CALOHEA National Meeting at Lao PDR Raised the Attention for Authentic Learning Outcomes in Laotian Higher Education

The 13^th CALOHEA National Meeting was held at Souphanouvong University, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, from 31 October to 1 November 2023. Over 250 participants, representing faculties, students, and various stakeholders within the higher education sector gathered to explore the potential CALOHEA Recognition Mechanisms hold for ASEAN higher education’s internationalisation and its practical implementation.

The Meeting was commenced by Dr. Vongpasith Chanthakhoun, Vice President of Souphanouvong University, who expressed his excitement for the active participation of academic staff and students of Souphanouvong University in this activity. He extended his best wishes to the CALOHEA team, academic staff, students, and participants, both online and onsite, for the success of this meeting.

Following the opening session, the Meeting began with a comprehensive knowledge-sharing session by Dr. Maria Yarosh, University of Groningen, who shared with our attendees the three cores of CALOHEA Recognition Mechanisms: Competency, Workload, and Authentic Assessment, each playing an important role in enhancing recognition for learning programmes given by ASEAN universities. Dr. Yarosh also emphasised, in particular, the implementation of these Mechanisms in the subject areas of Civil Engineering and Teacher Education.

Following the knowledge-sharing session, an open Policy Dialogue session explored the challenges of Authentic Assessment in the context of promoting student mobility, degree recognition, internationalisation, and the nurturing of industry-ready graduates in Lao higher education. Chaired by Dr. Maria Yarosh, the session featured dignitaries including:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lavanh Vongkhamsane, Deputy Director General of the Department of Higher Education
• Dr. Vongpasith Chanthakhoun, Vice President of Souphanouvong University
• Mr. Thongkham Houngsavath, Director of the International Relations Office
• Dr. Sangkhom Inthapanya, Director of Students Affair Office

On the second day of the event, participants had the opportunity to join an onsite workshop, where they gained in-depth and hands-on experience regarding the practical implementation of CALOHEA's Three Recognition Mechanisms in the context of Lao higher education. The onsite audience, which included more than 20 academic faculties, employers, and students in each Subject Area Group, contributed greatly to the session’s highly interactive and engaging discussion.   

Ultimately, the 13^th National Meeting was a meeting teeming with the promise of transformation, thanks to the active participation of all stakeholders in higher education who brought their perspective to the implementation of the CALOHEA’s Mechanisms in Lao PDR. These perspectives from different stakeholders served as a valuable asset for the CALOHEA Project to further deliberate, fine-tune, and tailor the implementation strategy that would ensure ASEAN higher education’s maximum benefit from these valuable tools.

The AUN Secretariat would like to express its sincerest gratitude to Souphanouvong University, the CALOHEA experts, each distinguished speaker, and all the participants who brought a successful conclusion to the event.

Coming up on 15-16 November, the journey of the CALOHEA National Meeting is coming to its finale at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia. The registration is still open for both online and on-site participation. Please visit CALOHEA Capacity Building: Implementing Authentic Assessment for More Effective and Holistic Learning Outcomes in Malaysia’s Higher Education to register.

Learn more about the CALOHEA Project at: CALOHEA Project’s official website

Read about the previous CALOHEA National Meeting at:

• Vietnamese Higher Education Securing its Front-Row Seat at the Global Stage with the 12th CALOHEA National Meeting at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering
• Transforming Cambodian Education: the CALOHEA's Authentic Assessment Ignites Higher Education Evolution across ASEAN and Garnered Ministerial-level Interest in Cambodia