The Signing Ceremony of the MOU among the Ministry of Education and Training, Tuoi Tre Newspaper and IIG Vietnam on cooperation to co-organize the MOSWC for Vietnamese students within 5 years starting from 2015 took place, opening the MOSWC 2014 Award Ceremony in HCM City. The collaboration has marked a milestone in the 5-year development of the MOSWC in Vietnam, which has brought about considerable social significance. The MOSWC has created a healthy and practical playground for the youth of Vietnam and encouraged Vietnamese students to study and enhance their IT proficiency, which would, in turn, help to raise Vietnam’s workforce efficiency in the global economy. With the competition, Vietnamese students has gained access to international assessments of Microsoft office skills, thus, enhancing their IT literacy up to international standards. In addition, the competition has also selected the best candidates in each category representing Vietnam at the World Championship in the U.S.

Mr Doan Hong Nam (IIG Vietnam President), Mr Nguyen Vinh Hien (Deputy Minister of MoET), Mr Pham Đuc Hai (Tuoi Tre Editor-in-Chief) at the Signing Ceremony

The MOSWC 2014 has come to an end with honor given to 3 young IT talents of Southern provinces. Surpassing thousands of candidates coming from 174 school teams nationwide, they have become MOS ambassadors, who will represent Vietnam to compete as National Champions at the World Championship in California, USA from July 27 to 30, 2014. The MOSWC 2014 has also shown substantial progress of high school students since the title of “MOS ambassador” has been awarded to one of them for the first time.

• MOS PowerPoint Ambassador – Tran Phuc Duy, a 10^th grader of Dinh Thien Ly High school (HCM City), excellently “changed the stage of the game” by the Scenario test and achieved First Prize for MOS PowerPoint. Tran Phuc Duy also won First Prize at the local IT contest organized by HCM City DOET and IIG Vietnam “MOS Challenge Ho Chi Minh 2014”. He and the other two winners were qualified for the Final National Round of MOSWC 2014 in Vietnam. “It was the Yearbook project of Dinh Thien Ly high school that brought me to Microsoft PowerPoint. We have made full use of all Microsoft PowerPoint features to complete the Year Book both in term of graphic design and content. By designing the YearBook, I have accumulated a lot of skills and experience, which have helped me maximize points in the competition.”  Shared Tran Phuc Duy.

Mr Nguyen Vinh Hien (Deputy Minister of MoET) delivering a speech at the MOSWC 2014 Award Ceremony

• MOS Word Ambassador – Bui Huu Hong Hai is a student of HCM City University of Foreign Language and Information Technology (HUFLIT). In the MOSWC 2013, Bui Huu Hong Hai surpassed 5 other candidates with absolute points in shortest time to become a Champion of MOS Excel and went to the U.S to compete in the Final Round of MOSWC 2013. In 2014, he preserves his record of excellence to become an MOS Word Ambassador. “My preparations for the World Championship 2014 would include all the experience I have gained from the World Championship 2013, advice from preceding students of HUFLIT, and especially the trust from my teachers and friends. I strongly believe that I will not disappoint them all. I will try my best to gain recognition at the competition.” Said Bui Huu Hong Hai.

3 National Champions: Tran Phuc Duy (Dinh Thien Ly High School), Bui Huu Hong Hai (HUFLIT) and Tran Minh Tien (BUH)

• MOS Excel Ambassador – Tran Minh Tien is a student of Banking University of HCM City (BUH). Being dissatisfied with his achievement as the MOS Excel first runner-up in the MOSWC 2013, Tran Minh Tien has made great efforts to attain higher place in the MOSWC 2014 and gained a ticket in a Vietnam team to the U.S. “I always see studying as a process of absorbing knowledge. Studying is, therefore, not a burden but an interesting journey. When you accumulate knowledge actively and enjoyably, studying is not hard at all. That is my studying method. Moreover, “always challenge yourself” is one of the secrets that helped me to gain success in studying,” said Tran Minh Tien.

The MOSWC 2014 has proved to be attractive and practical to school students. They have made a lot of efforts to gain higher ranks in the National Final Round as well as the International arena. The Contest was previously popular among degree level students, who are preparing themselves with office skills for future career. But nowadays, participation has expanded by 35% to Junior and Senior High School students. High School students have also achieved impressive results at the competition with 16 out of 90 contestants entering the Final National Round and winning 1 ticket to the World Championship 2014.

The competition has also recognized impressive achievements of these institutions: HCMC University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology and HCMC Banking University achieved to be in the National Final and have candidates in the World Finale for 5 consecutive years; Hanoi Foreign Trade University has the biggest number of prize winning contestants with 2 second prizes and 3 consolation prizes; Thai Nguyen University of Economic and Business Management has winning contestants in the National Final for the first time with 2 consolation prizes; Ton Duc Thang University  started to standardize MOS for class of 2014’s graduation requirements, and for the first time having a contestant in the National Final with a consolation prize; Foreign Trade University Number 2 has 1 consolation prize; HCMC Economic University has 1 third prize and 1 consolation prize; HCMC Tran Dai Nghia high school and secondary school has 1 second prize and 1 consolation prize; HCMC Dinh Thien Ly high school and secondary school has 1 first prize. HCMC Banking University has the biggest number of contestants at the National Final of MOSWC 2014 with 18 contestants, followed by Hanoi Foreign Trade University with 15 contestants.

The National Champions will compete for the title of “World Champion” in the World Championship final in the U.S and have a chance to win up to $5,000. In addition, they will gain better access to career opportunities at Viettel (Platinum Sponsor accompanying the MOSWC for the past 4 years), VP Bank (Golden Sponsor), ED and Microsoft (Silver sponsor), Sanako (Bronze sponsor), and Jetstar (Transportation Sponsor).