455.html

Education

Vietnam wins 6 gold medals at World Mathematics Invitational

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All 34 members of Team Vietnam who competed at the World Mathematics Invitational (WMI) 2023 in South Korea bagged medals, including six golds, nine silvers, and 12 bronzes, along with seven merit prizes.

The gold medalists included Dang Anh Tuan, Nguyen Hong Son, and Nguyen Dang Quoc Anh from Hanoi’s Trung Vuong Middle School; Nguyen Dinh Phong and Nguyen Quang Bao from Hanoi’s Ngo Si Lien Middle School; and Tran Lam Dao from Hanoi’s Kim Lien Elementary School.

Along with his gold medal, Tuan, an eighth grader, was also honored with a ‘Star of the World’ award – a merit given to the student with the highest score on each team.

This annual World Mathematics Invitational took place from July 14 to 18 at Yonsei University in Seoul, attracting more than 3,000 contestants from 25 countries and territories, including traditional powerhouses the U.S., China, and Bulgaria.

The competition’s organizing committee held an awards ceremony for the event on July 18.

Vietnam joined the WMI for the first time in 2019, when all the 32 members of its team brought home medals from the event in Japan’s Fukuoka City.

From 2020 to 2022, the WMI finals were held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WMI was co-founded in 2013 by chairman of the Chinese Mathematical Association Kun-Lung Tsai and Professor Quan Lam from the University of California at Berkeley, according to the Asia Maths Alliance.  

Students from kindergarten to grade 12 can register for the competition.

Each WMI contest has two rounds, including a preliminary round and a final round. Each round is divided into logical reasoning and application sections. 

The preliminary round is held by each WMI member country or territory between January and March.

Gold, silver, and bronze medalists in each of these rounds are invited to represent their country in the final round, which gathers all national teams in one city for their competition.

Through interacting with math-loving counterparts from other countries during the final round, students can expand their worldview and experience different cultures, thus opening their horizons and broadening their futures, the WMI website said.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230720/vietnam-wins-6-gold-medals-at-world-mathematics-invitational/74515.html

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Vietnam bags 5 medals at International Physics Olympiad 2023

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All five Vietnamese students competing at the 53rd International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2023 won medals, including two golds, two silvers, and one bronze, the Ministry of Education and Training announced on Sunday.

The two gold medals went to Nguyen Tuan Phong, a 12th-grade student at Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students in northern Bac Ninh Province, and Vo Hoang Hai, an 11th grader at High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, of the University of Science under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi.

Two other students, both 12th graders, Nguyen Tuan Duong from Tran Phu High School for Gifted Students in northern Hai Phong City and Le Viet Hoang Anh from Lam Son High School for Gifted Students in Thanh Hoa Province, won the silver medals.

The bronze medal was presented to Phan The Manh, another 12th grader at Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students.

After a year of postponement and two years of being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IPhO 2023 took place physically at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Tokyo, Japan, from July 10 to 17.

This year’s contest recorded the highest-ever number of contestants, with 398 students from 84 countries and territories.

With all its five members winning medals, the Vietnamese team was named in the group of countries leading the competition.

The awards and closing ceremony of IPhO 2023 was conducted on Monday at the aforementioned center.

At the IPhO 2022, the Vietnamese team also sent five contestants and won three golds, one silver, and one bronze, ranking fifth among 75 countries and territories.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230718/vietnam-bags-5-medals-at-international-physics-olympiad-2023/74456.html

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Vietnam strikes gold at International Mathematical Olympiad

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All six Vietnamese students participating in the 2023 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) won medals, including two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes, the Ministry of Education and Training announced on Tuesday.

With this achievement, Vietnam ranked sixth among more than 110 countries and territories taking part in the annual competition, after China, the U.S., South Korea, Romania, and Japan, in descending order.

The gold medals belonged to Nguyen An Thinh, a 12th-grade student majoring in computing at Tran Phu High School for Gifted Students in northern Hai Phong City, and Pham Viet Hung, another 12th grader from High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi.

Nguyen Dinh Kien, an 11th grader specializing in math at the same school as Thinh, and Hoang Tuan Dung, a 12th- grade student, also with a major in math, at High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi National University of Education earned a silver medal each.  

The two bronzes went to two 12th graders: Khuc Dinh Toan from Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students in northern Bac Ninh Province and Tran Nguyen Thanh Danh from High School for Gifted Students under the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City.

The 2023 IMO took place in Japan from July 2 to 12, with the participation of 625 contestants from 112 countries and territories. 

The competition organizers awarded 315 medals, including 53 golds, 89 silvers, and 173 bronzes, accounting for around 50 percent of the total number of contestants. 

In last year’s IMO in Norway, Vietnam ranked fourth among 104 countries and territories, with two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes.

The IMO has been an annual event since 1959 and Vietnamese students began taking part in the competition in 1974.

Vietnam has won 266 medals, including 69 golds, 115 silvers, and 82 bronzes, ever since.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/education/20230712/vietnam-strikes-gold-at-international-mathematical-olympiad/74349.html

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