NuoL centre of excellence strengthening environmental and agricultural research

Project activities comprise evaluating the effectiveness of wastewater management from large projects around the country and working on agricultural development and food security, in which the centre is cooperating with the Ministry of Health. Director of the Centre of Environmental Excellence, Dr Santi Kongmany, said the Ministry of Education and Sports was implementing the project through a low-interest loan of US$80,000 from the Asean Development Bank (ADB). "The ministry is also using the ADB loan and other funding to develop infrastructure at NUoL, Savannakhet and Champassak universities and Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang province", he said. Development at Savannakhet University includes student accommodation, labs, offices, classrooms and other construction. 

When the second Strengthening Higher Education project ends in 2022, the centre will seek educational and private sector partners to continue their research work in environmental development projects. Other initiatives under the project include the Centre of Environmental Excellence providing scholarships for lecturers to carry out research and upgrade their qualifications at NUoL from 2020 to 2021. The centre is also partnering with an international organisation to run a training course on sustainable agricultural development on November 28-29 for faculty and students. In May, the centre held a workshop on Agricultural and Environmental Research and Teaching in the context of 'Global Change' in Laos, Northern and North-Eastern Thailand. 

The second Strengthening Higher Education project is supervised by the Vocational and Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Sports. The Centre of Environmental Excellence was announced by NUoL in 2018, and its office was completed earlier this year.

Information source: Vientiane Times.