Lanith Diploma Students Receive Warm Welcome from Ministry of Education and Sports

On Monday 30th September, 60 students joined the first in-take of the Lanith Diploma.  They will study with Lanith for two years at which time they will be awarded the Ministry of Education and Sports accredited Lanith Diploma.

Ministry of Education and Sports Director General for the Technical and Vocational Education Department, Mr. Nouphanh Outsa and Director of Pakpasak Technical College, Mr. Saykham Phanthavong were present to officially welcome the students to Lanith.

“You are certain to find the international teaching style of Lanith different to what you are used to”, explained Mr. Outsa.  ”Take advantage of this opportunity and study hard so that you can find a good paying job upon graduation”, he continued.

Mr. Phanthavong welcomed students to his campus and encouraged them to “feel at home as part of the greater Pakpasak Technical College community”.

Students after completing an induction week during which they will be introduced to their instructors, meet with industry leaders and tour key visitor attractions in Vientiane will occupy the newly completed Lanith school facility, where they will undertake four 16-week semesters of combined theoretical and practical studies.

Lanith is part of the Government of Luxembourg funded Project LAO/020, which is being implemented by Lux-Dev in collaboration with the Lao PDR Ministry of Education and Sports.  Lanith is being developed as a national centre of hospitality and tourism education and training with the goal of improving the quality of human resources in the tourism industry.

During his brief introductory remarks, Project LAO/020 Chief Technical Adviser, Peter Semone encouraged the new batch of Lanith students to concentrate on their studies and assured them that there is a high industry demand for skilled labour.  ”This is a wonderful opportunity for you to develop yourselves and to build the foundation for a fruitful career in hospitality and tourism”, he explained.

Project LAO/020′s Maeve O’Brien and the architect of the Lanith Diploma, encouraged students to enjoy the quality of learning available at Lanith.  She noted that the Lanith Diploma “presents a new style of learning, which will challenge you to think and participate”.

The 60 incoming Lanith students come from a variety of backgrounds.  All have graduated from high school and have passed the rigorous Lanith entrance process. Upon completing their studies, they will be guided to finding jobs in the burgeoning Lao PDR hospitality and tourism sector.

Original article October 1st, 2013 by Lanith Communications

From University to university

Experiences from a mid-term evaluation in Laos

Project LAO/023 ”Strengthening the Rule of Law through Legal University Education” concentrates on building capacity among students and within the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLP) at the National University of Laos. Not only is the legal knowledge among Faculty members improved, teaching methodology and administrative systems are also being addressed to establish a modern institution that can produce skilled lawyers. Furthermore several other facilities are being improved through building of new dormitories, the renovation of classrooms and the construction of a ”learning building”. The improved infrastructure will reinforce capacity building and help fostering a stronger element of independent learning.

The project has been operating since 2010 and was subject to a mid-term evaluation in early September 2013. The evaluation team was lead by Mr Christophe Mazand from PWC and further included the Dean Professor Stefan Braum and the External Affairs Coordinator Ms Anne Marie Vesdravanis from the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance of the University of Luxembourg. There are many advantages to further involve the University of Luxembourg in the cooperation. It is also a young University that has undergone a rapid expansion with a strong focus on assuring high academic quality. With staff and students coming from various countries, the Luxembourg Faculty becomes a unique experience by bringing together different legal traditions and concepts within courses and research projects.

In September 2013, the Luxembourg Faculty was introduced to the great progress that had been achieved by the Lao counterparts since the beginning of the LAO/023 project. At the same time, the challenges that lie ahead will put to the test all the new skills and expertise which the Lao Faculty has developed so far. “The visit to the Faculty of Law and Political Science was a remarkable experience” said Dean Braum. “I find that as in many universities around the world we share a number of concerns, e.g. prepare well-trained graduates addressing the job market needs, maintain a quality culture in teaching and administration, encourage meaningful student activity, give back to the local community, etc. The Faculty has many reasons to be proud of its achievements but more is to be done by all stakeholders in order to strengthen the rule of law in Laos PDR” concluded the Dean.  

In particular, the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 that has been adopted by the Lao Faculty of Law and Political Science will certainly serve as a roadmap for the years ahead. At the same time, it would be valuable for the FLP to consolidate its goals and draw concrete action plans for shorter bi-annual terms. Furthermore, the goal to enter the ASEAN University Network will not only assist the Faculty in deepening both its institutional and academic growth, but will also act as a benchmark for the future, while connecting Laos to a valuable, regional network. Moreover, the 2020 goal to reach a 3-6-1 ratio of PhD-Master-Bachelor level among the Faculty’s teaching staff will have a significant impact towards a quality assurance culture. There is clear evidence that the on-going scholarship programme, which assists teaching staff to improve their level of studies, has enhanced the academic capacity leading to a direct improvement in the quality of teaching. Finally, the development of various student activities, including the impressive work undertaken by the clinical legal education group, strengthen the capacity of students and at the same time have a positive impact on the image of the Faculty vis-à-vis its stakeholders.

