Faculty members, researchers, and students from the National University of Laos have taken a step toward bringing responsible business conduct (RBC) into the classroom, exploring how international frameworks on human rights and labour rights can be woven into existing university courses.
The Knowledge-sharing Seminar on Responsible Business Conduct for Academia in Lao PDR, held on 12 March 2026 in Vientiane, saw participants discuss the increasing relevance of RBC and international frameworks to the economic development of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Through panel discussions and group work, academics explored practical entry points for integrating RBC into subjects they teach, such as international trade, business ethics, and human resource management. Participants received training materials in both English and Lao language which could serve as supplementary resources in their teaching.
Organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Faculty of Economics and Business Management (FEB) of the National University of Laos, the session brought together 32 participants, including 18 women, drawn from the faculty's teaching staff, researchers, and students, as well as participants from the Faculty of Law and Political Science and the Faculty of Social Sciences.
© ILO
The seminar underscored the important role of academia in preparing the next generation of professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, policymakers and workers who will shape how business impacts society in the country.
"By integrating RBC and decent work into higher education today, we are ensuring that future business leaders and policymakers build an economy that respects both human dignity and the rule of law," said Associate Professor Vadsana Chanthanasinh, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Management, National University of Laos, who co-chaired the seminar.
"It is very encouraging to see that many ideas emerged on how responsible business conduct can be integrated into teaching in different disciplines and specializations," said Yuki Kobayashi, ILO Programme Coordinator, in her closing remarks.
The session was organized under the ILO's Building Responsible Value Chains in Asia through the Promotion of Decent Work in Business Operations (Phase II) project, funded by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. The project supported enterprises and tripartite constituents in the Lao People's Democratic Republic to promote responsible and sustainable business practices that align with national legal frameworks and the principles of international labour standards, guided by the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy.
