Lao students compete in Microsoft World Championship

Since its inception in 2002, the championship has been a technology skills competition for users of Microsoft Office, providing a platform for students to showcase their skill in using the programme's tools and gain the upper hand in today's competitive academic and professional marketplace.

 

Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Dr Kongsy Sengmany said that the competition is very important for young people in Laos as it is open to secondary, university and college students who are aged between 13 and 22, who can demonstrate their skill in using the various tools in the software programme which includes Microsoft Word and Excel, by entering the competition and having a chance to become the national winner, then moving on to compete with contestants from more than 100 countries in the world championship finals.

 

This is the second year of the competition in Laos that has been organised by the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports in partnership with IIG Education Laos Co. Ltd and it has selected 737 students from 46 institutes in six provinces around the country.

 

The first round of the competition will take place on February 14 in Xieng Khuang and Savannakhet. On February 21 it will be in Luang Prabang and Champassak. On February 28 it moves to Vientiane and Vientiane province and the final round will take place on March 4 in Vientiane.

 

Winner of the competition will receive five million kip, runner-up will get three million kip, and the third prize will be two million kip with each of the prize winners receiving a certificate from Microsoft and the Ministry of Education and Sports. The special bonus for the winner will be to compete in the world championship in Dallas, Texas, USA from August 9-12, with a chance to win the first prize of 40 million kip, second prize of 20 million kip and third prize 8 million kip.

 

The opening ceremony of the competition to select a student to represent Laos in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship took place at the Don Chan Palace hotel yesterday in Vientiane attended by Director of Education Quality Assurance of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr Vanxay Noraseng, Director of IIG Education Laos Co., Ltd, Ms Viengpaseuth Inthavong, along with representative teachers and students from the 46 educational institutes.