Educational cooperation - a bridge connecting Vietnam - Laos friendship

(Baohatinh.vn) - Ha Tinh has promptly implemented, supplemented and adjusted policies to support Lao students studying abroad, contributing to human resource development, promoting cultural and educational exchanges and strengthening friendly relations between the two nations.

With outstanding advantages such as: favorable geographical location, good training quality, attention and support from the school... Ha Tinh has been chosen by many generations of Laotian international students from the provinces of Bolikhamxay, Kham Muon, Savannakhet... To meet the living and studying needs of the students, starting from 2010, Ha Tinh province has paid attention to implementing support policies.

The high-ranking delegation of Ha Tinh province (Socialist Republic of Vietnam) and the high-ranking delegation of Vientiane Capital (Lao PDR) held talks in Ha Tinh city (old) in May 2025 to agree on many important contents, orienting the cooperation between the two localities in the coming time.

By 2023, after a survey and consultation with specialized agencies, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 118/NQ-HDND dated December 8, 2023, stipulating the training support regime for Lao students studying at training institutions in Ha Tinh province for the period 2023-2025 (referred to as Resolution 118).

According to Resolution 118, Laotian students are supported with money to buy health insurance cards and have general health check-ups; students who are eligible for scholarships are supported with living expenses (VND 2.5 million/person/month for students and VND 3 million/person/month for officials working in state agencies); training facilities are supported to purchase necessary teaching equipment at a rate of VND 1 million/person/course. In addition, Laotian students are also supported during the time of studying a specialized course at intermediate, college, and university levels and supported with an additional year of Vietnamese language preparation (if any)... After 1 year of implementation, from January 1, 2024 to December 19, 2024 (the time of application of the resolution), the total amount of support implemented according to the resolution's policies is VND 19,583 billion.

Ha Tinh Medical College is one of three training facilities in Ha Tinh where Laotian students study.

To continue expanding the scope of support for Laotian students, in the cooperation agreement between Ha Tinh and the provinces of Bolikhamxay and Kham Muon in June 2024, it was agreed to support scholarships for Lao students to study at high school level, thereby requiring all levels and sectors to continue to advise on amending and perfecting support policies.

Mr. Tran Manh Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "After careful consideration and discussion, in December 2024, the Provincial People's Council passed Resolution 139/2024/NQ-HDND amending and supplementing a number of articles of Resolution No. 118 (effective from December 19, 2024). Accordingly, the scope of support for Laotian students studying at high school level in terms of living expenses is expanded to 3 million VND/person/month. The Resolution also stipulates that the total support period is equal to 1 year of studying Vietnamese; the tuition support period is 10 months/school year for studying Vietnamese, studying at intermediate, college, and university levels; 9 months/year for studying high school programs...".

Resolution No. 139 was passed by the Provincial People's Council at the 23rd Session held in December 2024.

Up to now, the Department of Finance has allocated a total of 41,586 billion VND to educational institutions (Ha Tinh Medical College, Ha Tinh University, Viet Duc Technical College) to implement the support regime according to both of the above resolutions.

However, Resolution 139 will expire at the end of 2025 and in fact, in addition to the LHS subjects, a number of departments and branches have conducted training, professional development, and technology transfer for officials in a number of Lao provinces while the province has no support policies. Therefore, the Department of Foreign Affairs is continuing to complete the draft of a new resolution and soliciting comments from relevant departments, branches, and agencies to submit to the Provincial People's Council at the regular meeting at the end of 2025.

Studying at Ha Tinh Medical College, Lao students are "guided by the hand" and trained in professional skills by lecturers.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ha Tinh Nguyen Le Ngoc Nam said: “The issuance of the resolutions is a strategic step to enhance the prestige and position of Ha Tinh in international educational cooperation. Furthermore, it also aims to train high-quality human resources for Laos - those who will become a strong bridge for the relationship between the two countries. For the education sector, this is an opportunity to expand cooperation at many levels; creating a foundation for education to truly become a pillar in the foreign policy strategy.”

The issuance of the resolutions is a strategic step to enhance the prestige and position of Ha Tinh in international educational cooperation.

Head of the Provincial People's Council's Culture and Society Committee Dao Thi Anh Nga said: "The issuance of resolutions not only concretizes the Party and State's foreign policy and guidelines towards Laos, but also contributes to the effective implementation of the cooperation agreement between Ha Tinh and Lao localities in training and fostering human resources. This is a policy of strategic significance, affirming Ha Tinh's pioneering role in implementing foreign policies, promoting cultural exchanges, strengthening the special and comprehensive friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Laos in general and Ha Tinh and Lao localities in particular."

