Informat

Mai Quoc Huy is neither an outstanding student nor a teacher’s favorite. However, the 16-year-old student used the skills he has learned through first-hand experience to earn first prize at the Ho Chi Minh City Informatics Competition for Youth 2018.

Huy might spend most of his free time helping his father sell second-hand speakers and repairing his neighbors’ electric devices, but every now and then he finds a reason to sneak off to local bookstores and read up physics, electricity, and programming.

Though he is just an ordinary student from a low-income family, his ability to remember even the smallest detail of electrical devices is a skill others can only dream of.

A ninth grader who can turn bikes from manual to electric

Thanks to his teacher’s proposition, Huy was chosen to represent Ban Co Middle School in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City at two municipal competitions: the Science Fair for Daily Inventions and Informatics Competition for Youth, both of which awarded him first prize for his submission: his grandfather’s old bicycle installed with a motor, throttle, and solar batteries to turn it into an electric bike

Having joined the competition for the first time, Huy was funded with VND1 million (around US$43) for the project.

To parents’ and neighbors’ surprise, Huy’s electric bicycle, able to reach speeds of 40kph, was awarded two first prizes and qualified for the national competition to be held in August.

Now, Huy is putting the final touches on his “invention” to prepare for the upcoming event.

The bicycle is not only special because it is powered by solar energy, it also has other features that most bicycles do not, mostly inspired by Huy’s own experience as a cyclist.

“One time I went to visit a friend in Cho Ray Hospital and my bicycle was moved to a new spot in the gigantic parking lot. When I got home, I decided that I would equip the bike with some of the convenient features that motorbikes have, such as radio waves (RF) that can help find the vehicle more easily,” Huy said.

Many people believe that bikes are not a valuable, but for Huy, it is his most important asset. Hence, the boy was determined to design a GPS system to prevent theft.

The young inventor proudly presented his most recent addition to the bike: a feature that allows any phone to send a text message and be informed of the bike’s location, no matter where it is.

“Each text message costs VND200 [less than one cent] but I am still finalizing a system to send the data through the Internet to save money,” the student revealed.

As impressive as the features may seem, there are still many more the 16-year-old hopes to add in the future, such as automatic headlights, break lights, and automatic indicators which sensor tilting movement.

All these functions would make riding a bicycle not only significantly more convenient, but also much safer.

Phan Nguyen Truc Phuong, Huy’s engineering instructor at the Science Development Center for Youth under the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, is a full supporter of Huy’s ideas.

“Even though Huy’s idea is not new, it is very practical since it results from daily lives,” she said.

Huy’s self-studying journey

Having grown up in a working-class neighborhood on Vuon Chuoi Street in District 3, Huy is more than used to the sounds of loud motors, local working, and construction.

However, it was only recently that he began to involve himself in his father’s blue-collar profession.

“Being a motor repairman is a tiresome and unstable job. It only provides for my family’s most basic needs so I do not want my son to follow in my footsteps,” said Huy’s father, Mai Hoang Ha.

“But I still show him a few simple things to be able to make a day-to-day living, repair his own vehicle, and help others in the neighborhood. He first became interested in repairing electric devices around the house in grade eight so I decided to show him a few small things. Since then, I’ve let him experiment on his own and only watched him for safety. I don’t know much about automating so I haven’t been able to help him much with that.”

Fully aware of the family’s financial situation, Huy tries to avoid asking his parents for extra money. Instead, he saves up his allowance to buy what he needs for his projects.

With just VND20,000 ($0.9) a day, every few days Huy saves enough money to visit Nhat Tao Market, Ho Chi Minh City’s most well-known electrical component market.

The books provided at his school do not supply the young inventor with the knowledge he needs so he goes to bookstores to look for higher level books on physics.

“I want to have a better understanding of electricity but the technology and physics classes at school only provide brief and basic knowledge. In order to gain a thorough understanding I need to try and understand those subjects myself. I usually use my days off to go to the bookstore and read,” Huy said.

“Books about programming and electronic circuits are all very thick. I am able to understand small parts of them, but I haven’t been able to apply much of the knowledge. Each book costs over VND100,000 so I only “borrow” them to read in the bookstore. I can’t buy them because then I wouldn’t have enough money for component parts.”

