On March 27, 2024, the President of Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, joined the Working Group of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, and participated in the Conference "Developing and improving the quality of teaching and scientific research between educational institutions of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and educational institutions of Laos", held in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This was a conference organized in coordination between the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam with the aim of further strengthening cooperation in training and research between educational institutions of the two countries.
At the Conference, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, on behalf of three universities under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, including VNUA, Water Resources University, and Forestry University, presented the paper entitled “Cooperation between Vietnamese higher education institutions in agriculture and forestry and Lao educational institutions”.
The special friendship relationship between Vietnam and Laos, formed historically between the two countries with similarities and interference in economics, culture, society, and politics, had been affirmed by Lao President Kayson Phonvihan: "Rivers may dry up, mountains may erode, but the solidarity between the two peoples of Vietnam - Laos is forever strong" and President Ho Chi Minh: "Vietnam - Laos, our two countries: Love is deeper than Hong Ha – Cuu Long rivers". Recognizing the special friendship relationship between Vietnam and Laos and emphasizing the important role of human resource training in the field of agriculture and rural areas associated with Science and Technology in the new context, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between Vietnamese agricultural and forestry higher education institutions and Lao educational institutions.
Vietnam's three leading universities in the field of agriculture and forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development made great contributions to the training of high-quality human resources and the development of agriculture and rural areas for Vietnam. Although the parties had achieved important results in human resource training, especially training highly qualified human resources in the agricultural sector for Laos, however, research cooperation in recent years had a decreasing tendency, student and staff exchange was not strengthened. Therefore, in the upcoming period, Professor. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan emphasized the need to "Raise the level of cooperation to promote the potential and advantages of both parties".
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, VNUA’s President, gives a presentation at the Conference
Carrying out the task of providing training to Lao students under the Agreement between the two Governments, up to now, VNUA had received nearly 600 undergraduate students and trained more than 300 graduate students for Laos. Based on the potential of human resources, facilities, and international cooperation potential, in addition to accepting students under the Agreement, VNUA also proposed to provide full scholarships for a number of Lao undergraduate students, and graduate students to study at VNUA, organize training classes to improve capacity for officials and lecturers of Lao agricultural training schools, and start-up training for teachers and students of high schools, cooperate in building 2+2 and 3+1 joint training programs; and joint degree programs, etc. In scientific research, VNUA proposed to increase research on solutions to develop ecological agriculture models associated with sustainable tourism development in Laos, promoting digital transformation in agriculture and high-tech agriculture, technology transfer of plant and animal varieties such as rice, corn, medicinal mushrooms, aeroponic tissue culture, beekeeping, and commercial farming of freshwater fish in a biosafety direction, etc.
With the potential for cooperation between Lao educational institutions and VNUA along with the direction and support of relevant ministries and branches, the cooperation between the two parties would certainly gain many positive results, contributing to strengthening the friendship between Vietnam and Laos.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan along with representatives of higher education institutions of the two countries attended the cooperation signing ceremony between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports.
VNUA's delegation take a souvenir photo with leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports and representatives of educational institutions of the two countries participating in the Conference.