Laos and China partner to rebuild tech institute
THE Lao Ministry of Technology and Communications is partnering with the China Railway Construction Group to rebuild Laos’ Institute of Information and Communication Technology.
The agreement for the new building was signed inVientiane on March 11, which was attended by representatives from both sides.
The institute plays an important role in the development of human resources in the post and communication fields and ICT engineering, and runs a range of training activities.
Construction of the new facility will be funded by a grant from the Government of the People’s Republic of China with a maximum value of 85.72 million yuan ($13.5 million).
According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the government of the People’s Republic of China and the government of Laos on April 22, 2020, the project was initiated through the compilation of data and a feasibility study carried out by China’s Institute of Design and Electronic Engineering.
This project is the first of its kind to be carried out by the Lao side, which was responsible for selecting the winning company through a bidding process, with the bid winner to carry out building design and subsequent construction.
Through appropriate procedures by the project owner and a fair bidding process held on December 23, 2021, the project implementation committee selected the China Railway Construction Group Co Ltd as the bid winner.
Construction of the new institute is scheduled to take 20 months. It is estimated that construction will be completed by the end of March and the building will be completed and handed over in November 2023.
Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, Deputy Head of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Padapxay Xayakhoth, said the new building will comprise a five-storey ICT training centre with a total area of 5,524sqm. It will house classrooms, laboratories, offices, a library and a conference room.
The building will be equipped with the necessary teaching and learning materials, laboratory equipment and examination facilities.
While the building is under construction, teachers and students will be trained and tested in readiness for the opening of the new institute, Padapxay said.