Vocational training is good enough to make a proper living

Having received results of entrance exams for high school, Huy was happy to score 30 out of 50.

“Attending top schools will not allow time to play, especially to experiment with electric devices. I am going to choose a school suitable for my capability, near my home and provides vocational training,” Huy said.

“Everyone wants their children to attend college. But if he’s not capable of it, I am happy to let him study in a vocational school for electronics, or anything he enjoys as long as he will be capable of making a living. Being a motor repairer, I have seen many youngsters who finished 12th grade but are still only drivers or work as attendants at supermarkets. I let my son study whatever he likes. I do not want to decide his own life,” Huy’s father said.

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Nguyen Duc Thuan and his mother

Nguyen Duc Thuan, a 12th grader majoring in informatics at the Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted, recently won the second prize at the national competition for excellent students. This is the second time he has won high prizes from the competition.

Do Thi Hoai San from Que Vo, Bac Ninh province, the mother of Thuan,

Naps counted in seconds

Thuan was a difficult birth, which lasted 4.5 hours. The mother noted that the child’s hand was folded down and abnormally dark purple. And he did not cry for the next two days. San asked for help from physicians. But when Thuan began crying, he cried loudly all night.

San brought her son to all hospitals over four months and collapsed when hearing that the boy had cerebral palsy.

He sobbed convulsively every night, while the body was as soft as a noodle. San shed her tears when looking at the baby.

“The naps were so short that they were calculated in seconds, not in minutes or hours,” San recalled.

Three years later, Thuan’s body was soft, with head unable to turn over. The mother had to carry her son on her shoulders through the night.

When Thuan turned four years old, he could speak, but just babbled and only the mother could understand his words. San then decided that she needed to bring the boy to school.

Both Thuan and the mother had to be present in class. The mother had to sit next to Thuan all the time, with her arms behind Thuan. If the teacher spoke a little loudly, Thuan could be startled and fall.

“I was very sad and burst into tears when someone teased or discriminated me. But then so many good people appeared. They served as the fulcrum that helped me overcome obstacles,” Nguyen Duc Thuan

Despite difficulties, teachers said Thuan did better in school than other classmates.

At the age of 4, Thuan was able to read 10 or 11-digit phone numbers after hearing several times. By the time he went to kindergarten, Thuan could add, subtract, and remember all the letters, though he was not taught by anyone.

When he entered the third grade, the mother did not have to escort him, because the teachers created a specific chair for him to sit without help from the mother.

When the son was at school, San worked as a hired laborer. Her husband is a soldier who was always far from home. They saved every dong to treat the son.

“Thuan is an insomniac. He tosses and turns in bed all night. So, I also cannot sleep. He still cannot stand up and sit down, or walk by himself. So, I don’t allow myself to be sick. Even if I am sick, I still have to pick up and take care og’f my child,” San said.

Unceasing efforts bear fruit

During 12 years at general school, Thuan was the best student in the class. When he was in 11th grade, he won third prize at the national competition for excellent students, the achievement which allowed him to enroll in the Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted. One year later, he won. second prize at the same competition and first prize at the National Young Informatics Contest.

The teachers at the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences created favorable conditions for Thuan to study together with friends on the school’s team.

The teacher, when he was in second grade, helped his mother borrow money to pay for leg surgery and kept contact with a regular message ‘Are you okay?”

Thuan said there are many good people and he needs to make bigger efforts to deserve their sacrifices.

“I was very sad and burst into tears when someone teased or discriminated me. But then so many good people appeared. They served as the fulcrum that helped me overcome obstacles,” he said.

Thuan dreams of becoming a student at the University of Technology, and a coder in the future.

“I want to become a useful person in society, not a burden,” he said.

Thuy Nga

Meeting marks 75th anniversary of August Revolution

Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attended a ceremony held at the NA House on August 19 to mark the 75th anniversaries of the Tan Trao National Congress (August 16), the August Revolution (August 19), and National Day (September 2).

Tan Trao, known as the cradle of Vietnam’s revolution, was once the home of President Ho Chi Minh and Party agencies in the period before the success of the August Revolution in the resistance war against French colonialists.

