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Erasmus+ REAL project First General Meeting and First Open Session held in Vientiane

On 31 March - 2 April 2025, the First General Meeting of the REAL - Reforming higher education in Laos: installing the culture of comprehensive internal quality assurance necessary for implementing outcomes-based approach – Erasmus+ project was hosted by National University of Laos. It brought together experts and representatives from Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES), National University of Laos (NUOL), Souphanouvong University (SU), Champassak University (CU), and Savannakhet University (SKU), and representatives of the 17 higher education programmes directly involved in the project and resource persons from the project European partners.

The project is coordinated by the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. The other project European partners are Polytechnical University of Madrid (Spain), University of Poitiers (France) and Association of Tuning Experts and Educators (Spain).

The REAL project, co-funded by the European Union, aims to promote structural reform for the effective implementation of the outcomes-based approach, creating strategies, mechanisms and resources essential to modernize the Lao Higher Education System. In alignment with the project’s aim, Prof. Dr. Dexanourath Seneduangdeth, NUOL’s Acting President highlighted that, “We recognize that delivering high-quality educational programs and adopting contemporary teaching-learning approaches, such as outcome-based education, are essential for fostering student mobility, credit transfer recognition, and improved graduate employability”.

MOES and the four public Lao universities will work together for four years in order to:

Develop strategies that can ensure the relevance of higher education sector, allowing universities in Laos to meet the socio-economic needs of the country,
Implement mechanisms that can ensure feasibility of higher education programmes, supporting sustainable structural improvement & innovation at the level of Lao Higher Education System,
Increase the capacities of individual academics, programme teams & universities in order to ensure the effectiveness of teaching required to implement and monitor the reform process, and
Engage competent authorities at national and institutional level in defining and fostering full adoption of comprehensive Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) efforts that can ensure coherent and sustainable structural changes.

Linking to the project work lines, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lavanh Vongkhamsane, Director General of Higher Education Department, MOES, said “As Laos continues to develop and modernize its educational system, it has become increasingly clear that the current higher education framework needs to evolve to meet the demands of a globalized world.”

17 undergraduate programmes will lead the process - Food Technology, English Language, Transportation and Logistics Engineering, Livestock, and Business Management at NUOL; Electrical Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, English Language, and Tourism & Hospitality at SU; Electrical Engineering, Transportation Engineering & Logistics Engineering, Animal Science, and Rural Development & Business Extension at SKU; and Food Technology, Veterinary Medicine, English Language, and Livestock at CU - with university authorities from the four institutions and MOES joining efforts to ensure structural impact on all programmes of the four public higher education institutions and on Lao Higher Education System as a whole.

On April 3, 2025, the project was presented to a wider audience in the REAL First Open Session. Representatives from the REAL programme teams explained how the structural reform will be achieved and how students, academics, labour market representatives, and other key actors - including upper secondary school teachers and learners - can get involved and contribute to the success of the reform. MOES representatives and university leaders commented on the role to be played by higher education authorities from Lao higher education institutions - both public and private - and of the Ministry of Education and Sports in ensuring the desired impact and sustainability. The audience attending the Open Session included representatives from diverse industries in Lao labour market, such as tourism and hospitality, transportation, food processing, banking, hydropower, and agriculture.

National University of Laos (NUOL) marked a significant step towards sustainable tourism education with the launch of the Tourism-Zero Project

The event, held on February 28th, signifies the beginning of a 36-month initiative (2024-2027) aimed at equipping higher education institutions (HEIs) with the tools and knowledge necessary to address environmental challenges within the tourism sector.

The Tourism-Zero Project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme on Capacity Building in Higher Education, focuses on enhancing the quality and relevance of academic offerings to tackle environmental degradation and meet the growing market demand for sustainable zero-waste management, particularly in hospitality and tourism.

The launch event, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ounla Sivanpheng, Vice President of NUOL, drew a diverse audience of over 80 participants. Attendees included HEI academics, representatives from various ministries, the EU Delegation Office to Laos, the Association of Tourism Business, tourism agencies, students, and alumni.

The project's core deliverables include the development and piloting of four innovative courses on zero-waste tourism at HEIs in Asia. These courses will be designed to provide students with practical skills and knowledge to minimize environmental impact within the tourism industry. Furthermore, the project will focus on training academics with innovative pedagogies and teaching methods, ensuring the effective implementation of these new courses.

Recognizing the need for continuous learning within the workforce, the Tourism-Zero Project will also open these courses to tourism professionals already in the labor market. This initiative will provide opportunities for reskilling and upskilling, enabling them to address the environmental challenges stemming from tourism activities.

