VITRI in cooperation with Lao and European partners recently launched a new educational project under the Erasmus+ - Key Action 2 - Capacity building in the field of higher education. The project is called FORHEAL (Forestry Higher Education Advancement in Laos) and includes 3 universities in Laos and 3 European universities.
From Laos, the project partners are: Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos; Department of Forestry Resources, Savannakhet University; Faculty of Agriculture and Forest Resources, Souphanouvong University. In addition to the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of Helsinki, the European partners are: Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg; the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Science, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
Open activities included the first official meeting of all partners, the selection of the Executive Management Committee (EMC) and the Academic Advisory Board (AAB), as well as an open workshop to discuss academic and professional priorities for young forestry graduates in Laos. The workshop included representative from governmental offices involved in the management of natural resources, NGOs, private companies and university staff.
After the conclusion of the workshop in the capital Vientiane, some members of the European delegation travelled to Luang Prabang and Savannakhet in order to implement some interviews with regional stakeholders.