On September 2, 1945, at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, President Ho Chi Minh delivered the Declaration of Independence giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

As part of the meeting, the delegates watched a documentary that reconstructs the atmosphere of September 2, 1945 and underlines the significance of the Independence Day.

A number of cultural events were also held across the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attend fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament

NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attend fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (Photo credit: Hoang Quynh)

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on August 19 attended the virtual fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which was held from August 19-20 under the theme of the leadership of parliaments in realising multilateralism more effectively.

The conference, held by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations, and the Austrian Parliament, adopted the Declaration on Parliamentary leadership for more effective multilateralism that delivers peace and sustainable development for the people and planet.

On the first working day of the conference, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan delivered a speech on “Stepping up parliamentary action: climate change urgency”. She agreed that climate change has become ever more urgent, particularly as the world is being severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam among top 16 most successful emerging economies in the world

A new study shows that Vietnam is in the top 16 most successful emerging economies in the world, with many prospects to narrow the gap with developed countries amidst the COVID-19 epidemic, according to The Economist.

In a recent article, The Economist said this awful year could, paradoxically, be a good one for what economists call convergence. This normally takes place when poor economies grow faster than rich ones, narrowing the income gap between them. Few emerging markets will grow at all – perhaps China, Egypt and Vietnam. But because advanced economies will probably retreat even faster, the gap between them will narrow.

Based on the productivity performance of 97 economies since 2000, the World Bank has identified five clubs. The three gloomiest groups comprise fairly poor countries. A fourth contains some big ones with unfulfilled potential, such as Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa.

The most successful club spans all of today’s advanced economies as well as 16 emerging markets, including China, India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Poorer members tend to grow faster than the rich ones, at a pace that would halve the productivity gap between them every 48 years.

Vietnamese team bag six medals at 13th Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad

The Vietnamese team participating in the 13th Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad.

All six members of the Vietnamese team competing at the 13th Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad (APIO) 2020 on line have won medals, the Ministry of Education and Training said on August 22, citing sources from the event’s host Indonesia.

The team brought home one gold, four silver and a bronze medals, ranking sixth in the event, after China, Russia, Iran, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

Vietnam is among 10 teams winning gold at the competition.

In the previous event, Vietnam won seven silver medals.

568 COVID-19 patients in Vietnam fully recovered as of August 24 morning

As many as 568 of the total number of COVID-19 patients in Vietnam have fully recovered as of August 24 morning, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The country’s total COVID-19 cases were reported at 1,016, including 674 community infections. There are 534 cases linked to outbreaks in Da Nang since July 25.

Among the active patients, 39 have tested for SARS-CoV-2 once, 49 twice and 28 three times. There have been 27 fatalities so far.

A total of 70,620 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients and came from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine nationwide.

Vietnam wins golden trophy in volleyball at Army Games 2020

Vietnam’s military engineering unit at the Army Games 2020.

The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) delegation won their first golden trophy at the Army Games 2020 in Russia after overcoming the Uzbekistani team 2-0 in the final match of the amateur volleyball tournament on August 14 (local time).

The event, open to engineering units, was the first sideline activity of the “Safe Route” competition within the framework of the Army Games in Kstovo.

Four participating teams were divided into two groups for the preliminary round, with Vietnam beating hosts Russia 2-0 to set up a title match with Uzbekistan, who defeated Belarus. In the final, agility, good jumping power and especially teamwork helped the Vietnamese military engineers finish off the opponents to lift the golden trophy.

The golden volleyball trophy will be presented during the closing ceremony of the Army Games 2020 on September 5, together with other important awards.

“Make in Vietnam” digital technology product awards 2020 launched

The “Make in Vietnam” digital technology products 2020 award, the first of its kind in Vietnam, was launched by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Hanoi on August 19.

The awards will cover five categories including excellent digital foundation, excellent digital products, outstanding digital solutions, the narrowing of the digital gap, and potential digital products.

All enterprises operating in Vietnam can apply for the awards from August 20 to October 20, 2020, through the online address makeinvietnam.mic.gov.vn.

