The Lao Education and Research Network, or LERNET, stands as the unofficial national Research and Education Network (NREN) for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Established to support the country’s education and research sectors, including students, researchers, and institutions, LERNET is managed by the Information Technology Center at the National University of Laos (NUOL).

Since its connection to the TEIN network in 2013, LERNET has been a part of the regional academic and research community. The organization’s timeline highlights its growth, with a significant milestone in 2020 when it launched its first service, eduroam. LERNET’s contributions are part of the broader efforts to digitalize the Lao education system, which aligns with the nation’s 10-year ICT in Education Strategy aimed at integrating technology into teaching and learning.

Services and Offerings

LERNET provides key services that facilitate academic connectivity and collaboration. Its primary offering is eduroam, a global roaming service that provides secure and convenient internet access for students, researchers, and staff across participating institutions. LERNET has also been a crucial collaborator in various projects under the Asi@Connect initiative, working with other NRENs to benefit the Lao education sector.

Key projects LERNET has been involved in include:

• SEA-HAZEMON@TEINII: A project focused on real-time edge computing for haze monitoring and forest fire detection.
• Belisac: An initiative to build e-learning infrastructure in South Asian countries.
• Digital Transformation for Higher Education Institutions in Southeast Asia (DX.sea): An ongoing project to enhance digital capabilities in higher education.

Aspirations and Future Activities

LERNET’s aspirations are deeply tied to the digital transformation of education in Laos. The organization’s mission is to empower students and educators with digital tools and skills to enhance learning outcomes. LERNET aims to bridge the digital gap and ensure that all students can access digital learning resources.

As part of its future plans, LERNET will participate in the APAN community and contribute to a panel discussion with other NRENs. The organization also has upcoming activities that include technical workshops and training programmes for universities. Furthermore, LERNET will join local stakeholders to organize the Lao Network Operation Center workshop. These activities demonstrate LERNET’s commitment to building a digitally inclusive future for the country.