National University of Laos-vision and strategy in the context of current higher education development in Lao PDR, partnership and cooperation with Republic of Korea

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Saykhong Saynasine
섬네일을 만드는 중 오류 발생: 섬네일 변수가 잘못되었습니다
Name in Latin Alphabet: Saykhong Saynasine
Nationality:  Laotian
Affiliation: Vice-President for Academic Affairs, National University of Laos

Laos in brief

Lao PDR is a landlocked (called as land linked) country bordering Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The country’s land area is 236,800 square kilometers, and about 6.8 million people live in its 17 provinces and 1 capital city, with most people – 63 percent – still living in rural areas and more ethnics in nature - there are now about 48 ethnic minority groups in Laos and majority of people living in rural remote areas of the country. However, urbanization is occurring at a rate of 4.9 percent each year. The country is largely mountainous, with the most fertile land found along the Mekong plains. The river flows from north to south, forming the border with Thailand for more than 60 percent of its length. Despite still being a least developed country (LDC), Lao PDR has made significant progress in poverty alleviation over the past 2 decades with poverty rates declining from 46% in 1992 to 27.6% in 2008. The country is on course to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of halving poverty by 2015, however the challenge now is to ensure that all Lao people benefit in the country's development. Between 1985 and 2012, substantial progress has been made in the main Human Development Index indicators: life expectancy increased by 19 years, mean years of schooling increased by 2.5 years and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased by 310 percent. Consequently, Lao PDR has seen steady improvement in its HDI value over time, making Lao PDR one of the HDI growth leaders in the medium human development category, where it currently sits. Lao PDR was ranked 139 out of 187 countries in the 2014 UN’s Human Development Report.

The Government’s 7th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2011-2015) has resulted in a focus on high economic growth that benefits all people and does not harm the environment. In addition, achieving the MDGs is incorporated as a key goal of the plan, in addition to an overall target of graduation of the Least Developed Country (LDC) status by 2020.

Lao PDR is a country with the moderate economic growth rate in comparison to the countries in the region, the GDP growth rate in 2013 – 2014 is 7.8% and GDP per capita is 1,671 US dollars. Lao PDR joined Association of South East Asia (ASEAN) in 1997 and World Trade Organization (WTO) 2013 and moving towards the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.


Diplomat relations and cooperation with Republic of Korea

In the part of bilateral relations, it is known that Laos and Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations on October 25, 1995. Later the two countries exchanged ambassadors: opening the Embassy of Korea to Laos was in Vientiane in September, 1996, and the Embassy of Laos to Korea in Seoul was opening on January 1, 2001. Since then, Laos and Republic of Korea have increasingly enhanced their relationship in all sectors, including trade and investment, as well as visits by heads of states and academic, cultural and tourist’s exchanges. The Government and people of Korea including non-government organizations, social and religious associations as well as individuals financed many projects. They have implemented many projects within the National University of Laos in providing facilities such as Cyber University for e-learning which has been finishing installed and ready to run the programs. Moreover, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Laos has supported NUOL to strengthen Korean language Department by providing some equipment and materials. There are also big contribution from Government, organization and people in human development. Every year our staff and students are awarded to pursue their short term and long term studies for their training.

The combination of diplomatic and civilian contact with Korea, though slow in the beginning, has had great impact on the desired among Lao people to learn and to understand Koreans. Lao perception of Koreans has been informed by the exciting stories and films on TV. As many Korean goods found their way to Lao markets, a new generation of Lao people expressed their admiration of Koreans as hard-working people who wisely adapted modern technology into production. As a result, they found themselves eager to learn about Korea.

Moreover, the trend of the Korean pop culture on TV as a major cultural input can be traced from 2001. Presently this trend is quite visible on TV drama, movies, pop music etc. Also, more and more people, for example, are developing in the taste of Korea food. Purchase of Korean gift items, Korean dress, decorative items, mobile phones, electronic goods etc. are growing. One more thing that needs special mention here is the growing interest in Korean material art Taekwondo. Also, the number of Korean tourists visited Laos has rapidly increased. These can be reasons to encourage Lao people to learn Korean Language.


