GEPP Co-hosted an International Seminar “Internationalization of Lao Higher Education: Focused on the Strategic Plan and Operation of the National University of Laos”

On July 7, 2026, an International Seminar on Global Governance for Human Security titled “Internationalization of Lao Higher Education: Focused on the Strategic Plan and Operation of the National University of Laos” was held. The seminar was co-organized by Kobe University’s UNESCO Chair, the Global Research Center for Education Policy and Planning (GEPP) at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University, the Global Network Program, and the CAMPUS Asia Plus Program, and was conducted in a hybrid format.

The seminar welcomed Dr. Vadsana Chanthanasinh, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Management at the National University of Laos. Dr. Chanthanasinh delivered a lecture on the internationalization of Lao higher education, focusing on the strategic plan and operations of the National University of Laos. Her presentation began with an overview of the history and vision of the National University of Laos and the Faculty of Economics and Business Management, both established in 1996. She then introduced a wide range of topics, including the university’s organizational structure, academic programs, international cooperation, student and staff mobility, research activities, and possibilities for future collaboration. She also explained how the university positions international cooperation as a strategic means to strengthen human and institutional capacities and enhance international visibility through partnerships with domestic and international universities and institutions, academic exchange, collaborative research, and scholarships for human resource development.

A total of 56 students, faculty, and staff members participated in the seminar, with 28 attending in person and 28 joining online. The Q&A session featured active discussions from diverse perspectives, including the challenges facing Lao higher education in meeting regional and international standards, possibilities for collaboration with Japanese universities, student and staff exchanges, and future prospects for collaborative research and exchange programs. The seminar offered a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of the internationalization of Lao higher education from the perspectives of university strategy, institutional management, academic programs, research and mobility, and future international cooperation, while also exploring the potential for further academic exchange between Kobe University and the National University of Laos.