It goes without saying that the FLP will continue to face constraints from various external factors, e.g. government priorities towards vocational training, limited access to law and justice, mitigated recognition of the legal profession, research priorities not linked to the Faculty and poorly remunerated teachers. However, the improved structures in place will guide the Faculty in navigating through the obstacles and continue progressing in its goal of becoming “A Centre of Excellence.”

Anne Marie Vesdrevanis, Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance of the University of Luxembourg

Lanith Diploma Offers 60 Scholarships

VIENTIANE – Lanith, Laos’ award-winning national tourism and hospitality institute, is offering 60 scholarships to the top Lao applicants for its two-year Lanith Diploma certificate programme, opening at Vientiane’s Pakpasak Technical College in October 2013.

Lanith Teachers Present Scholarship Opportunities 
at Leading Vientiane High School

The Lanith Diploma scholarships are available for three international-level certificates: Food and Beverage Service Operations, Accommodation Operations, and Travel and Tourism Operations.

All courses are taught in the Lao language by internationally educated Lao instructors and are open to both career-minded students and current tourism and hospitality staff and teachers.

To qualify for the Lanith Diploma scholarships, candidates must be secondary school graduates, while preference will be given to those with two years of work experience, English language skills and a university degree, all of which are required for the international scholarships for potential teachers.

Application forms can be downloaded at Lanith.com or the Lanith Facebook page, and must be completed and emailed, posted, or presented in person at Lanith’s Pakpasak office before 23 August 2013. Candidates can also request an application by contacting talent@lanith.com.

A Flurry of Eager Candidates Filling out 
Lanith Diploma Applications

Nisaxonh Sourivong, an instructor in the Lanith Diploma’s Accommodation Operations certificate programme, previously won a Lanith international scholarship, which led to her present position at the institute.

She said studying in Europe opened her eyes to the international method for teaching, which actively engages students, gives them hands-on experience, assigns group and personal projects, and requires class participation, rather than only offering a theoretical education.

“I want to transfer the knowledge I gained,” she said, adding that raising the nation’s service quality is imperative if the tourism industry is to profit.

Lanith instructor and course designer, Souliphon Phengxay, noted, “Students are keen on our new concept of student-centred learning, and this ‘coaching’ method of learning through experience instead of just listening and taking notes…role playing, individual assignments, independent learning, field trips, video and audio…they love it all.”

Lanith places great emphasis on human capital development (HCD), the most recent travel industry trend, which puts more weight on its staff providing a personalised experience to attract visitors and guests.

Lanith Chief Technical Advisor Peter Semone said, “While hotels seek innovative ways to present their ‘hardware’ such as rooms, facilities, and restaurants, they are shifting much of their emphasis to HCD, as the staff, or ‘software’, play just as an important role in the visitor’s experience.”

Lanith Luang Prabang Hosts Open House

LUANG PRABANG – Lanith Luang Prabang (LLP) hosted an open house on 28 February to introduce its new hospitality training centre to some 150 guests, including Lao ministry officials, government department directors, local business owners, and a large delegation from Luxembourg along with dignitaries from several neighbouring countries. 

Luxembourg Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Marc Franck, Ministry of Planning and Investment Deputy Director General Houmphanh Soukprasith, Director General of Provincial Industry and Commerce Somphong Pradichith, and Technical and Vocational Educational Training (TVET) Department Director General Nouphan Outsa cut the ribbon to the Luxembourg government-supported facility, which aims to advance service quality in Laos.

Lanith Chief Technical Advisor Peter Semone said, “This open house affords Lanith the

opportunity to present Luxembourg’s innovative approach to hospitality training and education. Most important is to handover a fully operational, successful, sustainable social enterprise to Laos.” 

Lanith Technical Advisor, Industry Training, Mike Loose and Manager on Duty/Lanith Core Team Member Chounlachan “Nickie” Phengdy guided guests to LLP’s meeting room, Balcony Bar & Restaurant, and four guestrooms, revenue from which will fund the sustainable operation of LLP’s skills training centre and award-winning Passport to Success programme, which is another source for funds. 

Lanith provided 200,000 EUR for LLP’s construction, while Hong Kong Polytechnic University donated 50,000 USD in kitchen equipment. Lanith Core Team Members oversee the operation of the hospitality complex and training centre.