Educational development as key of country’s development growth

The Education Vision Strategic Development Strategy by 2001-2020 issued by the Ministry of Education in 2000, links education to the broader socio-economic development , as well as to the immediate local situation. It recognizes the need for lifelong education opportunities to ensure that all persons can continue to upgrade their level of education as circumstances change during their lifetimes. The vision document aims to incorporate international trend and standards into Lao education system and to develop all education levels systematically and continuously, including strengthening the role of private sector in the provision of education.

In general, the strategic vision document emphasizes education as a core component in overall human resources development or the development of the Lao PDR. The Sixth Five Year Development Plan, like its predecessor identifies three pillars of education in Lao PDR: (i) improving the equitable access, (ii) improving quality and relevance, and (iii) improving administration and management.

Education is considered as the main focus for human resource development. Reform of the national system is urgently required for the improvement of educational quality and standards. The aims of the reform of national education system are that it will be educating the Lao people to be good citizens, to be knowledgeable, to be creative and enthusiastic and to contribute to the development of both the country and themselves. Through education people will gain employment, will learn to protect their health and the integrity necessary to meet the demands of the socio-economic development of the country and its growing towards globalization.

The national education reform strategy consists of six directives as following:

  • The national education system reform strategy aims to develop human resources that are applicable to the strategic development of the country’s economic components as well as the need to link the country with the world;
  • Education reform should emphasize the national education structure. If change is to become a reality, then the attitudes and perceptions in society about the educational structural reforms need to be widely understood;
  • The national education system reform strategy should be implemented with the participation of society to ensure that education will continue to grow and develop;
  • The national education system reform strategy should expand the intellectual life, preserve culture of the traditions and culture of the nation and inspire a spirit of solidarity amongst the population throughout the country;
  • The national education system reform strategy should expand access to education, promote the capabilities of people, improve their living conditions and link with regional and international situations; and
  • The national education system should enhance the status of teacher’s importance of their roles and positions.


Current trends of higher education

The development of the education, training and qualification system in terms of quality, efficiency, access and equity is to be done in a relatively difficult context. High demographic growth, ethnic cultural and linguistic diversity: scattered habitat, economic and financial constraints and low institutional capacity constitute a big challenge to the country.

To achieve the Lao Government’s goals of graduating from the least developed countries status by 2020 and to prepare for the country’s regional and international integration, the Government initiated higher education reforms covering both public and private higher education institutions with the Prime Minister’s Decree on the Establishment of NUOL in 1995, and subsequent decrees on private higher education in 1995, and higher education curriculum profile in 2001. The decree establishing NUOL began to address the issue of a fragmented higher education system by combining 10 HEIs under a unified structure of NUOL in order to share facilities and resources. Due to the regional needs, the other two regional universities were later established to broaden access to higher education: the Champasak University in the southern region and the Souphanouvong University in the northern region of Lao PDR in 2003. Meanwhile, the Decree on Private Education defined a framework for the establishment and operation of private HEIs, and triggered the growth of private HEIs. In 2007, the Prime Minister’s Decree on the Adoption and Implementation of the National Education System Reform Strategy 2006-2015 was issued. The Decree called for strengthened to move the higher education system towards regional and international standards and contribute to socio-economic development of the country. In 2009 the new decrees on the National University of Laos, Champasak University and Souphanouvong University respectively were promulgated to promote administrative authority. Due to the needs of the province, one more new university was established in 2009 in central Savannakhet Province.

The immediate education policy is to develop quality human resources and to strengthen the education system as a cornerstone of human resources to meet the needs of the socio-economic development of the nation. Higher education is an important integral part of the education system and contributes to the socio-economic development plan and to orientate to the industrialization and modernization of the country. The main directives of higher education are as following:

  • Train students for all socio-economic sectors;
  • Improve efficiency and quality of management and teaching activity of higher education;
  • Develop higher education in a pyramid shape;
  • Improve access to higher education;
  • Linking higher education to the production and research;
  • Promote and establish the cost sharing, cost recovery and income generating.

At present, higher education in Lao PDR comprises of the following institutions namely National University of Laos, University of Health Sciences, University of Champasak, University of Souphanouvong and Savannakhet University which are administered by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health, including 5 public teacher training colleges and a number of private higher education institutions. In 2008 about 5.3 % of the tertiary education age cohort was enrolled at the mentioned higher education institutions. Though there is increase in enrollment in higher education the quality of higher education in Lao PDR is a preliminary concern. The concept of quality embraces many factors such as the governance\ management, teachers, students, teaching and learning programs, research, financial resources, institutional materials and equipment including the optimizing use of information and communication technologies and institutional environment. To facilitate the smooth functioning of quality assurance activities the university needs to develop and formalize a quality assurance system. In order to ensure the quality of higher education, the Ministry of Education has undertaken the following measures which leads to the education status and credentials at variance with generally acceptable norms for education levels.