The Tourism-Zero Project represents a collaborative effort to foster sustainable practices and promote a circular economy within the tourism sector, ultimately contributing to a more environmentally conscious and resilient future.

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INNO4Tourism Career Support Office Launch Event

13 February 2025, Vientiane, National University of Laos (NUOL) officially launched the INNO4Tourism Career Support Office, at the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, National University of Laos. The ceremony was chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dexanourath Seneduangdeth, Acting President of National University of Laos and Attaché of the Delegation of the European Union to the Lao PDR. About 60 participants including faculty members, students, representatives from government agencies, tourism business associations, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), and the private sector attended the event.

Following the welcoming remarks of NUOL’s Acting President and Mrs. Cecile Leroy’s congratulatory remarks of Attaché, Green Deal: Environment, Forestry, Biodiversity, of the Delegation of the European Union to the Lao PDR, the participants have a chance to learn about the INNO4Tourism Career Support Office and the INNO4Trousim Project as a whole through presentations by project team members followed by discussion and a tour in the Office.

The INNO4Tourism Career Support Office was established as a part of the Innovative Curricula on Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Tourism Workforce (INNO4Tourism) Project, which is a co-funding project for 2023-2026, with support from the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme on Capacity Building in Higher Education with the total budget of €748,054 for nine higher education institutions (HEIs) and organizations in Asia and Europe, namely National University of Laos and Savannakhet University in Lao PDR; and Prince of Sonkla University, Chiang Mai University and Phouket Tourist Business Association in Thailand; University of Palermo and CESIE in Italy; University of Macedonia and SYMPLEXIS in Greece.

The INNO4Tourism Career Support Office is an ideal setting to provide career advices, facilitate job search and application, and functions as a place for finding internship and career related-information hub for faculty members and students. The services will foster university-business partnerships, collaboration between students and prospect employers through face-to-face and online platforms. In addition, the Office is staffed with academics and professionals who are able to provide career mentoring and advice to enhance employability of the graduates.

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NUOL Hosts Creativity and Innovation Workshop in Collaboration with UCD-IA and VNU

From November 4 to 8, 2024, the National University of Laos (NUOL) hosted a transformative training workshop on creativity and innovation. This event was organized in collaboration with University College Dublin – Innovation Academy (UCD-IA), Ireland, and Vietnam National University (VNU), Vietnam, with the aim of preparing graduates for the demands of the 21st century.

The workshop was financially supported by Irish Aid and co-funded by UCD-IA. It focused on team and community building for learning, igniting creativity and innovation, and design thinking. The sessions were held both on- and off-campus, allowing students to practice empathy in authentic circumstances, identify key issues, and propose innovative solutions.

Acting President of NUOL, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dexanourath Seneduangdeth, highlighted the significance of the workshop, stating, “The workshop organized at our university presents an excellent opportunity to enhance our cooperation and strengthen the capacity building of academics and students with a focus on creativity and innovation. Indeed, it is expected that our academics and students will be creative and innovative in their field of study and research, as well as in the process of knowledge application.”

A total of 22 academics and 40 students participated in the workshop, engaging in various activities designed to foster creativity and innovation. The event is seen as a significant step towards building sustainable partnerships and enhancing the skills of future graduates.

Training on University-Business Cooperation Mechanisms Held at National University of Laos

Vientiane, Laos – From October 16 to 18, 2024, the National University of Laos in collaboration with University of Macedonia, Greece, hosted a three-day Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop focused on the University-Business Cooperation (UBC) mechanism, as part of the INNO4Tourism Project. The workshop drew participation from 27 academics and administrators, who attended either in person or online. They are from faculties of economics and business management, forestry sciences (ecotourism), social sciences (tourism and hotel management), and letters (French for tourism), and offices of international relations, academic affairs, and student affairs.

This training program aimed to equip higher education institution (HEI) staff with the necessary skills to establish and enhance active cooperation mechanisms with the business sector and relevant stakeholders. It emphasized the importance of holistic career services that facilitate effective partnerships and career development opportunities for students.

The training was structured into three parts. The first segment focused on the foundational principles of UBC, introducing participants to benefits and challenges of UBC. The second part delved into holistic career services, providing insights into integrating lessons learned from UBC mechanisms into career development frameworks. Lastly, the third segment emphasized practical implementation, guiding participants in the development of actionable plans for establishing UBC mechanisms within their institutions.

Through this initiative, the National University of Laos aims to strengthen ties between academia and industry, enhancing educational outcomes and preparing students for successful careers in the tourism sector and beyond. This training also reflects the university’s commitment to innovation and professional development in collaboration with international partners.

As HEIs continue to adapt in an evolving educational landscape, workshops like these are crucial in fostering meaningful partnerships that benefit both students and the business community.

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