Mixay Soukchaleun, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Letters, National University of Laos, received a Certificate of Commendation from Japan’s Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa last week.
The award was presented to Mr. Mixay by Kobayashi Kenichi, Ambassador of Japan to Laos, who expressed his sincere gratitude to Mr. Mixay for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of Japanese language education in Laos.
The prolific academic has been leading the Department of Japanese at the National University of Laos for almost 20 years since its establishment in 2003 and remains actively engaged as a Japanese language teacher.
Through Mr. Mixay’s long-standing efforts and continuous commitment to education, the Department of Japanese Language has managed to play an important role in the academic development of both Lao students and researchers to become well-versed in Japanese.
Thanks to his tutelage, several students in the department received Government of Japan’s MEXT scholarships to study in Japan for a year or more, got selected for inter-university exchange programs and other scholarship programs. A significant number of Lao students have also been able to pursue promising careers related to Japan and the Japanese language following their graduation.
In order to promote Japanese language education, the Government of Japan has provided the Department with multifaceted support, including the construction of new school buildings, dispatch of language experts, and provision of teaching materials.
Mr. Mixay left the Department last October after he was promoted to Vice Dean of the Faculty of Letters. But he has continued to teach Japanese with a strong passion and long-term commitment.
The 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos will be marked in 2025. The Department of Japanese Language at the National University of Laos will continue to play a vital role and aid in the development of bilateral relations between Japan and Laos.
