Reflections on Volunteerism in the Lao PDR; Strategic Considerations From
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Reflections on volunteerism in the Lao PDR; strategic considerations from Souphanouvong University’s first unsponsored volunteer Ross Hartley Key words : Souphanouvong University, Laos, Volunteerism, Case study, Retirees, Tourism Abstract This paper explains the origin of unsponsored volunteerism at Luang Prabang’s Souphanouvong University (SU) and chronicles opportunities and challenges the author encountered. It explores limitations to SU’s current system for attracting and managing volunteers arguing that by inviting unsponsored volunteers additional to traditional pathways it would better position itself internationally as the disconnect between its vision and the reality is substantial. Laos is among the world’s poorest countries. It is a popular destination for tourists. Arguably, with these come a diversity of untapped knowledge, skill, and talent applicable to SU and indeed across Laos and the developing world. Until recently SU had accepted just 30 volunteers and these solely through sponsoring agencies and primarily for teaching. A direct approach by the author challenged this. Consequently, more opportunities now exist for advancing the university. It’s a volunteerism model successfully implemented elsewhere. However, to be replicated in Laos fundamental change is needed in volunteerism programmes. Success hinged on establishing personal relationships. Such a model complements, though might also challenge, more traditional volunteerism. Its advantages, however, do open volunteerism to be considerably more flexible and focussed. A much broader array of people and with very specific skills could offer their talents, virtually perhaps, on micro and episodic projects through third parties simply using as little technology as smartphones from home. Introduction The Lao PDR is a landlocked nation bordering China, Vietnam, Myannmar, Thailand and Cambodia. Its legacy from the Vietnam War is well documented, as is its resurgence as a communist country following that war. Considered a developing country, the International Monetary Fund places it 48 th in their table of 184 countries from poorest to richest (Pasquali, 2015). Luang Prabang (also spelt Louangphabang) where SU is located is the fourth largest city after Vientiane, Pakxe and Savannakhet and has a population of about 47,000. The Lao PDR has a population of about 6.9 million, the majority of which is rural (World Population Review, 2015). Luang Prabang’s major claim to fame is its UNESCO World Heritage listing back in 1995 (UNESCO, 2015). Situated at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, the word- famous old part of the city sits on a peninsula one kilometer long by half a kilometer wide. In 2015 it was again voted ‘best city’ to visit by Wanderlust Travel Magazine, an award it has won many times before (Wanderlust Travel Magazine, 2015). Clearly, Luang Prabang attracts a lot of international and domestic visitors each year and with these come a diversity of untapped knowledge, skill, talent and application. And as Wearing and McGehee (2013) point out in their review, volunteering tourism is a growing trend, as applicable to Laos as elsewhere. Despite its obvious prominence within the Lao PDR, the city’s only university is a relatively recent addition. SU commenced operations in 2003 and funded largely by Korean investment (Yohan & Somsamone, 2011) . Named after Prince Souphanouvong, who was the first 1 President of the Lao PDR, it is just one of five universities in the country. With little written about SU, its Wikipedia page offers a source of description as to its existence, describing it as a “ public national educational and cultural institution under the Ministry of Education. The University carries out the educational functions of preparing specialists, researchers and multidisciplinary scientific scholars; organizing scientific research; protecting and promoting Lao’s unique national and multiethnic arts and culture; and delivering academic services to society” (Wikipedia, 2014). There are two campuses, the Faculty of Education which borders the old city and the newer campus nine kilometers out along Northern Road, which accommodates the faculties of Economics and Tourism, Agriculture and Forest Resources, Engineering, Architecture, and Languages. SU offers 20 undergraduate degrees, each of four years duration. There are no postgraduate qualifications on offer. A staff of almost 400 service the learning needs of about 4000 undergraduate students. SU has a vision of becoming a world class provider of learning and research. As this paper will show, there is a noticeable disconnect between that vision and its reality pointing to just how little has been achieved to date, and how much more, even basic progress, needs to be achieved. Slow as progress is, however, a strategic start has been made with formal academic relations established with 33 universities and organizations in nearby countries. These relations have focused on scholar and student exchanges, library book and computer supplies, and international seminars, workshops and meetings. It is against this backdrop that the role of volunteers at SU is now explored. Until late in 2014 SU accepted volunteers only through well-established sponsoring agencies such as foreign governments and NGOs. A direct approach made to it early in 2014 by two Australian retirees, the author and his brother, effectively challenged this status quo with the result that, for the first time, SU opened its doors to unsponsored volunteers who had no affiliations with any volunteering organizations. This paper explains the origin of private volunteering at SU, but from a personal perspective. It deconstructs the shared journey undertaken by both the volunteer and SU. It concludes with a road map into the future, arguing that by opening the university to unsponsored volunteers alongside of the more traditional volunteering pathways, SU could more effectively and efficiently position itself to fast-track the realization of its strategic vision to become a leader in teaching and research. Initial approaches to volunteering at SU After a dozen visits to various Asian countries over more than two decades, the author decided that for his next visit he wanted to volunteer. Luang Prabang was his destination of choice, having visited several times already. Wanting to contribute meaningfully he researched organizations most likely to be interested in his knowledge, skill and application in research, publishing and teaching across the disciplines of agriculture, health, education and communications. By chance he discovered that Luang Prabang had a relatively new university, about which he had previously not known. Finding its website, however, proved to be an impossible task, and one not concluded until after his actual arrival at SU. A Google search on Souphanouvong University yields few results, not one of which is its website. The reason for this is that SU has an unconventional web address by international protocols: http://www.lpb-su.edu.la . 2 By contrast, SU did have a Wikipedia entry, in fact it had two, both of which were mere shells and devoid of substantive information. Most notably absent was anything on how to contact the university. So despite much searching, the author remained ignorant of how to approach SU in relation to volunteering. The LinkedIn website ( www.linkedin.com ) solved the contact problem. A number of staff had entries, one of which fortuitously was the Vice President for Academic Affairs. He redirected the author’s initial email query to other staff, the result of which was six months of back and forth communications between SU’s International Affairs Office and the author. It was clear from the ensuing email exchanges that an unsponsored offer to come and volunteer for a month challenged SU because it had never before had a direct approach by a volunteer. Volunteers had always been engaged through formalized contracts with foreign governments, NGOs and other sponsoring agencies. There simply were no guidelines for any direct approaches outside of this norm. Closer to the arrival date the International Affairs Office requested detailed curriculum vitae and passport details, so it seemed approval had been granted, at least in principle. Close upon departure from Australia the author’s brother also decided to volunteer. He is well renowned for project management, having run his own consultancy business for decades and authoring several textbooks on the subject. So early October 2014, the two Australian unsponsored volunteers arrived at Luang Prabang for a month’s volunteering at SU. The first volunteering experience Arrival at the International Relations Office on the first day meant another form to complete, a brief and warm welcome by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and a tour of SU, which sits on 110 hectares along the Mekong River on the outskirts of the city. The impression was that despite numerous emails to SU, nothing had been organized for our arrival in terms of which staff to work with or what they might like from having the volunteers onsite. One of SU’s two information technology laboratories became the volunteers’ office, five days a week, from 8am till 4pm, for four weeks. The volunteers spent 90 per cent of their time there, which proved not to be a bad situation despite the protracted isolation from staff. Unexpectedly, it was the Faculty of Engineering (FE) that finally sought the expertise on offer, being primarily interested in workshops on project management and