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Vietnam won two silver medals in its first-time participation in the 2012 World Physics Olympiad (WoPhO), which concluded Thursday in Indonesia.

The medalists were Ngo Phi Long, a student at Son La Specialized High School located in the northern province of Son La, and Dinh Ngoc Hai, enrolled at Bien Hoa Specialized High School, situated in the northern province of Ha Nam.

Long earlier bagged one of Vietnam’s two gold medals at the 43rd International Physics Olympiad held between July 15 and 24 last year in Estonia.

The Southeast Asian nation sent four contestants to the 2012 WoPhO, which was meant for students under 20.

Siyuan Wei from China won the competition and was awarded with US$15,000.

First held in Indonesia in 2011, the annual competition includes three rounds: Selection Round, Discussion Round, and Final Round.

The first round runs from February 1 to July 31 each year over the Internet. Contestants will solve ten theoretical problems, presented in English and the native language of the host country, which are designed to encourage them to study high-level physics.

Discussions, in English, will follow this round between August 1 and December 27, in which participants will discuss solutions to the ten theoretical problems.

The final round is held from December 28 to January 3 in each edition, and has three theoretical problems and two experimental tests, prepared in English, Russian, Chinese, and the native language of the host country.

The winner will be granted $20,000, but that amount will be cut to $15,000 if he/she used to win a gold medal at the Asian Physics Olympiad or International Physics Olympiad.