17-year-old student wins programming competition for university students and engineers

Chi Thanh, a bronze medalist at the Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad, surpassed nearly 5,000 university students and IT engineers to become the champion of the Code Tour 2025 programming competition.

Nguyen Xuan Chi Thanh, 17, is currently a 12th-grade specialized informatics student at the High School for Gifted Students, University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

The student stated this is a significant achievement for his final academic year. He also values the opportunity to compete and learn from many older students and engineers, improving his time management, composure, and confidence.

In March, Chi Thanh was a member of the Vietnamese team competing in the Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad, where he won a bronze medal.

Code Tour 2025, co-organized by Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, and VNG, attracted 5,100 participants. Of these, 85% were university students, 12% were programmers who graduated within the last two years, and nearly 200 were high school students.

Candidates competed online for five weeks, from early October to present, through three qualifying rounds to select 60 finalists. The competition focused on algorithms and problem-solving skills.

Master Nguyen Hai Dang, Head of the Exam Board and from the Software Technology Lab, University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, stated that the problems were designed based on three factors: their ability to differentiate candidates, their relevance to modern real-world applications, and their potential to inspire passion in young people. He added that in each round, "code" represents not just a technical skill, but a challenging journey for contestants to develop courage, critical thinking, and creative spirit.