Mr Franck stressed that cooperation is also essential for LLP’s expected success, and noted that many in attendance appeared eager to not only support this sustainable enterprise, but also actively participate in its operation.

Mr Loose, the architect for Lanith’s Passport to Success added, “We need to be competitive and have a solid marketing plan like other Luang Prabang properties.” 

Mr Semone noted that the Ministry of Education and Sports’ (MoES) Ban Khoy location, about 3.5 km from the city’s tourist hub at the Nam Dong Bridge en-route to Kuang Si Waterfalls, is well situated to attract business events, tour busses returning from the falls, overnight guests seeking accommodation in a “real” Luang Prabang neighbourhood, and cyclers looking for refreshments and great river-and-mountain views just a 15-minute pedal from town.

He also outlined LLP’s pre-opening phase. During the low tourist season from March to September, LLP will concentrate on its extended Passport to Success “Go for Gold” skills training programme for local hospitality staff, while also revving up its banquet facilities. The hospitality training centre’s well-equipped meeting room can accommodate up to 36 persons. Organizers can choose from a selection of set menus for coffee breaks and meals.

LLP’s four guestrooms are also ready for guests. Minimalistic décor, snug beds, a naturally cool breeze or air-conditioning, and sizeable balconies characterize all rooms, while each presents distinct layouts and pretty views.

LLP’s signature venue, the 60-seat Balcony Bar & Restaurant, is set to fully open in October, though the outlet, decked out in local wood furnishings and encircled by a wide terrace, can be reserved for special events.

Luang Prabang Hospital Maintenance Workshop

Lao-Luxembourg Development Cooperation Opens Luang Prabang Hospital Maintenance Workshop

LUANG PRABANG – Lao PDR Vice Minister of Health Dr Inlavanh Keobounphan and the Luxembourg Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Marc Franck along with Luang Prabang Vice Governor Bouathong Phaengsavanh and Provincial Hospital Director Dr Bounthiem Siphada cut the ribbon to open Luang Prabang’s new Hospital Maintenance Workshop on 28 February. 

The workshop, located at the provincial hospital, plays a key role in the Provincial Health Technology Service, a critical component of the Ministry of Health’s National Policy on Healthcare Technology Management. 

Vice Minister Keobounphan thanked the Luxembourg government for its ongoing support for Laos’ health sector. “The construction of this workshop is very important for upgrading the quality of healthcare service in the public health sector, especially in upgrading the quality of medical equipment maintenance service.”

Mr Franck noted that the warm welcome from some 100 guests, including a dozen dignitaries, reflects the excellent working cooperation between the two governments over many years. 

“This handing-over ceremony for the workshop is very important as it will improve medical equipment maintenance and services for the Luang Prabang people with support from the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Mr Franck stressed, “The efficiency of the workshop depends on all parties playing their respective roles in order to run an effective program.”

With support from Lux-Development’s Project LAO/017 Health Sector Support Program (HSSP), the 240-sqm, 70,000 EUR workshop comprises specialty rooms for electrical and plumbing repairs, carpentry, welding, and spare parts, as well as an electronics room for mending medical equipment. 

According to Lux-Development Health Technology Advisor Laurent Mangenot, an additional 66,000 EUR went into maintenance tools, measuring instruments, specialized equipment, and a mobile maintenance vehicle to service district hospitals and health centres in Luang Prabang and other northern provinces.

Mr Mangenot explained, “The engineer and technicians are responsible for conducting repairs, performing preventive maintenance, training those who use the medical equipment, and installing new infrastructure and equipment.” He added that the project invested 225,000 EUR over four years in establishing the Luang Prabang workshop.

Leading the workshop’s technical crew is engineer, Sengaloum Xayalath, who was a recipient of one of LuxDev)s scholarships. Mr Xayalath spent three years at Bangkok’s Rangsit University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Instrumentation.

“I am now capable of repairing high-tech medical equipment,” he said, while conducting a tour of a new workshop room with centrifuges, cardiac monitoring devices, and an ultra-sound machine being overhauled on purpose-built shop tables.

Mr Xayalath not only repairs medical apparatus, he trains hospital staff in Luang Prabang on how to use and maintain the equipment.

Vice Minister Keobounphan cautioned that though the Luang Prabang workshop is well-equipped and operated by skilled and knowledgeable maintenance personnel, similar projects, particularly the ongoing training and educating of engineers and technicians, must be expanded nationwide, “especially in Oudomxay, Xieng Khouang, and Champasak Provinces, which are facing hardships in providing…medical services.”

Besides Luang Prabang, Lux-Development’s HSSP is also currently active in Savannakhet, Bolikhamxay, Khammouane, and Vientiane Provinces.

