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EU Ambassador Shares the Excitement of Back-to-School Week

03.09.2025
Laos
Press and information team of the Delegation to LAOS
Back-to-School

EU in Laos

Vientiane, 03 September 2025 – As classrooms across Laos buzz with the excitement of a new school year, the Ambassador of the European Union to Lao PDR, Mr. Mark Gallagher, joined in the spirit by visiting Vientiane - Ho Chi Min Friendship Upper Secondary School to celebrate back-to-school week.

The visit included the formal handover of the artwork, “The Land of Happiness” by young Lao artist Chare Chavic. It had originally decorated the EU office building in Vientiane after being painted in 2024 as part of an exhibition exploring how young Lao artists see Europe.

The Ambassador asked the school’s management about planned reforms in the education sector. He then sat down with pupils for a lively exchange, answering their curious questions about education, Europe, and the EU’s support to the Lao PDR.

“Education is at the heart of our cooperation with the Lao PDR. By supporting inclusive and high-quality education, we aim to empower the next generation,” the Ambassador highlighted. “Our support to education reflects the EU’s belief that today’s students are tomorrow’s drivers of development and prosperity.”

The EU is active in the Lao education sector. Its €52 million Partnership for Education and Skills for Inclusive and Green Growth programme works with the government to improve equal access to education, boost skills training for work and strengthen governance in the sector. In this way, the EU is helping Lao youth develop the skills needed to thrive in a green and digitalised economy. 

Complementing this, initiatives such as the EU’s Skills for Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry programme, co-funded with Luxembourg and Switzerland, also expands opportunities for young people, especially women and disadvantaged groups.

The visit added a splash of colour and inspiration to the start of the school year. It reminded the Ambassador, teachers and pupils that learning is not only about books and classrooms, but also about creativity, culture, and connection.