DVV International invited 70 Laotian and 20 international experts for a two-day adult education conference in the Laotian capital Vientiane at the end of November. Among other things, the conference participants reflected on progress in implementing the education goal of the global 2030 Agenda (SDG 4), both at the national policy level and at the practical implementation level. The DVV International regional office in Laos also celebrated its 15th anniversary with a ceremony.
Laotian Minister of Education, Prof. Dr. Phout Simmalavong and regional director Christoph Jost opened the conference. The minister thanked DVV International for its many years of successful cooperation and support in developing educational opportunities for disadvantaged young adults. In his keynote speech, Uwe Gartenschlaeger, Director of DVV International and former regional director in Laos, emphasised the importance of adult learning and education (ALE) in overcoming current global transformations and challenges.
Interactive panels with political representatives from Laos and Cambodia, experts from the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the SEAMEO Centre for Lifelong Learning in Vietnam, and researchers from the Royal University of Phnom Penh and Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok discussed current political developments in the field of ALE in the region. The presentations and discussions showed that many countries are making progress in developing the political framework for ALE, for example by adopting relevant laws or policies for lifelong learning and developing action plans for their implementation. In addition, there was a lively exchange between the conference participants about best practices and challenges in implementing lifelong learning. Examples included the lifelong learning centres (LLLC) funded in Cambodia and the operationalisation of the DVV International “ALE Toolbox”.
On the evening of the first day of the conference, the DVV regional office in Laos celebrated its 15th anniversary. Together with representatives from the German Embassy, the Laotian Ministry of Education and international development partners, they looked back on the successes achieved so far in promoting adult education in Laos and the Southeast Asian region.
The second day of the conference focused on a regional research study that presented findings on the effective implementation of lifelong learning. Four country studies from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam examined the evolution of lifelong learning – from new framework conditions at the political level to changing learning institutions and new training programmes. At the end of the conference, a group of participants had the opportunity to see for themselves how life skills training is implemented at a local community learning centre.
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