The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), together with the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Department of Environmental Engineering building on July 7.

The RUPP's former Art Performance Building (APB) is being repurposed as the building for the Department of Environmental Engineering, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability from the outset.

In the presence of more than 60 distinguished guests, a ceremony was then held to mark the donation of academic books carefully selected by KOICA and GIST to the RUPP's Hun Sen Library.

“Refurbishing APB is a testament to our collective dedication to sustainability.

"By revitalising this space, we are demonstrating our commitment to responsible resource management and creating an eco-friendly hub for learning and research,” said HE Dr Sann Vathana, Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

The Department of Environmental Engineering, with support from KOICA and GIST, is to provide a comprehensive programme designed for students wanting an in-depth education on the environmental challenges being faced and solutions to them.

“The newly renovated APB will be a place where students will be able to effectively study Environmental Engineering, laying the foundation for continued higher education in this field.

"We hope that all of these students will go on to become future experts endeavouring to find ways to address the environmental challenges we are facing right now,” said Baek Sunwoo, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Cambodia.

The refurbishment of APB and the donation of academic books are part of the “Project for Establishment of Environmental Engineering in RUPP to Foster the Human Resources of Higher Education in Cambodia”.

The project is currently being implemented by GIST with funding from KOICA.

“This project is aimed at not only providing Cambodia with Korea’s experience in higher education, but also aligning it with the Kingdom’s national development priority, which is human resource development,” said Rho Hyunjun, Country Director at the KOICA Cambodia Office.

The Department of Environmental Engineering building is to be completed by the end of 2023, while 320 academic books on the subject were donated to RUPP on July 7.

“The refurbishment of the building and the donation of academic books will provide significant benefits to staff and students wanting to build and improve their skills for the sustainable development of Cambodia,” said HE Dr Vann Monyneath, Director-General at the Ministry of Environment.

The Department of Environmental Engineering was established at the RUPP's Faculty of Engineering in early December 2022, with the first graduates expected in 2026.

“Through refurbishing the building with the installation of modern, advanced facilities and donating academic books to RUPP, we hope the Department of Environmental Engineering will be well placed to produce proficient human resources with a higher education in Environmental Engineering,” said Dr Kim Kyoung-Woong, a professor at GIST.

The Rector of RUPP, HE Dr Chet Chealy, hailed the foundation of the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Kingdom's largest university as a "remarkable" development.

“The establishment of this department marks a remarkable step forward in our commitment to environmental sustainability.

"Students at the Department of Environmental Engineering will have opportunities to learn knowledge and develop skills, engage in research and contribute to developing real-world solutions,” said Dr Chet Chealy.