Three students participating in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship (MOSWC) 2015 in Vietnam were awarded with gold medals at a ceremony held in Hanoi on June 16.

Tran Tien Minh from the Ho Chi Minh City Banking University earned the honour at the Microsoft Word category. He is the only candidate to top the list from the national qualifying round to the final round.

Meanwhile, Pham Truong Giang and Nguyen Thi Hien Gia, both from the Hanoi Foreign Trade University, won berths at the Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint categories, respectively.

The trio will represent Vietnam to compete in the world final round in Dallas, Texas the United States on August 9-12 this year.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien, said the competition is intended to sharpen computer skills among students.

Computing and foreign languages are compulsory for students to seek employment in Vietnam and ASEAN member countries, especially when the ASEAN Economic Community is established by the end of this year, he added.

Organised by the Ministry of Education and Training, the IIG Vietnam Company, the military-run telecom group Viettel, and the Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper, the MOSWC drew over 1,500 candidates across the country.-VNA