  • Improving the admission system to the higher education by setting the system of entrance examination through the non-quota-system.
  • Great efforts in formulating legislation and framework have been to ensure the standards and objectives of the higher education system. There is a potential of proliferation of courses, program which stated in the promulgated decree on the profile of curriculum of July 2001 to meet the requirements of quality of higher education. It is to be noted that the curriculum have been to keep up date with the needs of labour market.
  • Employers’ studies and career guidance counseling should be introduced to improve the relevance of the programs and meet the requirement of employers, the community and the labor market.

The Ministry of Education has the rights to recognize the academic degrees or award certificates granted by an institution of higher education or external agency (state/ professional body, etc.). According the education law, the universities have the right to confer the academic degrees and award certificate as accredited or approved by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education has signed the bilateral cooperation agreements with some countries on staff and students exchange. In term of recognition of degrees, with reference to the signing bilateral agreement number scholarships have been provided for Lao students who have been or will be automatically recruited to the institutions of the receiving countries.

The validation process has been recognized by the sending country after the completion of the study of the students. The recognition and validation of higher diplomas and degrees have been evaluated by the Ministry of Education referring to the consensus of the committee for validation of the diplomas, degree. The Government of Lao PDR has signed the regional convention of qualifications in 1983 and ratified in 2003.

The practices on the recognition of qualifications in higher education are needed for public and private higher education institutions because of the complexity of different education systems and the particularity and the specification of the country. The Ministry of Education has broad oversight of all educational development in Lao PDR, and the Department of Higher Education provides overall policy guidance to public universities, undertakes planning and coordination with other line ministries and agencies for developing higher education system and cooperates with development partners in support of higher education. Educational development has not yet been implemented on a national strategy which is linked to a strategy development and economic structure. The short term and long term educational development plan is targeted mainly on the quality of education, create favorable condition for a practical change in education at all levels from the kindergarten to university and has to be done in a systematically way in order to guarantee the quality and sustainability at all levels of both public and private education.

The Government places strong emphasis on strengthening the higher education system to create a pool of qualified and skilled personnel needed to support the country’s graduation from least-developed country status. Now the Ministry of Education is implementing the project named “strengthening higher education in Lao PDR” and responds to policy priorities in the National Education System Reform Strategy, 2006–2015, approved by the Prime Minister, and is in line with the Education Sector Development Framework (ESDF), prepared as a collaborative effort by the Government and development partners. The higher education system needs a clear vision, coherent policies and strategies, an appropriate regulatory framework to promote autonomy and accountability, and a road map to reach regional and international standards in access, quality, relevance, attractiveness, and competitiveness. Although there is a qualitative and quantitative development in higher education some problems and issues need to be addressed as following:

Administration and management - it lacks of overall planning and management and monitoring with the higher education system, and lack of coordination mechanism between the agencies concerned with higher education. In addition the higher education sector does not currently have a standardized system for the coordinated collection, dissemination and utilization of up-to-date data and information to support policy development, planning, administration and management of higher education. It lacks of legislation framework to govern public and private higher education and lack of strategy and master plan for development of higher education. The investment in higher education is not sufficient due to the budget constraints. The allocated budget from the Government is not referring to the unit costs. The percentage of recurrent expenditure is almost 90% of the total higher education budget, while the capital investment is 10%. Despite the extremely high proportion of budgetary funds allocated for salaries and student stipends, it is still insufficient to provide adequate salaries and other financial incentives to teaching staff in universities, and the lack of management information system and the number of students is not systematically recorded.

Quality and relevance - the quality of higher education is low due to under-qualified academic staff. Few faculty members have post-graduate degrees. There is phenomenon of lack and over supply of teachers and there are no labour surveys or over supply of teachers. It lacks of monitoring system and follow-up of graduates and the teaching and learning environment vary across each campus or higher education institutions. Quality assurance and accreditation systems are about to emerge and are not yet fully functioning due to the lack of expertise. The Quality Assurance Center is relatively new and its capacity needs to be greatly strengthened. The academic research capacity of faculty members is quite limited. International partnerships can be seen through the bilateral cooperation agreement but the implementation is not practical.

