The 19th Asian Physics Olympiad, an annual contest in physics for high school students, kicked off on Sunday at the Hanoi-based University of Science and Technology, one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Vietnam.

The competition for students under 20 this time has 188 candidates from 25 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the organizer.

Vietnam sends eight contestants to the contest, which takes place from May 6 to 13.

Each student participant was trained in a special fashion prior to the competition, according to Leong Chuan Kwek, the Asian Physics Olympiad’s president.

He advised them to engage themselves in conversations with each other for a mutual understanding of the culture and aspirations of their foreign friends.

Experts said that the Asian Physics Olympiad, first held in 2000, serves to motivate high school students to improve their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and fields important to the growth of what is commonly called Industry 4.0, which capitalizes on automation and computing.

Vietnam, now hosting its second contest since 2004, has attained notable achievements in the previous events.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!