Letters from Laos (Savannakhet, no. 5) – by Somsanouk Xayyavong
Editor’s note: As from 6 a.m. Lao time today, a lockdown was ordered on the capital of Vientiane by the Prime Minister, after 26 Covid-26 cases were diagnosed, following illegal border crossings from Thailand over the river Mekong for the Lao New Year festivities, Pii Mai.
Our partners had just received their VISA from the German Embassy in Vientiane, after a day’s travel to the capital for the VISA stamp, and after having successfully assembled all the other ministerial documents for travel permission, when they heard the news on travelling back to Savannakhet the next day. Travelling to the capital is now prohibited, but their flight next week has not been cancelled.
We therefore hope/trust that the Government will allow travellers to enter Vientiane next week to be able to fly out.
My name is Somsanouk Xayyavong. I hope to be able to spend two months at our partner university, the University of Education Karlsruhe (Germany), as from next week, on the Erasmus+ Mobility programme “Bi-directional teaching and learning“. I am 35 years old. I have worked at Savannakhet University (SKU) since 2010 at the Information Technology Center, which was established into the Faculty of Information Technology in 2018. My background is a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science and Master Degree in Software Engineering. The main subjects I teach at SKU are database system concept, database advance and programming on mobile devices by Android.
In my spare moments I like to travel and take photo because it is a good memory, listening to the music, and I also enjoy playing volleyball, football and badminton.
Our team in Faculty of Information Technology with my Erasmus partner Jun.Prof. Dr. Bernhard Standl, on his first visit in 2020:
I was very excited when I heard that I got invited to be one of the exchange staff mobility for training between Karlsruhe, University of Education, Karlsruhe, Germany and Savannakhet University, Laos and under scholarship of Erasmus+. I am good luck to be a part of this project which coordinates by Professor Dr Isabel Martin.
It is great opportunity to visiting in Germany for 2 months in May/June. I will have many activities to do such as job-shadowing of colleagues in the IT and English Department, lesson observation, carrying out syllabus and material development for teaching, visits at German primary and lower secondary schools, and carrying out join research with colleagues in the IT department.
I am a little worried about the spread of Coronavirus disease and therefore prepared some masks, hand sanitizers and alcohol spray.
I will be a part of your community to learn as much as possible about the German culture and news lesson from the lecturers there, and I am also really looking forward to meet Junior Professor Doctor Barnhard Standl from PH Karlsruhe again, as well as new friends and new experience.
I believe that project will be improving the experience about IT and my English skill as well. I will bring the knowledge learned back to my university.
See you soon!
Text by S. Xayyavong
Photos by S. Xayyavong & unnamed photographer(s)
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