Lao, Vietnamese entrepreneurs discuss business development
Lao, Vietnamese entrepreneurs discuss business development
Lao and Vietnamese women entrepreneurs met last Friday to share knowledge and experience on business development, with the support of the JICA Laos and Vietnam entrepreneurship seminar in Vientiane.
The seminar for Lao and Vietnamese entrepreneurs was co-hosted by the Laos-Japan Human Resource Development Institute, the National University of Laos, the Vietnam-Japan Cooperation Centre, and the Foreign Trade University of Vietnam, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
This seminar is very important to all stakeholders con cerned as it provides a platform for Lao and Vietnamese women entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge and experiences in their business development with technical guidance from JICA projects in La os and Vietnam, respectively.
It is also a platform to demonstrate the contributions made by women entrepreneurs to human resource development as well as socio-economic development as a whole, Vice President of the National University of Laos, Assoc. Prof. Dr Phout Simmalavong said in his opening remarks.
�In the course of the implementation of our mission in carrying out higher education programmes, research and academic service provisions, we, the leaders of the National University of Laos, always pay close attention to promoting gender equality,� Dr Phout said.
�We also give importance to promoting regional and international cooperation, including both bilateral and multilateral cooperation in carrying out our mission, he said.
�This seminar fits very well in our mandate, allowing us to receive cooperation and support from the Japanese government in the form of cooperation between JICA and the National University of Laos in the JICA project on capacity building for Lao business persons and promoting Japanese investment in Laos through the Laos-Japan Human Resource Institute, Dr Phout added.
With the launch of the AEC at the end of 2015, it has become more important for Lao business persons to brush up their management skills. You have to complete in an Asean market whose business environment is becoming more and more competitive, said Japanese Ambassador to Laos, Mr Takeshi Hikihara
And in this context, it would be a fatal error if entrepreneurship of Lao women are not fully mobilised. It is not only about securing equal treatment between men and women. It is much more than that. It firmly believes that women entrepreneurs should play a pivotal role in sustainable economic growth and in alleviation of social problems.
�Narrowing the gaps between men and women is indispensable for a more equitable development. But I would say that it is indispensable for development simply put,� said Mr Takeshi.
He noted that the seminar was an excellent opportunity to learn from Lao and Vietnamese entrepreneurs about the difficulties they have faced and their efforts to overcome them, as well as their tips for success.
