In the days before his students’ Informatics exams, Professor Nguyen Quoc Long drills them day and night. During the competition, he cannot rest without knowing how well they are doing against students from the country’s other leading universities. When his students are awarded their prizes, he smiles broadly, happy with their excellent results.
Professor Nguyen Quoc Long in class
Professor Nguyen Quoc Long is a member of the DTU School of Computer Science (SCS) and considers teaching to be much more than just a career, it is his life’s biggest passion!
A love of teaching
In 2012, Professor Nguyen Quoc Long graduated in Management Information Systems (MIS) from the Danang University of Economics and, because of his love of standing at the lectern and educating students, he decided to join DTU as a lecturer in Computer Science, rather than becoming an IT engineer.
“I love teaching,” he says. “I don’t teach solely for money or status, but simply because it’s my passion. I’m most happy when I’m on the podium teaching my knowledge and skills to my students. I’m excited as I watch them studying hard in class, which makes me enjoy my work even more. I want to continue teaching for as long as possible.”
In 2015, Professor Nguyen Quoc Long went on to obtain a Master’s degree and currently teaches topics such as Data Structures & Algorithms, Basic Programming, Management Information Systems and Accounting Information Systems. He is always thinking of new ways to motivate his students in every lesson.
“My usual teaching method is by devising practical war games. I always plan the most realistic exercises to elicit the most productive responses. As a result, my students are never bored and learn how to apply their knowledge and skills most effectively in real-life situations, so they’ll perform their work efficiently and won’t fall out of place.”
Professor Nguyen Quoc Long emphasizes that, “I don’t want to be with my students solely for studies. I also share their good and troubled times and help them, if possible, in all facets of their lives. As we become closer to each other, I can understand their thoughts and aspirations better and adjust our teaching and study methods for the maximum efficiency.”
“In conclusion, when these issues are resolved, they are able to fully concentrate on the goals they set themselves.”
An experienced teacher invariably guides students to success
When he was a student, Professor Nguyen Quoc Long won several prizes, including:
? A third non-specialist prize at the national Informatics Olympiad
? A second non-specialist prize at the national ACM-ICPC, a programming contest.
With this experience, Professor Long has been given the responsibility of counseling and preparing the selected by DTU teams to compete in the Informatics Olympiads and ACM-ICPCs competitions.
Professor Long’s Vietnam Association for Information Processing Certificate of Merit
“Contests like the Informatics Olympiads and ACM-ICPCs always have new characteristics and become more difficult annually,” he explains. “This involves staying up to date with the latest information before teaching it, to keep my students absolutely current.
“I have taken part in several contests and clearly understand the intricacies of each, so I never put pressure on my students to win. I only remind them to flexibly apply their knowledge efficiently and encourage them to sharpen their thinking and practical skills at the same time.”
Professor Long (on the right) with colleagues and students at an Informatics contest
Since 2012, Professor Long and his colleagues have mentored many DTU teams to gain impressive achievements at Informatics Olympiads and ACM-ICPCs competitions, including:
? A second prize at the online ACM-ICPC for Central Vietnam in 2015
? A second prize at Procon in 2020
? Two second non-specialist prizes and two specialist consolation prizes at the 29th Vietnam Student Informatics Olympiad in 2020
? A third specialist prize at the 30th Vietnam student Informatics Olympiad in 2021
? A prize at the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) of Asia in Hanoi in 2021
In recognition of Professor Long’s devotion to lecturing, DTU has awarded him several Certificates of Merit. Recently and he also received a Certificate of Merit from the Vietnam Association for Information Processing for his achievements in mentoring highly successful students at the 2020 Vietnam Student Informatics Olympiad”.
As the new academic year approaches, Professor Nguyen Quoc Long is in the process of developing the highest quality lecture curricula and materials to captivate his classes and equip them for even greater achievements at DTU and in their future careers.
(Media Center)