Mr Mangenot pointed out that Lux-Development’s Health Sector Support Program has assisted in educating five Lao engineers, who graduated from Rangsit University with Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Instrumentation, and in training 20 technicians over the past four years. 

Mr Franck emphasized that training is a large investment, and it must remain ongoing or the original investment will be considered wasteful and ineffective.   

Luxembourg provides boost for expectant mothers

Lux-Development, the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation, is funding a 5.2 billion kip project to provide the women of Khammuan, Borikhamxay and Vientiane provinces with free antenatal and postnatal medical care.

The Access to Healthcare Services for Poor Women and Children project will run for two years and is set to benefit 77,300 women and children in 222 of the poorest villages in Xaysomboun and Hom districts of Vientiane province, Khamkeut and Viengthong districts in Borikhamxay province and Mahaxay and Boualapha districts in Khammuan province.

The assistance is a boost to the government's effort to reach the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015 by alleviating poverty, increasing the survival rate of newborns and cutting maternal mortality rates across the country.

The project will consist of three schemes; the first will encourage more health providers in target areas to deliver preventative services, the second scheme will focus on encouraging mothers to seek the services of skilled physicians during childbirth and the third will provide curative services for both mother and baby.

The schemes are designed to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in rural areas.

It is hoped that preventive services, including vaccina-tions, antenatal care and micronutrient supplementation, will reach even the most remote populations.

To facilitate the delivery of these services, Lux-Development have decided to introduce a voucher scheme which provides the pregnant mother with a coupon that entitles her to free access to care for delivery of the child and for the management of any consequent complications. The vouchers also cover the cost of transport and provide a stipend for food for both the mother and her companion.

Access to curative care will be facilitated by health equity funds - third party mechanisms that reimburse health providers for services rendered to eligible women and children. Similarly to the voucher scheme, health equity funds will also cater for the indirect costs associated with seeking medical treatment.

An agreement for the project was signed yesterday in Vientiane between the Secretary General of the Lao Red Cross Dr Keedaeng Thammalangsy and Health, Financing, Social Health Protection Advisor of Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Mr Bart Jacobs and witnessed by Office Head of the Ministry of Health Dr Nao Boutta and other relevant officials.

The Lao Red Cross will assist during the initial phase by strengthening the government's administrative structures to ensure successful implementation of the interventions.

Vientiane Times

Laos, Luxembourg ink 50M EUR cooperation deal

Dr Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune (right) shakes hands with Ms Marie-Josée Jacobs

after signing the Indicative Cooperation Programme agreement.

The governments of Laos and Luxembourg yesterday signed a cooperation agreement for the next five years (2011-2015) amounting to 50 million EUR – up from 35 million EUR for the 2007- 2010 agreement.

Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Sinlavong Khoutphaythoune, representing the Lao government, signed the third Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP) agreement with the Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg, Ms Marie-Josée Jacobs.

The 50 million EUR grant from the Luxembourg government will support programmes including rural development in Borikhamxay and Khammuan provinces and improvements to health services in these provinces and Vientiane province. The funding will support job training and human resource development, build training centres to offer courses on tourism, strengthen the financial and banking sectors, and improve infrastructure development. Minister of Health Dr Ponmek Daraloy, Ms Jacobs and UN agency representatives signed an agreement to support the health sector through Unicef and the World Health Organisation with funding of more than 90.4 billion kip (8.1 million EUR), which will be drawn from the 50 million EUR grant.

An agreement to provide support to the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector in Lao PDR through the United Nations was also signed. Funding of 750 000 EUR is also drawn from the 50 million EUR grant.

Luxembourg is an active donor to developing countries across the world.

Although the country’s economy was affected by the global economic crisis, the government of Luxembourg retained its commitment to provide the assistance it pledged, Ms Jacobs said at the signing ceremony.

Laos and Luxembourg established diplomatic relations on September 25, 1997, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Cooperation between the two countries began in 1996 and since then assistance worth 2 million USD has been provided to Laos each year.

In 2003, the two countries signed the first ICP for 2003-2006 with financial assistance worth 18 million EUR. Luxembourg also provided 35 million EUR for the second ICP from 2006-2010.

Dr Sinlavong, on behalf of the Lao government and people, thanked the government and people of Luxembourg for the valuable assistance being provided to Laos.

He assured the donors that the grant will be used effectively to help the vulnerable poor.

Before the signing ceremony, cooperation commissions from both sides held their seventh meeting to review previous achievements and outline plans for the next five years.

During their visit to Laos, Ms Jacobs and her delegation paid courtesy visits to Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Thongloun Sisoulith.

They also visited projects funded by the government of Luxembourg.

Article by Souksakhone Vaenkeo, Saturday March 5, 2011 - Vientiane Times