The award is expected to encourage digital technology enterprises to research and create digital technology products and honour outstanding products with contributions to the development of the e-government, digital economy and digital society in addition to promoting “Make in Vietnam” digital products to businesses and the people of Vietnam.

Vietnamese film wins prize at Locarno International Film Festival

Poster for ‘A Trip to Heaven’ by director Duong Dieu Linh

‘Thien Duong Goi Ten’ (A Trip to Heaven), a film by young Vietnamese director Duong Dieu Linh, has won a prize at the 2020 Locarno International Film Festival which was held in Switzerland from August 5 to 15.

The 15-minute Vietnamese film was presented with the Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Prize of the festival’s Pardi di doman category, which honours best international short films.

The category saw the competition of 43 entries, including two other Vietnamese films, namely ‘An Act of Affection’ by Viet Vu, and ‘The Unseen River’ by Pham Ngoc Lan.

‘A Trip to Heaven’ tells the story of 50-year-old woman named Tam, who bumps into her high school sweetheart on a tour bus to the Mekong Delta. Tam was hopeful for a chance of reconciliation, but maybe he was not.

Vietnamese painter wins awards for promoting intangible cultural heritage

Vietnamese painter Vu Duc Hieu, director of the Muong Cultural Space Museum, has won the 2020 Jeonju International Award for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage (JIAPICH).

Hieu and the two other finalists, namely Impacto, a non-governmental organisation founded in Mexico; and Asama, a non-profit organisation in Burkina Faso, stood apart from thirty-nine applicants from 27 countries on six continents.

According to the organising board, the activities of Vu Duc Hieu’s Museum of Muong Cultural Space could be considered as model activities for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage of minority people, resulting in assisting minority groups to affirm their cultural identity and promoting the establishment of the harmonious cultural diversity of the nation.

Party, State leader sends message to 75th UNGA session’s High-level General Debate

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong on September 25 (Vietnam time) sent an important message to the High-level General Debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which is taking place from September 22-29 in New York, USA.

In his message, the Vietnamese Party and State leader welcomed the theme of the session: “The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism – confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action”.

On behalf of the Vietnamese people, he took the occasion to express the deepest gratitude to countries and international friends for their generous support towards Vietnam’s past righteous struggle for national independence and present national development.

He also briefed the attendants on Vietnam’s remarkable achievements after thirty-five years of Doi Moi reform, while affirming that Vietnam will work harder to contribute to peace, friendship and cooperation in the region and the work, particularly when the country is assuming the dual role of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and rotating Chair of ASEAN in 2020.

Hanoi has new Chairman

Former Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh is elected as new chairman of Hanoi.

Vice Secretary of Hanoi’s Party Committee Chu Ngoc Anh was elected Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee for the 2016-2021 tenure with 95 out of 96 votes at the 16th session of the 15th Hanoi People’s Council on September 25.

In assuming his new position, Anh vowed to, together with People’s Committee staff, promote the spirit of solidarity and consensus and direct municipal authorities to continue following instructions of the municipal Party Committee and People’s Council.

Attention will be given to main missions to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development targets, promote the values of the capital city, and increase the city’s position and role, he added.

Earlier at the session, members of Hanoi People’s Council voted and agreed to dismiss Nguyen Duc Chung from the post as the municipal People’s Committee chair. On August 11, Chung was suspended from work under Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s decision, which said that the suspension has been made to serve the investigation into Chung’s involvement in some legal cases.

Vietnam enjoys US$3.78 billion in exports to EU since bilateral FTA taking effect

NDO – Vietnam enjoyed exports worth US$3.78 billion to the European Union (EU) in only one month since the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect at the beginning of August.

The latest statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that by the end of August, total export turnover from Vietnam to the EU had reached US$25.92 billion. In August alone, the figure reached US$3.78 billion.

Compared with the average of the first seven months this year, the export value to the EU in August was about US$600 million higher, thanks to the positive effects of the EVFTA.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the effective EVFTA has created a great opportunity for Vietnam’s exports, helping to diversify markets and products for Vietnam export activities, with some key Vietnamese products enjoying high tax cuts, such as agricultural products, fish, furniture, textiles, footwear and electronics. The EU has been the third largest market for Vietnamese exports for the past eight months.

