Needs assessment of forestry education in Laos: the case of Souphanouvong University

ABSTRACT

Managing forest resources can be realized when the social conditions, including institutional arrangements and social capacity, are adequately prepared. Human capacity is one of the key conditions required for sustainable forest management. Higher education institutions in developing countries offer forestry programs to build human capacity for sustainable forest management. As society undergoes social and economic changes, forestry professionals must adapt to the appropriate expertise required for new roles. This paper aims to assess the needs of higher education in forestry to revise forestry curriculum at Souphanouvong University towards improving specific and general capacity of forestry professionals in the Laos. The expected expertise of forestry professionals and gaps in forestry curriculum were assessed by a questionnaire survey with university faculty members and forestry governmental officials. Priority in importance and adequacy of curriculum contents necessary for forestry-specific and generic competencies was measured. The study showed the needs of the forestry curriculum at Souphanouvong University in the Laos with the following four areas of competencies: (1) comprehensive forest management considering multiple forest services and global negotiations, (2) forest management planning technology, (3) field skills and teamwork, and (4) problem solving and social relations. The proposed changes of forestry curriculum to meet the needs of forestry higher education can be applied for revising forestry curriculum in Laos and other countries.

KEYWORDS:

• Need
• education
• forestry
• Laos

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

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Notes

1. The Department of Forestry (DoF) of Laos carries out a national forest cover assessment every 10 years since 1992. DoF defines forest as a land area spanning at least 0.5 ha, of which at least 20% of the crown cover comprises trees that will reach a height of at least 5 m after maturity (Lestrelin et al. 2013, p. 1; Kim and Alounsavath 2015, p. 166).

2. The project with the title of “Empowerment and Capacity Development Project of Souphanouvong University, Laos” funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency was conducted from 2014 to 2017.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency (Project title: Empowerment and Capacity Development Project of Souphanouvong University, Laos, December 2014 – October 2017).