JICA representatives and senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports attend a seminar at the close of the HUGETECH project.

JICA HUGETECH project hailed as success in elevating Lao engineering education

The HUGETECH Project, a cornerstone of cooperation between the governments of Laos and Japan through JICA, has achieved significant success in elevating the quality of engineering education at the National University of Laos (NUOL), marking a key step forward for the country’s higher education sector.
Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Mr Kingmano Phommahaxay, affirmed the project’s impact at a recent workshop to review the JICA Grant-in-Aid Project, stressing its pivotal role in developing a high-quality, industry-ready workforce essential for the nation’s economic growth.
The workshop held in Vientiane, was attended by key stakeholders, including NUOL President Prof. Dr Dexanourath Senedouangdeth, Director General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Sports Associate Prof. Dr Lavanh Vongkhamsane, Acting Dean of Faculty of Engineering, NUOL / Project Manager Associate Prof. Dr Khampaseuth Thepvongsa, HUGETECH Team Leader Mr Okukawa Hiroshi.
The HUGETECH Project, which is taking place from December 2020 to November 2025, represents a firm collaboration between the Lao and Japanese governments.

Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Mr Kingmano Phommahaxay, senior officials, and representatives of JICA.

Mr Kingmano said Japan’s assistance aligns with the Lao government’s policy to strengthen human resources in engineering and technology, which are recognised as “important pillars” for national industrial development.
The project is implemented by the Faculty of Engineering with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and technical support from professors at Japan’s Institute of Science Tokyo.
It aims to improve undergraduate education in electrical/electronic, mechanical, and civil engineering.
The initiative aims for four critical achievements, firstly, Practical Education (LBE Model): The adoption of a Laboratory-based Education (LBE) model, inspired by Japanese practice, enabling students to acquire practical knowledge and skills through experiments and research, and secondly, Curriculum Modernisation: Development and improvement of a large number of syllabi and student guidebooks, supported by the provision of necessary equipment for experimental/practical work.
The third Asset Management Manual and management, have developed the mechanisms to ensure that the equipment is function, effectively used and guaranteeing the long-term impact and the fourth project component is Industry Linkage: Significant promotion of industry-university collaboration to ensure Faculty of Engineering graduates possess the full range of qualifications demanded by the labour market in Laos and the regional sector.
Mr Kingmano said the results “affirm a significant step forward for our higher education sector in raising quality to meet regional and international standards”.
The Ministry of Education and Sports pledged full support for the project’s long-term impact through three main actions: Knowledge Dissemination: Applying and sharing lessons learned from HUGETECH with other faculties and technical education institutions across the country.
Sustainable Mechanisms: Creating a robust, sustainable mechanism to ensure that the laboratories and equipment can be utilised effectively in the long term.
Strategic Collaboration: Promoting collaboration with the industrial and business sectors as a regular task and a core strategy in curriculum development and research.
The Ministry, particularly the Department of Higher Education, said that sharing HUGETECH’s outcomes will provide useful lessons for government, academia, and industry partners, fostering further collaboration in research and development even after the project’s completion.
The Deputy Minister expressed confidence that the contribution of the HUGETECH Project will be a “valuable legacy and a solid foundation” for the continuous advancement of engineering education in Laos.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update October 28, 2025)