Laos Delegation Attends Youth Development Summit in Hong Kong, Strengthening Educational Ties

Berita Baru, International – A high-level delegation from Laos participated in the inaugural Youth Development Summit held in Hong Kong on August 10, 2024. This event occurred less than two weeks after John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), visited Laos and engaged with students at Vientiane Secondary School, the capital city of Laos. These exchanges signal the growing strength of educational ties between Hong Kong and Laos.

Speaking at the Youth Development Summit, Kingmano Phommahaxay, Deputy Minister of Education and Sports of Laos and Vice President of the Lao National Olympic Committee, emphasized the significance of this collaboration. “I am honored to highlight an important milestone in the educational cooperation between Laos and Hong Kong, particularly through the partnership between Vientiane Secondary School (VSS) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU),” he stated.

This collaboration was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between VSS and PolyU, aiming to enhance international student recruitment by providing scholarships to outstanding Lao students.

On July 29, John Lee, along with Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, witnessed the signing of the MoU. During his visit to Vientiane Secondary School, Mr. Lee reaffirmed Hong Kong’s commitment to offering various opportunities to Lao students. “Hong Kong is a city full of opportunities, both for your career and for your life,” Lee told the students.

Lee also highlighted that Hong Kong is the only city in Asia with five universities ranked among the top 100 in the world. He informed that Hong Kong has relaxed visa policies to attract more talent from Laos, whether for work or study at publicly funded universities in Hong Kong.

Mr. Phommahaxay stressed that the scholarship program and the signing of the MoU are significant steps toward advancing education and mutual development for the youth of Laos and Hong Kong. “This scholarship scheme is a crucial step in fostering educational excellence and the joint development of our youth, who will play a key role in promoting people-to-people exchanges between Laos and Hong Kong,” he concluded.