Equitable access - socio-economic disparities in access still persist, resulting in low representation of women and ethnic students from low income families. The infrastructure is not sufficient to undertake the number of student leavers of upper secondary education which have been increased from year to year.


Future directions of higher education in Lao PDR

The Government of Lao PDR seeks to achieve economic growth and reduce poverty in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and graduate from the status of least developed countries by 2020. The Sixth Socio-Economic Development Plan 2006-2010 provides a coherent and cohesive development framework, identifying education as one of the four pillars of its poverty reduction strategy. It recognizes that education is fundamental to socio-economic development since it equips citizens with skills and attitudes required in a rapidly changing society. Continued modernization and the shifts towards a more knowledge and technology based economy places growing pressure on the Lao PDR to expand and improve the higher education system and institutions.

Higher education in Lao PDR is still at a nascent stage of development. It is clear that the higher education system and institutions need to be further strengthened and upgraded by improving (i) the management and administration including governance of higher education; (ii) quality, efficiency and relevance and (iii) equity and access. Appropriate governance reforms (including clarification of their governance structure and status) represent an essential precondition for the implementation of further higher education reform strategies. Development of a coherent regulatory framework is urgently required to ensure their quality standards and relevance to labor market demand. In order to achieve the goals of the country to orientate the country to industrialization and to modernization and to exit the status of the least developed country, higher education will play an important role in contributing to human resource development and to socio-economic development. As emphasized in the policy of Government the human resource development should be planned to meet the development strategy and the structure of national economy. In order to resolve the mentioned issues and problems there is a need to develop strategy and Master’s Plan for development of higher education. The vision is to build the higher level cadre and researchers, they acquire the professional knowledge, have good initiatives, good moral and behavior and active for socio-economic and individual development. Strengthening the existing universities will be the priorities to improve the quality of higher education in Lao PDR.

In the connection with the national education system reform strategy, the curriculum for higher education should be reformed since there is an increase of one more year at the upper secondary education and the foundation study would be phased out by 2012. The continuing curriculum, bridging courses and distance education should be reviewed to promote the lifelong learning. The quality and standard of higher education should be endured to prepare for regional and international integration. At present the Ministry of Education is formulating a strategy and a Master’s Plan for the development of higher education until the year 2020 by following three educational programmes and seven strategic options as following:

  • Improvement, construction and expansion of higher education institutions;
  • Reform of higher education system;
  • Training and development of higher education;
  • Quality assurance of higher education;
  • Promotion of scientific research and technology;
  • Development and management of higher education information system; and
  • Governance and administration of higher education.


National University of Laos as the country’s key university to represent higher education

The National University of Laos, or known as NUOL, is the first public university of Lao PDR. Since its establishment in late 1995, NUOL has developed to become the leading university in the country. The aim of the establishment of the NUOL was to reform and consolidate higher education in Lao PDR and to gradually improve the country’s quality of higher education, while moving towards the regional and international education standards. The NUOL was originally established by combining together (under the Ministry of Education) 9 higher learning or post-secondary training institutions which were previously operated under various governmental departments and ministries.

Since its foundation, NUOL has a clear vision to be not merely the leading university of the country, but also to be recognized in the region as well as in the world. Hence, the NUOL has dedicated itself to playing a leading and vital role in dynamic educational development programs in various disciplines in order to produce sufficient, well-trained human capital through advancing knowledge and skills in response to the country’s socio-economic development.

The vision of National University of Laos is set to become the center of excellence for higher education studies, research and cultural preservation, strengthening capacity building and human resources development with intellectual vitality, potential knowledge and skills, good attitudes, loyalty, dignity, and good health. Our graduates, after having been trained, will be among those most sought by the best regional employers and will be expected to become leaders in their communities and accomplished professionals in their chosen fields.

