On the morning of April 12, 2025, the Closing Ceremony of the Final Round of the 7th Central – Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad 2026 (OLP MT–TN) was held. The event was hosted by Vietnam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang, in coordination with the Vietnam Informatics Association, ICPC Vietnam, the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, and Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, Da Nang, with the support of Hanwha Life and the ChorogUsan for Children (South Korea). The Olympiad serves as an engaging and meaningful platform that fosters a passion for learning, encourages continuous knowledge updating, and promotes the practice and innovation of programming solutions, thereby contributing to the development of high-quality human resources for the Central Highlands region in particular and for the nation as a whole.

Overview of the Closing Ceremony

Attending the Closing Ceremony, representatives of the Steering Committee and the Organizing Committee included: Dr. Nguyen Long – Vice President of the Vietnam Informatics Association, Director of ICPC Vietnam, Co-Head of the Steering Committee, and Head of the Jury; Mr. Pham Tan Ngoc Thuy – Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training and Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee; Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho – Vice Rector of VKU, Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee; and Mr. Le Thanh Hai – Principal of Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, Da Nang.

Representing domestic and international distinguished guests were: Mr. Oh Jungtaek – Acting Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Da Nang; Ms. Youn Hyewon – Consul; Mr. Lim Suk Hyun – Senior Executive Vice President of Hanwha Life Insurance Group (Korea); Mr. Hwang Jun Hwan – Chairman of the Members’ Council and Chief Executive Officer of Hanwha Life Vietnam; Ms. Shin Joungwon – Director of Corporate Social Impact Initiatives at the ChorogUsan for Children Foundation (Korea); and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thanh Bac – Vice President of the University of Danang, along with leaders of affiliated departments.

From VKU, attendees included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh – Secretary of the Party Committee; Dr. Tran The Son – Vice Rector; and leaders of various units under the university. Also present were members of the Steering Committee, Organizing Committee, Jury, Problem Setting Committee, representatives of the Vietnam Informatics Association and ICPC Vietnam, school principals, delegation leaders, supervising teachers, and parents from 248 specialized high schools, high schools, secondary schools, and primary schools with contestants qualifying for the Final Round, as well as a large number of VKU students and finalists.

Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho – Vice Rector of VKU, Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee delivers remarks

In his closing remarks, Dr. Huynh Ngoc Tho, Vice Rector of VKU, emphasized the success of the Final Round of the 7th Central – Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad after two days of vibrant, serious, and inspiring competition. The contest brought together 996 outstanding students, showcasing strong academic competence, sharp logical thinking, and a spirit of fair competition. He also acknowledged and highly appreciated the thorough preparation of participating delegations, the integrity of the contestants, and the dedication of the Organizing Committee and Jury. He expressed sincere gratitude to partner organizations, sponsors, and relevant agencies for contributing to a high-quality and professional academic platform. VKU extended its congratulations to high-achieving contestants and expressed hope that today’s accomplishments would serve as a solid foundation for them to continue developing and making meaningful contributions to the fields of digital technology and the digital economy in the future.

Dr. Nguyen Long – Vice President of the Vietnam Informatics Association, Director of ICPC Vietnam, Co-Head of the Steering Committee and Head of the Jury delivers remarks

Representing the Vietnam Informatics Association and ICPC Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen Long highly praised the scale and quality of the 2026 Central – Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad, acknowledging the well-structured, professional, and dedicated organization by VKU. This year’s Olympiad was successfully organized, establishing a prestigious academic platform that approaches international standards, highlighted by the team-based competition format in the AI Challenge category. He also expressed particular admiration for the participation of many outstanding students, including members of national academic teams and candidates recently selected for international competitions.  A notable highlight of this year’s Olympiad was the strong participation from schools in remote and underserved areas, contributing to the widespread promotion of informatics education and expanding access to technology for students across the region.

Mr. Lim Suk Hyun – Senior Executive Vice President of Hanwha Life delivers remarks

Representing the sponsoring partner, Mr. Lim Suk Hyun, Senior Executive Vice President of Hanwha Life Insurance Group (Korea), expressed his deep impression of the success of the 7th Central – Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad, while highly appreciating the contestants’ capabilities, progressive mindset, and determination to overcome challenges, noting that their performances were not only the result of persistent effort but also demonstrated their potential to become a core force leading the digital era in the future, and affirming that participation in the competition serves as a valuable foundation for each contestant’s long-term development, while also recognizing and commending the role of VKU in organizing a high-quality academic platform that functions as a nurturing environment for developing technological talent and expanding Vietnam’s digital workforce, and emphasizing that in the context of rapid digital transformation, Hanwha Life will continue its support not only as a sponsor but also by fostering meaningful development opportunities, thereby contributing to the establishment of a sustainable ecosystem for talent development in the future.

