The 19th Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) kicked off at Hà Nội’s University of Science and Technology yesterday, attracting the participation of 188 contestants from 25 countries and territories.— Photo VGP

HÀ NỘI — The 19th Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO) kicked off at Hà Nội’s University of Science and Technology yesterday, attracting the participation of 188 contestants from 25 countries and territories.

APhO, held annually since 2000, is the premier physics competition for pre-university students aged 20 and below from Asian countries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Phùng Xuân Nhạ said that Việt Nam is honoured to be the host of the 19th Asian Physics Olympiad after 14 years of participation. He added that this reflects the international community’s recognition of and belief in the Vietnamese education’s development. Nhạ stressed that Việt Nam always considers basic sciences, including physics, to play an especially important role in boosting scientific and technological development, especially in the context of the fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Vietnamese Government will pay more attention to developments in the field of physics in the time ahead, he said.

APhO President Leong Chuan Kwek asked contestants to exchange with each other as much as possible, to learn from each other’s knowledge about physics, as well as each other’s aspirations, and their countries’ respective cultures.

Việt Nam will send eight contestants to the 19th APhO, which is taking place from May 6-13.

The 18th Asian Physics Olympiad 2017 took place in Yakutsk, Russia, from May 1-9, with the participation of 153 contestants from 22 countries and territories.

At the previous competition, Việt Nam received one gold medal, three silver medals, and three certificates. — VNS