On 4 and 5 November 2026, a delegation from Thuyloi University (TLU), led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Canh Thai, Vice President, visited the National University of Laos (NUOL) to attend its 30th anniversary celebration and discuss potential areas of cooperation in education and scientific research, particularly in dam safety, water security and disaster management.

Attending the 30th Anniversary Celebration of NUOL

On 5 November 2026, NUOL held a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of its establishment (5 November 1996 – 5 November 2026) in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The event provided an opportunity to reflect on NUOL’s journey of establishment and development, while bringing together partners in education and research.

Prior to the official ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Canh Thai and other delegates attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of Kaysone Phomvihane, the late President, late Prime Minister and former General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.

The participation of the TLU delegation in the anniversary celebration demonstrated the University’s commitment to its partnership with NUOL and provided an opportunity to meet and exchange views with NUOL’s partners.

Discussing Cooperation in Education and Scientific Research

On the sidelines of the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Canh Thai held a working meeting with Prof. Dr. Ounla Sivanpheng, Vice President of NUOL, together with leaders of relevant departments specialising in water resources and civil engineering. The two sides discussed opportunities for cooperation in education, human resource development and scientific research, leveraging their respective academic strengths to address practical needs in Vietnam and Laos.

Regarding dam safety, discussions focused on jointly developing training programmes and capacity-building activities for personnel involved in dam and reservoir management and operation at various levels, as well as organising specialised training courses tailored to the needs of hydropower companies. The proposed training content would cover inspection, monitoring, risk assessment, safe operation and emergency response, with particular emphasis on the safety of downstream communities.

TLU has accumulated considerable experience in this field through the Vietnam–New Zealand Dam Safety Project, implemented in collaboration with Damwatch Engineering and GNS Science. The project’s approach integrates infrastructure safety with downstream community safety at the river basin level, combining dam condition assessments, natural hazard analysis, flood modelling and specialist training.

Building on this experience, the two universities discussed the possibility of jointly developing a project proposal on dam safety enhancement and seeking support from government agencies, international organisations and non-governmental organisations. This direction aims to link training with infrastructure surveys, assessments and the transfer of risk management methodologies suited to local conditions.

With regard to water security and disaster management, one proposed area of cooperation was research into transboundary river flow forecasting in the Ca River Basin, with priority given to the upstream area of the Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir. Integrating rainfall and river flow data with forecasting models could help improve forecasts of reservoir inflows, supporting safe reservoir operation and flood warning for downstream areas.

For the Mekong River Basin, the two sides also discussed potential research on water security, flooding, drought and the impacts of climate change. These activities could be integrated with training programmes, expert exchanges and postgraduate supervision, while serving as a basis for developing joint project proposals under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework.

During the visit, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Canh Thai presented a commemorative gift from Thuyloi University to NUOL.

The delegation also visited the science and technology exhibition booth of NUOL’s Faculty of Water Resources. The visit provided an opportunity for representatives of both universities to learn about research achievements and applied products, as well as exchange views on potential areas for future collaboration.

The visit and working meetings laid a further foundation for TLU and NUOL to develop joint education and research programmes, with a view to advancing practical solutions for dam safety, water resources management and disaster risk reduction in both countries.

Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation