Present at the event were Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung, Chairwoman of the Hanoi City People’s Council Nguyen Thi Doan Thanh and leaders of ministries, agencies and organisations across the country.

This was the sixth time such a ceremony had been held to encourage students to study hard and do scientific research well. Over the past five years, 499 outstanding students have been honoured, many of them are now working in universities and State agencies from central to grassroots levels.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the Hanoi City People’s Committee, Nguyen The Thao, praised the good achievements of the 99 excellent students in their 2008 academic year. He expressed his hope that these students will continue to study and work well in order to make active contributions to the common development of the country and of Hanoi capital in particular.

Local businesses and agencies should create better conditions for talented people to develop their ability and contribute to the nation’s socio-economic development, he added.

Secretary of the Hanoi City Youth Union, Nguyen Van Phong, said that since 2003, 59 top university graduates have been working in Hanoi. The municipal authorities have adopted many incentive policies aimed at nurturing their talents and help them pursue post-graduate studies.

Among 99 honoured students, 20 have an average academic record of over 9.0 points, 38 are Party members and 5 are also on top of other passing the tertiary entrance exams.