(KPL/VNA) A seminar on promoting STEM education, with a focus on robotics, was held on August 20 in Champasak province, southern Laos, aiming to enhance educational ties between Vietnam and southern Lao provinces and to further deepen the special friendship between the two nations.

The event, organised by the Vietnamese Consulate General in Pakse in collaboration with local partners, took place in both in-person and online formats. It brought together leaders from four southern Lao provinces, representatives from the Department of Education and Training of Cao Bang province, Vietnamese enterprises and community in Champasak, as well as local schools.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Consul General Ta Phuong Dung highlighted human resources cooperation as a key pillar of Vietnam–Laos relations. She welcomed the Lao Government’s recent orientation towards strengthening education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to equip future generations with skills for sustainable development and innovation.

She stressed that the seminar would help raise awareness of the importance of STEM education, while opening up opportunities for cooperation between Cao Bang’s education sector and their southern Lao counterparts, thereby contributing to the special friendship and solidarity between the two countries.

Nguyen Ngoc Thu, Director of the Cao Bang Department of Education and Training, shared that Cao Bang province has made significant progress in STEM robotics education in recent years. It was the first locality in Vietnam to organise a STEM Robotics competition for both teachers and students, and has integrated STEM education across its school system. The province is also set to host the 2025 VEX Robotics national competition for the Viet Bac region, with its teams regularly competing and winning high prizes at international events.

She expressed a hope of expanding collaboration with Champasak and other southern Lao provinces in STEM and robotics, including joint training courses for teachers and students, experience sharing, robotics competitions, and long-term cooperation to improve access to modern technology and teaching materials.

For his part, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Champasak province Alounxay Sounnalath highly valued the initiative of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Pakse, noting that it would raise awareness of educational innovation in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He proposed further support from Vietnam, especially Cao Bang province, to promote STEM education in southern Laos, and agreed with the proposal to hold a robotics competition in Champasak to mark the 50th anniversary of Laos' National Day.

During the seminar, experts, teachers and delegates discussed the role of STEM education and shared practical experience. Participants also enjoyed a robotics performance by Vietnamese and Lao students.

On this occasion, organisers and sponsors presented robots to several schools in Champasak, giving Lao students greater opportunities to engage with modern technology.

KPL