Campus Asia Plus Program at National University of Laos (Tasneem Ehab)

It was an insightful opportunity to be selected as one of the participants in the Campus Asia Plus short-term study program at National University of Laos (NUOL) for one month. During four weeks, I have experienced a fruitful and informative learning journey.

The National University of Laos influenced me through an enriching and immersive educational encounter through its intensive one-week course on Advanced Development Economics. This experience facilitated the comprehension of economic development, economic theories, policies, and strategies aimed at catalyzing sustainable development within the region. Additionally, as part of the Campus Asia Plus Program, I was granted a two-week internship opportunity at the Ministry of Education and Sports in Laos. This period was particularly invaluable as it entailed constructive interactions with government officials hailing from diverse education departments. To gain a better understanding, the program included visits to primary schools in Vientiane, Laos, which provided a real-life view of the successes and challenges in the education system of the country. Furthermore, I had the opportunity of visiting esteemed international organizations such as the World Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO. Moreover, I had the honor of engaging in dialogues with JICA officers and representatives from the Asian Development Bank, among others. These encounters helped me broaden my horizons in developmental issues.

In addition to the field trip to different regions in Laos which widened my vision about the cultural and historical side of Laos during week-long exploration of Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang. Overall, the Campus Asia plus program is a valuable and informative opportunity on the levels of knowledge and networking.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to professor Ogawa for his continuous support and kind guidance to impressively boost our learning process by facilitating the cooperation between NUOL to give us this valuable opportunity to learn and expand our network, in addition to NUOL professors who delivered very insightful lectures throughout the advanced economics intensive course and finally the MoES officials who supported us and facilitated our internship by coordinating many visits to other stakeholders offices.

Authored by Tasneem Ehab (Master’s Student)