A new partnership is set to expand access to education and training for young students across Laos, especially those from ethnic communities.
The Research and Training Centre of the Lao Front for National Development (LFND) signed agreements with two local schools, the Lao School of Business and Commerce (LSBC) and the Ethnic Technical and Vocational College in Vientiane.
Under the deal with LSBC, 95 full scholarships will be given out each year for a three-year diploma in Business Administration. Five will go to the children of LFND central staff, while the rest are for students in grade 7 from across the country. LSBC will also provide free English classes to LFND staff and give their families a 50 percent discount on courses.
Meanwhile, the Ethnic Technical and Vocational College will support ethnic high school graduates studying Chinese.
The college will give out three scholarships per year for the first five years, and six per year after that until 2040. The LFND will help develop the school’s campus in Viengkeo village, Vientiane’s Xaythany district and offer support with student follow-up and curriculum content.
Both schools will also run short-term language courses in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. They plan to work with the LFND on research to improve training and better meet job market needs.
The agreement with LSBC will run from 2025 to 2030. The cooperation with the Ethnic Technical and Vocational College will last until 2040.
These efforts aim to boost skills and create more equal chances for education, especially for young people from ethnic groups and LFND families.