Laos-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre upgrades as new institute

:: KPL :: Lao News Agency

Laos-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre upgrades as new institute

(KPL) The Laos-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre in the National University of Laos, Dongdok campus (UNOL) has been transformed into the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute.

The transformation ceremony was held at Dongdok campus, on 20 May, drawing Mr. Lytou Bouapao, Vice-Minister for Education, Mr. Masaaki Miyashita, Japanese Ambassador to the Lao PDR, Prof. Dr. Soukkongseng Saignaleuth, NUOL President, and Mr. Masato Togawa, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Laos, and more than 50 high-ranking officials.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Lytou said that the transformation of the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Centre to the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute, was agreed by the Government of Japan and received technical support from JICA.

�The leaders of Ministry of Education and the NUOL are proud of the magnificent progress of cooperation between the JICA and the Japanese government with regard to the Laos-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre project in the past ten years,� said Mr. Lytou.

He said, �The two Governments and two organisations worked hand in hand in sowing a seed (LJC project) of cooperation, friendship and development in September 2000. Today, the seed has germinated and grown up to a mature stage, ready to foster the JICA and NUOL cooperation up to a higher level�.

�The Laos-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre has developed to the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute with a vision of being a centre of excellence in building friendly relationships and cooperation between the Lao PDR and Japan in developing human resources for use in socio-economic development in the Lao PDR as well as in promoting ASEAN economic integration and for promoting mutual understanding between Lao and Japanese people,� Mr. Lytou went on.

He further stated that this was because of the fact that the Lao PDR has made great efforts in participating in the ASEAN economic integration and has increased bilateral cooperation with many countries in the world since the late 1990s.

To ensure optimal benefits for the nation from such internal relation expansion, it is necessary to develop a sufficient quantity of high quality human resource to meet the demand for labour in both public and private sectors.

Additionally, economic integration has to be done concurrently with cultural and social integration in order to ensure lasting cooperation which is beneficial to all stakeholders.

Dr. Soukkongseng said the Laos-Japan Human Resource Cooperation Centre was established in September 2000 and officially opened in May 2001, under the technical support from JICA to contribute to the Human Resource Development on Business Administration, Japanese language, computer serving for development of economic marketing mechanism of the Lao PDR and promote mutual understanding between Lao and Japanese people.