The mission of the National University of Laos is to meet the development needs of Laos in a suitable, efficient and equitable manner. Our mission comprises the general goals of creating and providing training as part of the country’s human resources development. Graduates are trained to become administrators, academicians, and researchers equipped with high knowledge, skills, expertise in technological innovations, and the moral quality necessarily required and possessed to be good citizens and human beings. Yet, it is to conduct and promote research in response to the country’s social and economic development, and effectively disseminate research findings and provide technical and academic services to society. By having our vision and mission set, it is trying hard for achieving and realizing the goals and having partnerships and collaborating with the universities, institutions and international organizations from the countries around the world, particularly those in the ASEAN region.

In reference to the 9th Party Congress’ Resolution and Ministry of Education and Sports’ Strategic Development Plan, the National University of Laos is committed to have the higher education training and human resources provided for the country’s all sectors of socio-economic development as well as raising its status to meet the level in comparison with the countries in the region and the world as mentioned above.

In order to realize the mission and vision, the NUOL has 6 prioritized areas of development set for its strategic development plan which covers (1) administrative and academic staff (personnel) and students, (2) management system, (3) quality of academic training, (4) research and academic service, (5) facility and infrastructure, and (6) internal and external relations and cooperation. As prioritized area in the university’s strategic plan, the internal and external relations and cooperation is regarded as the NUOL’s key roles in its functions and it is to ensure the effective coordination and cooperation with the external partners and networks in different levels, meanwhile it is strengthening the NUOL’s strong roles in its international affairs and in line with Lao government’s policy on external relations which is based on mutual benefits and non-interference in each and one another’s internal affairs. To ensure efficient implementation of internal and external relations and cooperation tasks, the NUOL has adopted the strategic development plans, called as strategic plans of specific areas.


NUOL to emphasize the international relations and cooperation as the key for its development strategy

Over a past decade, the NUOL has established extensive academic exchanges and cooperation with a number of overseas institutions, universities, and agencies, focusing mainly on staff and student exchanges, faculty development, joint research, seminars and publications. So far, the NUOL has signed the agreements and memorandum of understanding (MOUs) with more than 170 foreign universities, institutions and organizations in 29 countries around the world. In this context, ASEAN and Korea are viewed as important partners of the NUOL’s development and it is reflecting in its long-term vision for university’s development towards ASEAN community or AEC 2015 in particular as well as Korea which is the dialogue partner and assistance provider to Laos.

In this connection, as mentioned above that the NUOL is set to become the higher education center for the country with the strong regional and international linkages, it is to have more focus in research and development aiming to enhance and provide high quality human resources for the country’s social economic development in response to the regional integration, ASEAN. It looks forward and formulate the strategy in response to the MOES’s vision and strategy to strongly encourage higher education institutions to produce the graduates of highly international quality equipped with professional skills, language skill and inter-cultural skills, yet it is to fulfill this ambition, the strategy calls for closer attention and focus of science and technology, language education, additional student mobility programs, emphasizing on the credit transfer, and cultural exchange programs within the ASEAN member states and outside world, like Korea.

As a member university of AUN as part of ASEAN, the NUOL is aiming to offer or provide more international programs , with courses taught in English, plan and create ASEAN studies programs with the curriculum and resources shared among the AUN and other ASEAN countries’ universities as well as non-ASEAN countries in the region, Korea for example. It actively and fully engage in the AUN activities to achieve the targets on QA, credit transfer, joint research as well as collaboration with the Plus members for the academic and research development.


NOUL’s cooperation with Korea

In the part of extensive international cooperation, Korea is taken the one of the key partners in collaboration and providing assistance for the NUOL. Closer cooperation is obviously realized through the bilateral and multilateral agreements as well as under the cooperation frameworks between Lao and Korean Governments (KOICA), ASEAN – Korea, AUN apart from the MOU signed with Korean universities. Currently, the NUOL has Korean supported and linked projects functioning and being implemented (1) Asian Research Center, (2) Cyber University Project, (3) Korean Language Department (faculty of Letters) as well as the short visit and students exchange programs organized throughout the year as part of its academic cooperation and partnerships. The projects and programs organized are mainly to promote and increase collaborative activities and programs in academics as part of capacity building and human resources development (both student and faculty members as well as researchers and scholars) of the NUOL, meanwhile promoting both countries’ relationships and cooperation through these academic and non-academic activities.