Vietnam’s first commercial flight lands in Hanoi since border closure

Passengers perform entry procedures at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on September 25.

Operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, a return commercial flight from Seoul, the Republic of Korea (RoK), landed at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport at noon on September 25, marking a milestone in the restoration of the country’s air transport after months of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using an Airbus A350 airliner, flight No VN417 took off from Incheon International Airport in the RoK, bringing back about 100 passengers, mostly returning Vietnamese and Korean investors and experts.

Earlier in the morning, the outbound flight carried 164 passengers from Hanoi to Seoul.

The RoK is among the six destinations in Asia with which the Vietnamese Government has decided to resume international flights since the country sealed off its borders on March 22. The other destinations include Japan, China, Taiwan (China), Laos and Cambodia, which have the COVID-19 situation well under control.

Vietnam wins gold at 32nd International Olympiad in Informatics

All four candidates of the Vietnamese team participating in the 32nd International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) competition, which was held online on September 13-23, seized medals, including one gold medal, two silvers and one bronze.

The gold medal went to Bui Hong Duc, a 12th grader at the High School for Gifted Students under Hanoi National University. Duc was also the youngest member of the Vietnamese team, having also won a gold medal at the competition in 2019.

Vu Hoang Kien, a 12th grader, and Le Quang Huy, a 11th grader, from the High School for Gifted Students under Hanoi National University won silver medals at the competition. The bronze medal belonged to Tran Quang Thanh, a 12th grader at the High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi National University of Education.

MIC introduces Vietnamese virtual assistant platform

MIC introduces Vietnamese virtual assistant platform

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) on September 25 introduced a Vietnamese virtual assistant platform as developed by the Army Telecommunication Industry Corporation (Viettel).

Named the Viettel Cyberbot, the platform applies artificial intelligence technology (AI) in order to be able to understand the message customers want to convey and automatically improve the system continuously from real situations.

The virtual assistant has outstanding ability in language processing and can help Callbot’s voice reach a natural level, similar to 95% that of a real human voice. The platform also helps businesses build an automatic switchboard system through interacting with customers by message (Chatbot) or by voice (Callbot).

The distinctive feature of Viettel Cyberbot is the combination of speech processing technologies with Vietnamese natural language processing technology at the same time.

Video-making programme launched to advertise Vietnam’s land and people

Facebook, in partnership with popular Vietnamese artists, launched a video-making programme to advertise Vietnam’s land and people.

Entitled ‘Video for Vietnam’, the programme will run from September 20 to October 15, encouraging participants to film short videos on three topics of Vietnamese cuisine (indigenous meals and specialties), people (cultures of ethnic groups, and Vietnamese personalities), and land (natural landscapes across the country).

The videos should be made public on the entrant’s personal Facebook and Instagram accounts with the hashtag #VideoforVietNamChallenge.

The best entries will be screened at a closing ceremony which will be livestreamed on October 15.

Vietnam among best holiday destinations for 2021: CNTraveller

Vietnam ranks 13th among CNTraveller’s 21 best holiday destinations for 2021. (Photo: CNTraveller)

Vietnam’s effective control of COVID-19 has impressed prestigious US travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler (CNTraveler), as the magazine has listed the Southeast Asian country as among the best holiday destinations after the pandemic ends and for 2021 in its latest US and UK publications,.

Meanwhile, CNTraveller (CNTraveler’s publication in the UK) ranked Vietnam at 13th among its selection of the 21 best holiday destinations for 2021.

Some attractive points of Vietnamese tourism were highlighted in the CNTraveller article, such as high-end resorts, the North-South railway and community-based tourism.

AFC endorses full membership of Elite Youth Scheme to VFF

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has conferred the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) with full membership status in the AFC Elite Youth Scheme.

The AFC has also given the three-star status to the PVF Football Academy.

The AFC Elite Youth Scheme is an integral part of AFC’s Vision and Mission that is to improve playing standards and increase the possibility of success at the top level.

The development of aspiring young talents is at the core of these objectives, and AFC recognises and supports the Member Associations (MAs) in their efforts to further develop their elite youth programmes, including the grading of academies, in line with the criteria set by AFC.