The silver medal was awarded to Nguyen Tien Loc, an 11th grader from High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University.

Elsewhere, two bronze medals went to Tran Pham Manh, a 12th grader from High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, and Vu The Anh, a 12th grader from Vinh Phuc province’s High School for the Gifted.

The IBO is a biological contest specifically for high school students under the age 20. The first IBO was held in Czechoslovakia in 1990 and it has since taken place annually. 

This year’s competition was held from July 2 to July 11 in the UAE, drawing the participation of 320 students from 80 countries and 300 members to judge the contest, along with a group of international biology experts.

Vietnam has sent contestants to the competition for many years. At the IBO 2016 hosted by Vietnam for the first time, the country won a gold, a silver, and two bronze medals. 

At the 2018 contest, Nguyen Phuong Thao from High School for Gifted Students under the Hanoi University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, ranked first out of 261 contestants and also marked the highest personal achievement of any Vietnamese student having attended the IBO so far.