Teachers and students at the National University of Laos (NUOL) have a low rate of application to scholarship programmes offered by the Embassy of Japan due to a lack of knowledge concerning the application process.
Overall, the number of teacher and student participants has declined over the years.
According to the NUOL, on average 20 recipients a year travel to Japan to pursue the various programmes on offer, but recently that number has sometimes fallen to as low as nine.
Speaking at the announcement ceremony for the Study in Japan Fair, NUOL Vice President Associate Prof. Dr Houngphet Chanthavong told attendees he hopes that number will increase by next year.
He elaborated on the long history of cooperation in the field of education between Japanese and Lao institutions, which include exchange programmes, research collaborations, visiting lecturers and other initiatives.
The fair is designed to provide students and educators from Laos with correct, up-to-date information about Japanese higher education and research institutions in order to help candidates select an appropriate school and successfully lodge their applications.
An official from the Embassy of Japan said this year many different subjects are open to Lao applicants, including business, science and Japanese language.
He emphasised the importance of language programmes in developing human resources as a bridge for future cooperation between the two countries but also added that no matter what subject Lao participants choose to pursue, the transfer of specialised knowledge will be indispensable in helping Laos’ overall progress.
By attending the fair, students will have assistance in gaining access to these programmes and advice on following the correct protocol to make a successful application.
Source: Vientiane Times