Support from policies has become an important driving force, helping Lao LHS to be more determined and make more efforts in studying. As a beneficiary of Resolution 118, Outhai Chanthakhin - a student of class K15 Finance and Banking (Ha Tinh University) expressed his gratitude: "Since coming to Ha Tinh to study in 2022, I have been supported with food expenses of 8 million VND/year along with Vietnamese language tuition of 4 million VND/year, and specialized tuition of 5 million VND/year. At the end of 2023, a new policy was issued, the support level for LHS has increased with living expenses of 2.5 million VND/month... Not only that, I also receive gifts on holidays and Tet and enjoy social security policies. The attention of Ha Tinh province has given me peace of mind and made efforts to study well."

The support of Ha Tinh province has helped Outhai Chanthakhin feel secure and strive to study well.

From the end of 2024, when the target is expanded to high school level in accordance with Resolution 139, Lao students will have access to the curriculum early and have more time to practice Vietnamese, study skills as well as adapt to the cultural and social environment in Vietnam.

Khomsaksirh Phetsalin - LHS class TV3 - the first course to absorb the policy from Resolution 139 shared: "After nearly 1 year of studying Vietnamese, now I and 18 members of the class can communicate more confidently and are ready to enter the 10th grade high school program at Ha Tinh Primary, Secondary and High School - Ha Tinh University. Thanks to the favorable conditions in both material and spiritual aspects, we have become more confident in training, gradually improving our learning results and integration ability".

Members of class TV3 (Ha Tinh University) are ready to enter the 10th grade high school program.

Currently, Ha Tinh University has nearly 170 Laotian students studying. In recent years, the academic results of Laotian students at the school have clearly changed. In the 2024-2025 school year alone, nearly 50% of Laotian students graduated with good or excellent results.

According to Ms. Ho Thi Nga - Vice Principal of Ha Tinh University, the support policies have helped Lao LHS maintain good academic results and actively participate in other training and educational activities of the school. At the same time, their communication and integration skills have been increasingly improved. Notably, after graduation, many former LHS students have returned to their homeland, taking on jobs at local agencies and units, contributing to supplementing qualified human resources and becoming a bridge in cooperative relationships.

Not only that, the policies also help educational institutions improve the quality of teaching, gradually invest in and improve facilities and equipment for training, and improve the quality of teaching. The teaching staff also has more conditions to innovate methods, increase language support activities, soft skills and cultural exchange, etc.

In recent years, the facilities of Ha Tinh Medical College have been upgraded, helping LHS have more conditions to improve their professional skills.

Mr. Tran Chien Thang - Principal of Ha Tinh Medical College informed: "When receiving enough funding equal to the tuition fee, the school will have more conditions to invest in facilities, equipment, expand learning space, and update many advanced techniques, helping LHS not be surprised by the real working environment when graduating. In fact, the resolution is an important "push" to contribute to improving the quality of training, thereby strengthening the trust of Lao LHS in the province".

Laotian students at Ha Tinh Medical College received their graduation certificates at the end of August 2025.

The process of implementing the educational cooperation policy between Ha Tinh and localities of Laos in recent times has reaped "sweet fruits". Many Lao students upon graduation have become "cultural ambassadors", spreading the image of Ha Tinh and Vietnam, contributing to strengthening the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos.

Mr. Atsanchan Ssp - former LHS of Medical Class K20, Ha Tinh Medical College (currently a doctor at Hanoi - Vientiane General Hospital) shared: "Thanks to the care and support of all levels and sectors in Ha Tinh, I have had a solid foundation to confidently pursue my studies, making my dream of curing and saving people come true. I always consider Vietnam as my second home and taking care of the health of Vietnamese people is my way of becoming a bridge to strengthen friendship".

Video: Bongsouvanh Bounmixay shares her feelings after receiving her diploma from Ha Tinh Medical College.

Mr. Tran Van Ky - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council emphasized: "Along with economic development, cultural and educational cooperation between Vietnam and Laos is increasingly flourishing, with important contributions from the resolutions of the Provincial People's Council. The promulgation and implementation of Resolution 118/NQ-HDND and Resolution 139/NQ-HDND have brought about many practical results: the level of support has been increased many times compared to before, the beneficiaries have been expanded to both self-funded and high school students; their learning and living conditions have been increasingly guaranteed. Thanks to that, the rate of Lao students achieving good and excellent academic results has increased significantly, many of them have returned to their homeland after graduation, playing important roles in agencies and units, becoming a bridge connecting the two countries' relations. These results not only contribute to improving the quality of training, affirming the prestige of Ha Tinh in international cooperation but also strengthening the bond between the young generations of Vietnam and Laos".

On Lao holidays and New Year, Ha Tinh University organizes cultural and sports exchange activities to strengthen the relationship between Lao and Vietnamese students.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council added that, based on a comprehensive assessment of the implementation process and practical conditions, the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council will continue to advise the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee to lead and direct the Provincial People's Council to discuss and consider issuing a new resolution. It is expected that the new resolution will be submitted to the Provincial People's Council for discussion at the meeting at the end of 2025, in order to further consolidate and promote the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/hop-tac-giao-duc-cau-noi-gan-ket-quan-he-huu-nghi-viet-lao-post295030.html