Some 400 domestic and foreign leaders in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector gathered at the Vietnam ICT Summit 2011, which was held for the first time in Hanoi on June 10.

Truong Gia Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Software Association said the ICT sector acts as soft infrastructure to help speed up national socio-economic development. He added that the ICT industry in Vietnam has yet to develop strongly, but enjoys a continuous high growth rate and contributed to the country’s modernisation.

The President of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance, Dan E. Khoo, said that ICT would totally change people’s lives in every field, including politics, society and recreation. Enterprises needed to grasp every possible chance and catch the common trend of the world to develop, he said.

Participants to the event pointed out important factors which helped enhance the competitive capacity of the ICT sector, such as the role of management and application of new technology. They also proposed changes to education to improve knowledge on the ICT industry, while creating the most favourable conditions for business to develop and apply modern information technology in Vietnam.

Human resources issues also attracted the interest of many delegates from the Ministry of Education and Training, universities and recruiters. They all agreed that Vietnam boasted plentiful, young and industrious human resources, however, their experience, soft skills and foreign language qualifications have yet to meet international standards./.