The Math and Science Summer Program – MaSSP 2018 opened on June 25th, 2018 at the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi – USTH (also called Vietnam France University), the main sponsor of the program.
Attending the event was Prof. Patrick Boiron – Rector of USTH – and staff of the university, the organization board of MaSSP. As many as 54 high school students from 19 cities and provinces across the country and their mentors, who were studying and working at leading universities in Vietnam and abroad also participated in the opening ceremony.
This is the third time the program has been organized by a group of young people who are students and former students specialized in mathematics and Science in the USTH. It aims to connect students who are passion ate about science and to provide youngsters with comprehension of research and application of mathematics and science in daily life. This year’s event takes place in 13 days from June 25th to July 7th, 2018 at USTH.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Patrick Boiron expressed his delight when USTH was chosen to become the sponsor of facilities and organizational support for MaSSP 2018.
This is a great opportunity for USTH to join with MaSSP to bring an exciting experience and help high school students with love for science to soon find a way for their future, said Prof. Patrick Boiron.
On behalf of the organizing board of MaSSP 2018, Ms. Vu Minh Chau – co-founder and mentor of the program – sincerely thanked sponsors as well as students participating in this summer camp.
According to Chau, MaSSP was first held in 2016 after four months of intensive preparation with two subjects Math and Computer Science and only 23 students.
After 3 years of designing and improving the curriculum, MaSSP courses have expanded to four subjects including Math, Computer Science, Physics and Chemistry in 2017 and two new courses, Biology and Environment Science in 2018.
With the sponsorship of the Institute of Mathematics and support of other organizations and individuals, including USTH, MaSSP hopes to continue to be a playground for individuals who love science to learn knowledge and skills, as well as a bridge bringing the world’s most advanced scientific knowledge to the young generation of Vietnam, and fostering their passion, Chau said.
Nguyen Quang Minh, a grade -12 student of the High School for the Gifted in Ho Chi Minh City, was shortlisted from over 750 candidates to become a mentee of the summer. Like other mentee, Minh hopes to learn new knowledge, especially in Computer Science, and makes new friends during the program.
During two weeks of the program, mentees will be divided into small groups working on a research topic related to their chosen subject area under their mentor’s guidance. Team work, presentations and lab experiments are expected to provide valuable and rewarding experiences to the program’s mentees.
