Socialist Republic of Vietnam

A Vietnamese student recently outdid 20,000 contestants from around the world to snatch the first Algorithm prize at Microsoft’s annual Imagine Cup 2005 final in Yokohama, Japan.

Twenty-two-year-old Nguyen Phuong Ngoc from northern Hai Phong city claimed the prestigious prize of the nine-category competition for students from across the globe.

Currently enrolled at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, Ngoc was twice mistaken for being a Singaporean representative during the contest, he said.

However, Ngoc always asserted his Vietnamese nationality proudly, underlining the importance of representing his country at the competition.

Pressure to perform

In March 2005, the math enthusiast was shocked to learn he had only one week left to solve the problems to be among the 200 to enter the competition’s second round.

After a full week of solving the problems, Ngoc was relieved to see his name among those to enter the second round in 49th position.

While other competitors had solved over two-thirds of the second round’s math problems, Ngoc, along with two other Vietnamese students, was away representing Nanyang University at the Olympic Student IT contest in Shanghai, China.

Back from the Olympics, Ngoc was once again left with a one-week deadline. He managed to solve 24 questions with the most puzzling question left unsolved as time was running out.

Undaunted, Ngoc managed to tackle the problem, among only twelve contestants to be able to solve the question and six to enter the final.

Reported by Nguyen Hong Minh – Translated by Ngoc Hanh.
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 02 August, 2005, 21:31:41 (GMT+7)
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