NUOL’s Asian Research Center functions as good cooperation and support provided by Korea

The NUOL’s Asian Research Center (ARC), was established on August 16th, 2002, as a result of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the National University of Laos (NUOL) and Korean Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS), dated on April 11th, 2002. The ARC, NUOL, is one of the Centers operated in different countries which are supported by KFAS. There are 18 ARCs established in different countries including P.R. China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Mongolia, and Indonesia. In line with the agreement signed and NUOL’s strategic plan on research, the ARC has actively functioned and played its main role in promoting research, coordinating, and providing opportunity for young researchers and scholars to access to the funding or grants available for research. The aims are not only to provide researchers with research skills enhanced and training, but it also helps to create the pool of knowledge exchange and expertise shared in research provided to the society and nation as a whole. In order to enhance the NUOL researchers’ knowledge and capacity in research as to meet the international standard and linkage with the international research network in various fields of research, the ARC has actively promoted and participated in the researcher exchange programs in Korea.

During the last 10 years, the ARC has actively and fully functioned with its roles and responsibilities as stated in the agreement, the members in all levels of administration have actively undertaken and worked with their full efforts and responsibility committed and it is, with internal democratic and transparent demonstration of approaches applied, resulted in success of mission and so forth aforementioned. In this regard, the Center has effectively taken its key role in promoting research within the NUOL and upgrading its research development status as to meet up that of research practices in the region and world at large, and meanwhile contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.

In line with the NUOL’s strategic plan 2011-2015 (4th strategy plan item, pp.6), to develop the ARC to effectively provide coordination, promote research, and support with grant funds to the researchers, meanwhile creating the pool of knowledge and know-how for research, the center has set its mission, vision and strategic plan aiming at upgrading its research development status as to meet up that of research practices in the region and world at large, and meanwhile contributing to the country’s socio-economic development.


Establishment of Korean Language Department at NUOL

According to the educational policy on foreign language learning at the university level, undergraduate students should have the ability to use English for communication but also have the opportunity to study a second foreign language. Also, the university / institution should provide majors and the minors at the undergraduate level for different foreign language group as prioritized according to its goals. It appears that Korean language is one the oriental languages the Lao government pay attention to. So far, Korean Language teaching has already taught at the National University of Laos.

The Department of Korean Language is one of the other nine Departments of languages, delivering the training programs at the Undergraduate Degree level. It was founded in the Academic Year 2004-2005, attached to the Faculty of Letters, National University of Laos. The establishment of the Department of Korean Language is to promote the teaching and learning Korean language in Laos. It is aiming at developing the Lao human resources with the skills and knowledge of Korean language and culture for communication, cooperation and relations between Laos and Korea in terms of social political economic cooperation and relations, for example: education, trade, investment, tourism, etc.; and of course it is for communication with other people who speak Korean.

The role and functions of Korean Department at NUOL are to provide Korean Language courses with 4 skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; skills for translation: Lao to Korean and Korean to Lao; and provide knowledge of Korean culture and tradition. After being graduated, students will be able to use the knowledge of Korean language they have gained to serve the requirement of Lao society, especially, to work with Korean investment projects, companies, etc.


Current situation of Korean language teaching and learning at Faculty of Letters, NUOL

Since the Department of Korea has been established, the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Laos has supported NUOL to strengthen Korean language Department by providing some equipment and materials including: 10 computers, 1 television, 1 video player, 1 DVD player, 1 tape recorder, 1 set of Tradition music instrument, some text books for teaching and learning at the Department. In order to make the teaching and learning more effectively two - four Korean language teaching volunteers have been dispatched to NUOL each year, and two to three Scholarships annually are awarded to Lao lecturers at NUOL for the pedagogical training in Korean Language for the period of two - three months. In addition, the best students are also awarded to attend intensive Korean language training for two- three months in Korea each year too.

