Most definitely you can. However many Lao nationals if they are fortunate and get high grades, can obtain graduate degrees from abroad.
You can study at and obtain graduate degrees from the National University of Laos (NUOL).
http://www.nuol.edu.la/
You can also get an international master's of business administration (MBA) at the National Organization for the Study of Policy and Administration (NOSPA for short).
http://www.mbanospa.com/English%20Version/index.html
Depending on the country or which school you obtain your degree from, another foreign country may or may not your accept a degree earned in Laos.
In your Advice Column Cost of Living for Students, you said:
"For food, let's put the estimate at no more than 30,000 kip ($3/day) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
This sounded reasonable when I read it - and of course it's an upper limit estimate. But I started wondering, in a country where the per capita annual income is said to be $390 (World Bank figures for 2004), can annual food costs alone really run to $1095 (3x365), even in the city? Perhaps your estimate assumed eating out. Would it be cheaper if someone bought all their food at markets? I would appreciate it very much if you could comment.
$3/day for food was, as you say, an upper estimate, which is just $1 per meal. Most likely they will not spend 10,000 kip ($1) on breakfast but it is very possible for lunch and dinner unless they eat at home or live at a temple. You are right on the estimate we assumed that they tend to eat out when they go out with friends and they help to pay collectively, the bill. More generally speaking though, food is inexpensive in Laos and this is why many, including the locals, tend to buy premade (take out) food quite a bit. This is why food vendors are incredibly common throughout Laos in all neighborhoods and not just in markets. This weighed heavily on our estimate. However not all students eat out and not all students spend a lot on food.
The estimate was also broaden to include the possible increased costs due to buying snacks for school, hanging out with friends, etc. Definitely as in most countries, you will save quite a bit if one buys groceries and eats at home, no doubt. Indeed, living in the city one's costs, including food, are higher compared to living in the outskirts.
And remember young people especially students, as in any country, tend to have a higher-than-expected expendable income. This does not necessarily mean that they all work but rather the parents/family give them spending money while studying. Most students who are supported by the parents for tuition usually do not work and receive some form of 'allowance'. In these cases they are from middle-to-upper class families. Similarly, if they are scholarship recipients, the scholarships take into account living costs.
The World Bank estimates do not reflect a student's kind of living costs. They will appear to be woefully out of sync but this is only because their estimates take into account the entire country. Reading the WB estimates you would never think also that Laos has millionaires living in its country. Our estimate was meant for a very specific smaller group of people, students studying in post-secondary in the city.
A last note, our estimate was not meant to be exact and as we noted in that piece, the costs could be lower/higher for any different individual. The estimate was meant to encompass the general majority and possible contingencies.
We appreciate your e-mail and are glad to clarify any doubts for you.