Following the preliminary round held on February 28, 2026, which attracted 3,046 students from 502 specialized high schools, high schools, secondary schools, and primary schools across 34 provinces and cities nationwide competing in four categories, including the AI Challenge, the Super Cup (for members of national informatics teams), the Specialized Informatics category (for students majoring in informatics at specialized high schools), and the Non-specialized Informatics category (for other participants), with the collaboration of reputable experts from the Vietnam Informatics Association, ICPC Vietnam, and VKU, the exam questions were rigorously developed to ensure high quality, strong differentiation, and fairness, and based on the results, school teams selected 996 outstanding contestants from 248 schools nationwide to advance to the Final Round, including 53 teams (158 contestants) in the AI Challenge category, 146 contestants in the Super Cup category, 233 contestants in the Specialized Informatics category, and 459 contestants in the Non-specialized Informatics category.

All examination sets across the four categories – AI Challenge, Super Cup, Specialized Informatics, and Non-specialized Informatics – were ensured in terms of quality, reliability, and confidentiality, and were developed by a problem-setting committee comprising reputable experts nominated by the Vietnam Informatics Association and ICPC Vietnam, under the leadership of Mr. Nguyen Long, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Informatics Association and Director of ICPC Vietnam, with academic coordination by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Phan Thuan (Vietnam Informatics Association), Dr. Do Duc Dong (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Dr. Tran Tien Cong, and Dr. Pham Duc Cuong (Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology), along with experts and lecturers from VKU.

Championship Trophy Awarded for the AI Challenge Category

Championship Trophies Awarded for the Super Cup, Specialized Informatics, and Non-specialized Informatics Categories

In summary of the 7th Central – Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad, the Organizing Committee awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze medals and Consolation prizes across the competition categories as follows:

• AI Challenge Category: The DoHaRaNa team (from the High School for the Gifted, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City) won the Championship title, while the 9Try team (from Phan Chau Trinh High School, Da Nang) secured the First Prize, along with 02 Second Prizes, 03 Third Prizes, and 23 Consolation prizes.
• Super Cup Category: 14 Gold medals; 21 Silver medals; 29 Bronze medals; and 35 Consolation prizes.
• Specialized Informatics Category: 25 Gold medals; 33 Silver medals; 47 Bronze medals; and 56 Consolation prizes.
• Non-specialized Informatics Category: 42 Gold medals; 62 Silver medals; 82 Bronze medals; and 133 Consolation prizes

In addition, high-performing students and teams received valuable awards as follows:

+ Championship Awards: The top-ranked student in each category (03 awards for 3 categories) received a trophy and a cash prize of VND 5,000,000 per award, including: Hoang Hai Minh – Trieu Son 5 High School, Thanh Hoa (Non-specialized Informatics category); Pham Dai Nam – Nguyen Tat Thanh High School for the Gifted, Quang Ngai (Specialized Informatics category); and Dang Huy Hau – Thang Long High School for the Gifted, Lam Dong (Super Cup category).

+ Runner-up Awards: The second-ranked student in each category (03 awards for 3 categories) received a trophy and a cash prize of VND 3,000,000 per award;

+ Third-place Awards: The third-ranked student in each category (03 awards for 3 categories) received a trophy and a cash prize of VND 2,000,000 per award;

+ Talent Awards: A total of 60 Talent Awards (across 3 categories), each worth VND 1,000,000, were presented to the next 20 highest-scoring students in each category.

In addition, three Best Overall Team Awards (valued at VND 3,000,000 each) were presented to the top-performing institutions in each category, specifically: the Best Overall Team in the Non-specialized Informatics category was Chi Lang High School, Gia Lai; in the Specialized Informatics category was Nguyen Tat Thanh High School for the Gifted, Quang Ngai; and in the Super Cup category was the High School for the Gifted, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City.

The total value of prizes awarded to outstanding students and teams reached VND 110,000,000 (one hundred and ten million Vietnamese dong).

Furthermore, contestants who achieved First, Second, Third, and Consolation prizes will be given priority in university admission scoring and are entitled to other benefits in accordance with the admission regulations of Vietnam–Korea University of Information and Communication Technology, the University of Danang (https://vku.udn.vn and http://tuyensinh.vku.udn.vn/), as well as those of other universities.

Moreover, to provide the most favorable conditions for students from provinces and cities outside Da Nang to participate in the Final Round, the Organizing Committee offered comprehensive support, including accommodation arrangements and the provision of official competition uniforms for all contestants, parents, and teachers throughout the duration of the event.

The 7th Central – Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad 2026 marks a significant milestone in its continuous development, reflecting ongoing efforts in innovation, creativity, and the enhancement of quality and prestige, reaching the standards of national and international competitions, and as a leading and the only public university in the Central Highlands region, VKU reaffirms its commitment to working closely with partners, organizations, and enterprises to realize the “Central Region Dream,” thereby contributing to the training and supply of high-quality human resources in information technology, communications, and the digital economy for the nation and global integration.

Center for Learning Resource and Communication

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