![[Translate to English:] Three men are standing on a red carpet in front of a building. In the background, there is a banner marking the opening. To the left and right of the men are flower arrangements and colourful balloons.](/fileadmin/_processed_/d/0/csm_IMG_6626_Website_2bea2123ed.jpg)
A new Centre for Lifelong Learning has been opened in Vientiane, the Laotian capital. The centre will bring together research, education and training, curriculum development and policy advice, supporting Laos in implementing its national lifelong learning agenda. DVV International has been working with the National University for several years and will continue to support the centre’s development.
In the presence of high-ranking representatives from the Ministry of Education, the National University and other partners, the Centre for Lifelong Learning was opened on 26 August at the Faculty of Education of the National University in Vientiane.
The centre will act as an academic institution dedicated to curriculum development, initial and continuing professional development, research and policy advice, as well as the creation of international networks in the field of lifelong learning. It aims to work across institutions and, in particular, to support the Ministry of Education in establishing the concept of lifelong learning across all sectors. The focus will be on implementing the Prime Minister’s 2020 decree on lifelong learning and the associated 2025 National Action Plan, which set out objectives that are, in some cases, highly ambitious.
Key areas of action
A panel discussion involving representatives from various sectors of education identified a number of key thematic areas for the newly established centre. Accordingly, the establishment of a system for the recognition of prior learning in Laos is of great importance, given the huge informal sector in which skills are acquired through ‘learning by doing’. Equally important are approaches to embedding the fundamental principles of lifelong learning, particularly within the formal education sector. Examples mentioned here included a focus on ‘learning to learn’ skills rather than the mere imparting of knowledge. Finally, the concept and idea of lifelong learning must be further promoted both amongst the general public and decision-makers.
Uwe Gartenschlaeger, Regional Director of DVV International for Southeast Asia, congratulated the National University at the ceremony marking the centre’s inauguration and pledged DVV International’s continued support for the faculty’s efforts in the future. With the centre, they have now gained an institutional point of contact for this purpose. In the past, DVV International had supported the faculty, for example, in developing modules and learning materials on lifelong learning for teacher training. Another key area was the funding of studies, such as the four-country study
‘Implementation of Lifelong Learning in South-East Asia’ from 2025.