“Calling Olympia champions talented is a bit too “exaggerated”

Journalist Nguyen Nhu Mai - who has been a consultant for the General Knowledge field for the program "Road to Olympia" for 20 years shared that she has heard many "variations" of the unofficial name such as "Road to Australia", "A place to select talents for Australia", "Searching for talents to study abroad in Australia". However, calling the champion who climbs to the "Olympia peak" "national talent" is a bit too much, and can even cause misunderstanding.

Journalist Nguyen Nhu Mai (red shirt) - 20-year advisor of the program Road to Olympia. Photo: NVCC

According to Mr. Mai, this is not a “brain drain” situation, but it is showing signs of this phenomenon. If the country does not respect and use talented people so that they can go to work and contribute in other countries, it will be a real brain drain.

After each Olympia season, the story of champions receiving scholarships to study in Australia and then not returning to Vietnam is discussed by many people. And we are worried about the so-called “brain drain” when the number of Olympia champions who finish their studies and do not return home is increasing.

Calling Olympia champions talented is a bit too "exaggerated".

“I have been with this program for 20 years as an HBC (General Knowledge) Advisor and have heard many variations of the name. There is a reason for this association. Because the champions are all offered scholarships and accepted into Australian universities. Many people think that we are preparing a feast for them to snatch. Whether or not this is a “national talent” that needs to be “preserved”, we will discuss further,” said journalist Nhu Mai.

Mr. Mai believes that Olympia champions are excellent students, who have been screened through the competition in a worthy manner. However, many other students who did not win the laurel wreath are sometimes just less fortunate. This can be considered a “talent search” program that is widely known, but it is not the only one. There are many famous schools that have trained many excellent students, or candidates who have won prizes in international Olympiads. In my opinion, they are not inferior but even better.

“Therefore, calling the champions who climbed to the “Olympia peak” “national talents” is a bit too much, and can even cause misunderstanding. They only have a foundation of knowledge to learn and develop, and some of them can become national talents in the future (maybe). They still have to overcome many more difficult peaks than the Olympia peak of this competition,” Mr. Mai stated his opinion.

After every final match, it is not uncommon to see "congratulations" like this.

It cannot be called a "brain drain" yet.

So is this a warning about the brain drain as people fear?

The program's advisor said that this is not a "brain drain" situation, but it is showing signs of this phenomenon.

According to the advisor, if the country does not value and use talented people to go work and contribute in other countries, it will be a real brain drain. Currently, there are many talented Vietnamese people abroad in many fields, including world-class celebrities. But we have not been able to attract them back, let alone...

Mr. Mai said that the reason why most of the champions of this program, when they first step out into the world, stay in Australia, is due to many reasons.

Mr. Mai affirmed that, first of all, as our ancestors used to say, “good land attracts birds”. Students who study abroad receive an advanced education. After graduation, they have jobs and a prosperous life. There is a creative working environment to develop their talents.

Meanwhile, if they return home, they have to run around to get a job. They go to work in jobs that are not in their field of expertise, and even have to bow down and serve an ignorant boss. Without the opportunity to demonstrate their talents, life is miserable and miserable…

“I ask you honestly, if you were me, would you stay? I also conducted a “sociological survey” by asking parents if they wanted their children to stay. Almost all of them answered, why stay, I can’t even hope for it,” the consultant shared.

The consultant said that the "brain drain" issue is not something to be obsessed with: "I answered, with more than a dozen students winning a knowledge competition and then being able to study abroad, it is not a brain drain."

“But broadly speaking, brain drain is a bad thing, not a good thing. Our ancestors have said on the stone stele of the doctorate: “Talents are the vital energy of a nation. When vital energy is strong, the country will be strong and rise; when vital energy is weak, the country will be weak and fall” - Mr. Mai expressed his opinion./.