A student from Laos’s Xieng Khouang province has begun a Master’s degree in Energy Business Management at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok. Ms Laphongngern Thepphavong started the two-year course in January this year under a grant from THPC and on April 25 attended a ceremony to mark her scholarship.
At the ceremony THPC’s General Manager, Robert Allen, said the company had long wanted to provide an opportunity for Lao students to study energy-related disciplines at a high level, but that it had taken some time to identify both a suitable course and candidate. He expressed THPC’s confidence in AIT as an educational leader in the region, and said he hoped Ms Laphongngern’s example would inspire other Lao students in the future.
Ms Laphongngern, who already holds Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Science and English for teaching from the National University of Laos, said she considers herself fortunate to have the opportunity to study in an international environment, and to experience different languages and cultures.
AIT’s President, Professor Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai commended THPC for giving back to society and contributing towards human resource development.
The THPC scholarship covers all the student’s fees for the course plus travel and visa expenses, and also provides a living allowance. The student has no obligations to the company on completing her degree. THPC also provides scholarships for several undergraduates at Lao universities, runs a primary and secondary school in Khammouane province, and includes community education measures in its social programs.