This project was a collaboration among 6 European and SE Asian Universities (Helsinki , Life Sciences Prague , Souphanouwong , Suvannakhet , Kasetsart and Chiang Mai ) and was sponsored by the European Union's Erasmus+ program.
The project built capacity for sustainable forest management and restoration in Lao PDR and Thailand, by strengthening forest-related higher education. It developed new learning and teaching tools (including online teaching) and trained educators. The aim was to increase the employability of graduates, by matching curricula with national priorities and by setting up an internship system, thus enabling alumni to play leading roles in their country’s involvement in such global initiatives as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Bonn Challenge etc. The project also fostered "North-South-South" cooperation among the EU, Lao PDR and Thailand.
Specifically, MSc forestry programs at the two Lao PDR Universities and at Kasetsart University, were upgraded. At CMU, a BSc-level course was upgraded and supported with the publication of a new Thai text book . Furthermore, a new international MSc-level course on forest restoration science adn research was created in the Biology Department, as well as an online diploma course—open to all— on the CMU Lifelong Education platform.
Under the project, FORRU-CMU also developed an informal Volunteership Program in forest-restoration, providing work-experience opportunities to both Lao and Thai students/professionals.
Our unit led on co-ordinating dissemination of project outputs, through the project's website and social media . Furthermore, FORRU-CMU assisted Souphanouvong University to become a forest-restoration learning hub for Lao PDR, with their own MSc programme on the subject, supported by a FORRU-style tree nursery and trial plot system.
The project was successfully concluded in January 2024.
For more information on FRAME PROJECT activities click here or contact Dr. Prasit (CMU Project Co-ordinator) for details FORRU-CMU's role in this project.
