Souphanouvong University is a

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

located in

Luang Prabang Luang Prabang (Lao language, Lao: wikt:ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຫຼວງພະບາງ, pronounced ), historically known as Xieng Thong (ຊຽງທອງ) and alternatively spelled Luang Phabang or Louangphabang, is the capital of Lu ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

History

Souphanouvong University (SU) is a university in

, the old capital of

and its fourth largest city. It is one of five national universities in the country. It was established in accordance with the Prime Minister Decree, No 169/PM, dated 4 November 2003, and inaugurated on the following day. The University is named after Prince Souphanouvong, who was the first

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the Democratic People's Republic of Laos. According to the Prime Minister Decree on the Organization and Activities of Souphanouvong University, No 099/PM, dated 3 April 2009, SU is a public national educational and cultural institution under the Ministry of Education. The University carries out the educational functions of preparing specialists, researchers and multidisciplinary scientific scholars; organizing scientific research; protecting and promoting Lao’s unique national and multiethnic arts and culture; and delivering academic services to society. Souphanouvong University has two campuses. The main campus, in Ban Donmay 9 km along 13th Northern Road, covers an area of 110 hectares. The SU Faculty of Education, the second campus, covers a land area of 2 hectares and is in Ban Nasang-Veuy, much closer to the city. 2018 the university helped to establish the first

Confucius Institute Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs of the state of China. The stated aim of the program is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilita ...

in northern Laos (together with the

Kunming University of Science and Technology Kunming University of Science and Technology (KUST) () is in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, Southwestern China. As the goal by 2010, KUST was to become a key university with a strong science and engineering background. The univer ...

Programmes and courses

Souphanouvong University currently runs 20 undergraduate bachelor's degrees, each of 4-year duration. The Faculty of Education offers three degree programmes: Lao language and literacy, English, and mathematics. The Faculty of Economics and Tourism has six programmes: economics, general business management, tourism management, IT business management, international business management, and finance and banking. The Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resources offers four programmes: plant science, animal science, forest resources, and food science and technology. The Faculty of Engineering has three programmes: electrical engineering, computer engineering, and civil engineering. The Faculty of Architecture offers two programmes: architecture and interior design. The Faculty of Languages has two programmes and two centres: Lao language, general English language, Korean Language Centre and the Chinese Language Centre.

Administrative matters

Souphanouvong University is administered by nine offices: the offices of general administration, finance, accommodation and services, academic affairs, student affairs, organization and personnel, planning and international coordination, research and scientific services, and library and ICT. The University recruits students who have graduated from upper secondary education (USE) with the certificate of Baccalaureate. Classes are conducted in whole working days from Monday to Friday. Regular courses run from 0800 to 1600hrs. Academic year begins on 16 October and ends 15 July. It has two semesters: first semester is 16 October to 15 February; second semester is 1 March to 15 July. The University organizes supplement recovery courses for failed students in August. The University budget is allocated by the

Central Government A central government is the government that is a controlling power over a unitary state. Another distinct but sovereign political entity is a federal government, which may have distinct powers at various levels of government, authorized or deleg ...

of the

Lao People's Democratic Republic Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west an ...

. Additional budget comes from charged tuition fees, facility rentals, provincial and community contributions, and international aid. There are some 400 salary staff and lecturers and the university accepts on average 800 new students each year.

International relations & cooperation

Australian honorary prefessors volunteering at SU

Souphanouvong University has established academic relations and cooperation with 33 universities and organizations in neighboring countries such as

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. The main cooperation activities are focused on scholar and student exchanges, library book and computer supply, as well as co-organizing international seminars, workshops and meetings. The University accepts volunteers and applications can be made through NGOs, government, and more recently through individual offers made directly to the University. In volunteering, people must have a tangible skill to offer. There is a constant need for English language support for academic staff, as well as helping students with English (especially pronunciation and diction). The University prefers longer term stays than those of a month, so an entire semester or full year is encouraged.

References

External links

Official Web site
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1996 Universities in Laos National universities Forestry education Buildings and structures in Luang Prabang 1996 establishments in Laos