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| Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Hanh guided the national excellent student team in Biology in conducting experiments |
Venturing into the “open sea” with her students
In July 2025, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Hanh accompanied her student, Bui Hoang Dai Duong, to the Philippines to participate in the International Biology Olympiad 2025. Before the results were announced, Ms. Hanh was just as anxious as her student. From the Philippines, she sent word home: Duong had secured at least a Silver Medal, and there was high hope for a Gold Medal, as his scores exceeded 80% in two theoretical and four practical exams. In the end, Duong won the Silver Medal - an outstanding achievement, though there was a hint of regret for not reaching the Gold Medal.
Ms. Hanh recognized Dai Duong's special talent when he was in Grade 8 at Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School. Consequently, she provided early guidance and training plan for him. As a result, Duong became the first 10th-grade student from the Biology specialized class to win a Third Prize at the national excellent student competition. In Grade 11, he won the First Prize and advanced to the selection round for the international team (missing by only 0.25 points). In Grade 12, the teacher and the student continued their efforts, and Duong achieved the highest score nationwide in the exam to select the international team.
Bui Hoang Dai Duong is the fifth Biology-specialized student of Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted to participate in the International Olympiad. In five times that her students participated in the competition, Ms. Hanh served as an observer with the Vietnamese International Biology Olympiad delegation three times: in the UK (2017), Armenia (2022), and the Philippines (2025). Bringing students to a major intellectual arena also meant experiencing breathtaking anxiety. “The day the students reap the “sweet fruits” is a moment of bursting joy. I feel my guidance was correct, and the students are happy because they gave their all, demonstrating the knowledge passed down by their teachers,” shared Ms. Hanh.
In 2022, Truong Van Quoc Dat participated in the competition in Armenia. Due to airsickness and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he fell ill immediately upon arrival. Ms. Hanh recalled: “We were quarantined according to regulations, so I did not know his condition. I stayed awake all night, worried he might not be able to take the exam. Fortunately, the exam board was not ready with the exam papers and postponed the exam by one day, giving Dat time to recover. He eventually won a Silver Medal, with the highest score in the Vietnamese delegation.”
Today, Dat is an outstanding fourth-year student at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. He noted that his achievements in high school were valuable baggage for him to develop in the medical field: “I was guided, taught, and provided with suitable materials by my teachers, especially Ms. Hanh, who also connected me with teachers in Hanoi so I could study and deepen my knowledge. This support helped me gain confidence and determination to pursue the goal of winning an international medal.”
Nurturing seeds, reaping sweet fruits
Previously, the achievements of Biology Department at Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted were rather modest, reaching only the Second Prize at the national excellent student level, and having no students competing internationally. Ms. Hanh recalled: “I have spent 29 years teaching, including 25 years in gifted education. In October 2013, I officially became the Head of the Biology Department at Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted. As I looked at other provinces and cities, I found that their famous high schools for the gifted all excelled in this subject. That was my concern and the motivation that drove me to create a reform project immediately when I assumed the position.”
To have students reach the international arena, the first step is to find the right “seeds”. They are the ones who have passion for biology, sharp mathematical thinking, English proficiency, and good health. Ms. Hanh often identifies these promising “seeds” as early as Grade 8 and Grade 9.
However, seeking such talents is not easy. Some years yield one or two students; some other years, none. “To compete internationally, a student's agility must be at a “superstar” level. My daughter was in the same class as Dai Duong. In Grade 11, she won a Second Prize in the national excellent student competition in Biology. Although I knew she could reach the second round to be selected for the international competition, she was not yet at the level for the international arena, so I chose to train Dai Duong. The more accurate the selection, the more favorable the training and the better the results,” explained Ms. Hanh.
And, those selected by Ms. Hanh have all “shined”. From 2017 to 2025, Quoc Hoc - Hue had 15 students advancing to the second round of international team selection; among them, five entered the international team, and all five won medals at the International Biology Olympiad, including two Gold Medals and three Silver Medals. In three of the five participations, Quoc Hoc - Hue students achieved the highest scores in the Vietnamese IBO delegation, namely Truong Dong Hung (2017), Ho Viet Duc (2020), and Truong Van Quoc Dat (2022).
To guide her students in the right direction, Ms. Dieu Hanh has always taken the initiative to access new knowledge, and closely follow question-setting trends in national and international excellent student competitions. Based on this, she helps her students develop effective thinking approaches and test-taking strategies. Through her opportunities to serve as an observer at international competitions, she has learned about examination organization and gained insight into the knowledge scope of international exam papers, enabling her to adjust teaching and learning methods accordingly. Beyond academic knowledge, she is also a source of inspiration for the subject, and helps her students build confidence and resilience.
According to Mr. Nguyen Phu Tho, the Principal of Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted, Ms. Dieu Hanh is a passionate and devoted teacher. She possesses a long-term strategic vision in planning the selection and training of students for national and international competitions. Her assessment of students’ abilities is highly accurate; those she rates highly, all make it onto international teams and win medals. This is not a coincidence, but the result of persistent and long-term effort, careful planning, clear strategy, and strong determination.
The work of training Olympiad students requires Ms. Hanh to invest immense time and mental energy, often at the expense of time for her family and personal rest. The greatest pressure is the responsibility toward the expectations of students, parents, and the school; while results do not always correspond to the efforts invested. Nevertheless, she regards this as a meaningful and necessary sacrifice for her students’ international achievements and for the quality of the school’s gifted education.
In 2024, Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Hanh received a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Education and Training for her outstanding achievements in coaching, teaching, training, and guiding student delegations that won prizes at international Olympiad competitions. At the 6th Hue City Patriotic Emulation Congress in 2025, she was honored with a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the City People’s Committee in recognition of her significant contributions to professional excellence, gifted-student training, and the promotion of the movement “Good teaching - Good learning”.