August 21, 2025
On August 21, the National University of Laos (NUOL) hosted the 2025 CAMPUS Asia Plus Annual Symposium, jointly organized with Kobe University, Japan.
From NUOL, President Dexanourath Seneduangdeth and Vice President Phouphet Kyophilavong participated, together with faculty members from the Faculty of Economics and Business Management. The Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR was also represented by Ms. Silinthone Sacklokham, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, and Mr. Anoupheng Keovongsa, Deputy Director General of the Department of Planning.
From Kobe University, Dean Yuichiro Uchida, Professor Keiichi Ogawa, and Professor Mika Hayashi of the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), together with other faculty members and students, joined the symposium. Faculty members and students from partner universities—Fudan University (China), Korea University (Korea), and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)—were present as well.
The CAMPUS Asia Plus Program is a trilateral initiative supported by the governments of Japan, China, and Korea. Within this framework, Kobe University, Korea University, and Fudan University have developed a joint educational program to cultivate specialists in risk management through interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches. Since 2021, the network has expanded to include ASEAN partners, with NUOL and Chulalongkorn University actively participating as important members of the consortium.
At the symposium, Professor Emeritus Toshihisa Toyoda of GSICS delivered the keynote lecture, emphasizing the need to strengthen risk management systems that encompass both preparedness and recovery in the face of climate change and increasingly complex disasters. He also highlighted the importance of closer academic cooperation among universities in China, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN.
In recognition of Professor Toyoda’s long-standing contribution to the establishment and development of NUOL’s Faculty of Economics and Business Management, President Dexanourath conferred upon him the title of Honorary Professor during the symposium.
The program also featured student presentations, with graduate students from the five partner universities sharing their research. For NUOL students in particular, receiving comments and feedback from professors of other universities proved highly valuable, enabling them to gain new perspectives and engage in lively academic exchange.
The symposium reaffirmed the accomplishments of the CAMPUS Asia Plus Program to date, especially its role in fostering capable risk management experts, while further strengthening collaboration among partner institutions. Moving forward, NUOL will remain an active contributor to the consortium, helping to shape the shared vision for the next stage of cooperation and the continued development of the program.