On December 20, Vice Minister PHONEVANH Outhavong of the Laos Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) called on Vice President TAMAKI Hisashi, the director of the Institute for Promoting International Partnerships.

The meeting was attended by SISOMBOUN Ounavong, the Director General of the Department of International Cooperation at MPI, and from Kobe University by TOYODA Toshihisa, professor emeritus at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, NAKAHARA Masato, assistant professor at the Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, and HANADA Eva, associate professor at the Institute for Promoting International Partnerships.

During the meeting, Toyoda gave an overview of the cooperative relationship between Kobe University and Laos. He explained the history of the support provided, including the establishment of the Faculty of Economics and Business Management at the National University of Laos in cooperation with JICA. Phonevanh acknowledged that this support has contributed significantly to the development of human resources in Laos and expressed her desire to further promote academic exchanges between universities in Japan and Laos in the future.

It is hoped that this visit will promote academic cooperation relations between the two countries.

(Global Engagement Division)