The U.S. Embassy and EducationUSA Cambodia will host the annual EducationUSA Fair 2019, highlighting U.S. educational opportunities for Cambodian students. Supplied
At least 658 Cambodians are studying in the US and the numbers are growing by the year, said the US Embassy spokesperson in Phnom Penh, Emily Zeeberg.
Responding to The Post’s inquiry on Monday, Zeeberg said: “We are thrilled that increasingly more young Cambodians are interested in studying in the US. There are currently more than 650 Cambodian students studying in the US at 239 different higher education institutions. That’s a 53% increase since 2014.”
The embassy recently posted a note on its official Facebook account, saying “the number of Cambodian students choosing to study in the US is growing all the time”.
It estimated that the number of Cambodians studying in the US had increased by 20 per cent in the past year.
“Studying at US colleges and universities is a win for Cambodia,” it said.
Zeeberg said the embassy offers more than 20 US government-sponsored (USG) programmes for Cambodian students to study on short-term exchanges in the US.
She said over 70 Cambodians are sponsored through such programmes every year.
EducationUSA and the US embassy on Monday hosted an education fair in Phnom Penh, with 30 US schools and higher education institutions participating.
One-stop-shop
The EducationUSA Fair, Zeeberg noted, allowed visitors to obtain information about everything related to studying in the US, including course information and scholarship opportunities.
She said that apart from representatives from schools, colleges and universities, consular officers and several embassy-sponsored exchange programme alumni were also present at the fair to respond to visitors’ enquiries regarding student visas and what life in the US is like.
“This fair is a one-stop-shop for learning more about all the educational opportunities available for young Cambodians,” Zeeberg said.
EducationUSA is the US government’s official resource for students interested in pursuing higher education opportunities in the US.
Through its more than 425 advising centres worldwide, EducationUSA provides counselling and guidance services to prospective students at no charge.
In Cambodia, EducationUSA has an advising centre at the Pannasastra University and another one through the American Centre located at the US Embassy. Both facilities are located in Phnom Penh.
“The US Embassy believes studying abroad can help strengthen Cambodia’s development and future growth,” Zeeberg said.
Chea Sothea, council head of EducationUSA, said the fair saw over 1,000 students participating. He projected the number would be higher this year.
