Lao PDR Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone presided over the launch of two landmark policy frameworks on 5 June at the National University of Laos, marking a pivot towards knowledge-driven growth as it prepares to exit Least Developed Country (LDC) status later in 2026.
To mark the occasion, the Prime Minister and UNESCO Regional Director Soohyun Kim planted a Champa tree, which bears Laos’ national flower, on the university grounds.
The National Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Strategy and Development Plan 2026–2040 and the National Teacher Policy for the Education and Sports Sector, both supported by UNESCO, represent a decisive investment in the people and institutions that will define Lao PDR’s next chapter of development, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Sports Dr Thongsalith Mangnomek.
‘Today’s ceremony… is a declaration of the Government’s commitment to strengthening human resources, education, and national innovation capacity in both the short and long term, thereby laying a solid foundation for sustained and accelerated socio-economic development,’ Dr Thongsalith Mangnomek told an audience of senior government representatives, line ministries, universities, research institutions, the private sector and development partners.
The two frameworks are complementary: the STI strategy sets a long-term direction for research, innovation and scientific excellence, while the teacher policy develops the educator workforce that will drive it. The STI Strategy sets important targets, including increasing investment in R&D to one per cent of GDP by 2040 and promoting interdisciplinary research to inform sustainable development.
‘As Lao PDR prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status, today’s launch marks an important step in its commitment to invest in people, strengthen national capacity, and deliver growth powered by knowledge and innovation,’ said Soohyun Kim, Regional Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok. ‘The question is no longer whether Lao PDR can continue to grow. The question is what kind of growth will define the next chapter,’ Ms Kim added.
UNESCO supported the development of both frameworks through sustained technical engagement. For the STI strategy, UNESCO generated the evidence base that shaped the strategy’s design and ensured its alignment with the UNESCO 2017 Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers. For the teacher policy, UNESCO’s long-running Capacity Development for Education programme has strengthened teacher preparation and professional development systems over many years. In December 2025, this partnership produced the ICT-AI Competency Standards for Teachers for Lao PDR, developed with the Ministry of Education and Sports to define what digital and AI readiness means for teachers in the Lao context and establish the competency benchmarks that link the STI strategy to classroom practice.
The frameworks also reflect Lao PDR’s alignment with global normative standards, including the Santiago Consensus adopted at the World Summit on Teachers in 2025, which places teachers at the centre of any credible strategy to deliver quality education.
Looking ahead, UNESCO and the Government of Lao PDR are exploring ways to translate the STI strategy into practice at the city level. One potential avenue under discussion is Vientiane’s future designation as a UNESCO Learning City, a recognition that supports cities in building inclusive, equitable and lifelong learning ecosystems. No formal process has been initiated, but the conversation signals both parties’ interest in grounding national policy ambitions in tangible, community-level change.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/two-landmark-unesco-supported-policies-signal-lao-pdrs-shift-towards-knowledge-driven-development?hub=701