In order to build up the students’ knowledge of the Korean language and have better understanding and interest in Korean culture, the Department of the Korean language offers 7 core subjects:

  • Korean Language Proficiency;
  • Korean Linguistics;
  • Korean Literature;
  • Korean Culture;
  • Translation Skills: Lao to Korean and Korean to Lao;
  • Preparation course for Korean Language Testing: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking
  • orean Language for Mass media, Business Management and Tourism

Total credits: 165 credits

  • First Year: 38 credits (19 credits for the first and second semester)
  • Second Year: 34 credits (18 and 16 credits for the first and second semester respectively)
  • Third Year: 36 credits (18 Credits for the first and second semester)
  • Fourth Year: 30 Credits (18 and 12 Credits for the first and second semester respectively)
  • Fifth Year: 27credits (15 and 12 credits for the first and second semester respectively).
  • Final thesis: 6 credits

The number of teaching staff and students in the academic year 2013-2014 are as follows:

Teaching staff

Qualification Total Male Female Remark
Bachelor Decree 2 1 1 Lao teachers
Bachelor Decree 3 1 2 Korean teachers
Master Decree 2 2 0 Lao teachers
Total 7 3 4

Students

Despite a favorable environment due to positive Lao perception of Korea, Korean language learning is still in an infant stage. The number of students enrolled in the Department of Korean Language is limited comparing to other foreign language departments at NUOL. The number of students in the academic year 2013 – 20 14 is as follows:

Students Total Male Female
Year 1 22 08 12
Year 2 19 10 03
Year 3 15 06 07
Year 4 15 07 08
Year 5 14 04 10
Total 75 35 40

At the present, the number of graduates of the Department of the Korean Language is 54 including this academic year (2013-2014): 4 graduates (2 females) in 2008-2009; 6 graduates (2 females) in 2009-2010; 4 graduates (4 females) in 2010-2011; 14 graduates (10 females) academic year 2011-2012; 12 graduates (5 females) academic year 2012-2013;and 14 graduates (8 females) this academic year 2013-2014. Job opportunities for graduates in Korean language are still available. All graduates can work at the Korean investment projects in Laos, companies, public and private sectors.

Moreover, the first Korean speaking contest was held at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane on 17 March, 2013 by the Department of the Korean language, National University of Laos and KOICA in Laos, to promote the Korean language studies in Laos. The Korean speaking contest consists of Korean language with me, My Future with the Korean language and Lao-Korean Friendship. Each title the competitors were given for five minutes.


NUOL’s vision and plan for Korean studies

In order to promote the teaching and learning the Korean Language in Laos, we plan to develop the Department of the Korean Language as follows:

  • Faculty staff training at the master degree level in order to effectively and efficiently carrying out Korean studies at NUOL;
  • Curriculum development for Korean language Proficiency;
  • Experts in Korean language to assist NUOL improve Korean Language Status;
  • Expanding of scholarship awards for both teachers and outstanding students; and
  • Providing office facilities and teaching materials to increase Korean study capacity building.


Proposal to establish Laos-Korea Cooperation Center

  • To be a center for Korean Studies in all areas i.e. social cultural features, economy, geography, history and current situations of peninsular;
  • To be a center to assist teaching materials in the area of study for faculty and provide knowledge of Korea to the public;
  • To be a center for Korean Language training for short term and long term training;
  • To be a center for Lao-Korean Academic and Cultural Exchanges and coordination with internal and international institutions;
  • To be a center for promoting Mutual understanding between Lao and Koreans; and
  • To be a center for providing needed information to both Lao and Korean business sectors.


Conclusion

In conclusion, the relationship, the political ties, the assistance provided from the government and people of Korea including non-government organizations, social and religious associations as well as individual, and the favorable atmosphere between the two countries provide us an opportunity to enhance Korean language teaching in Laos, especially at the Department of Korean Language, Faculty of Letters, National University of Laos. We’ll work together to achieve mutual understanding and establish good relationship between the two countries in the long term.

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구분 제목
1 광복 70주년과 역사문화적 배경
2 Korea and Southeast Asia: Building Partnerships in Education
3 Korea Studies in University of Malaya
4 Indonesia-Korea Relation
5 Towards Korea-Southeast Asia Collaboration in Greying Societies
6 VIETNAM-KOREA ECONOMIC RELATION: CURRENT SITUATIONS AND PROSPECTS AND PROSPECTS FOR DEVELOPMENT
7 TOWARDS THE COMPREHENSIVE FLOURISHMENT OF VIETNAM-KOREA RELATIONS
8 Cambodia-ROK Relations: Human Resource Development
9 National University of Laos-vision and strategy in the context of current higher education development in Lao PDR, partnership and cooperation with Republic of Korea
10 Educational Collaboration between Myanmar and Korea
11 Korean Studies in Costa Rica: Considering KoSASA Model
12 Korea -Southeast Asia relations and Promotion of Korean Studies