H.E. Mr. Staheng Lasphone,
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR
(left), Mr. Khamsouay
Keodalavong, Deputy Permanent Representative
of ESCAP and Deputy Head
of Mission of Lao Embassy in Bangkok and
Prof. Peter Haddawy, AIT Vice President for Academic
Affairs,
at the signing ceremony on March 2.
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) located 40-kms north of
Bangkok, Thailand, has entered into a formal Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education of the Government of
the Lao PDR, signing its part of an agreement to strengthen
multi-faceted collaboration in education, training, research, and
developmental outreach activities for the next five-year period from
2009 to 2014.
The agreement, signed on behalf of AIT by its Vice President for
Academic Affairs Professor Peter Haddawy, greatly
expands collaborative activities to allow for more focus on the
professional development of people working on poverty reduction
programs inside Laos. The Government of the Lao PDR was represented at
the March 2 signing ceremony at AIT ceremony by H.E. Staheng
Lasphone, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR and
Mr. Khamsouay Keodalavong, Deputy Permanent
Representative of ESCAP and Deputy Head of Mission of Lao Embassy in
Bangkok.
The Lao government will now make preparations for the MoU to be signed
by the Ministry of Education, Lao PDR. Following the Lao government’s
official signing, a Ministerial Roundtable Meeting is planned to
explore possibilities for a further expansion of professional capacity
building initiatives for poverty reduction with other Lao government
ministries.
AIT officials believe the MoU sets the stage for increased poverty
reduction-focused engagement with Lao PDR by jointly developing
professional programs, such as short course trainings, and courses at
the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The memorandum will also
enable the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to engage closer
with AIT and its partners in the Wetlands Alliance to develop
profession-oriented courses such as the bachelor’s program in Poverty
Reduction Agriculture Management (PRAM) currently being piloted in
southern Laos. This course specifically targets MAF district officers
and aims to equip them with the basic competences they need for poverty
reduction programs at the government’s focal areas or “Jut Sum”.
AIT’s aim is to work closer with with the Lao government and assist
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to develop a strategic plan
for human resources development to assist the Ministry in its goals of
alleviating poverty and achieving national food security. Assisting MAF
to develop a comprehensive plan to develop improved information
management platforms was also discussed along with closer collaboration
on information technology, satellite imagery and remote sensing
education programs.
The Laotian delegation to AIT included: H.E. Sitaheng
Lasphone, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry; Dr.
Phouangparisack Pravongviengkham, Director General, Department
of Planning (MAF); Mr. Khamsouay Keodalavong, Deputy
Permanent Representative of ESCAP and Deputy Head of Mission of Lao
Embassy in Bangkok; Mr. Kham Sanatem, Deputy Director
General of MAF-National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Services;
Mr. Mahanakhone Souriya, Deputy Director General,
Department of Livestock and Fisheries; Mr. Chanthaboun
Sirimanothan, Head of Planning Division of DLF and
National WAP Coordinator; Mr. Phetsamone Thanasack,
Officer, Department of Organization and Personnel (MAF); Mr.
Douangchith Litdamlong, DLF – WAP Laos Field
Coordinator.
