Prime Minister Hun Sen requested that Thailand’s Krirk University meet with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to discuss recruitment after the school announced scholarships for 40 Cambodians.
He also urged the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) to increase its projects in Cambodia.
The proposal was made during a July 20 meeting between Hun Sen and Krasae Chanawongse, president of the university and member of the board of ADPC, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.
According to the premier’s social media post after the meeting, the scholarships would include full tuition, accommodation and meals and an allowance. The programme would be named the Samdech Techo Scholarship.
“Hun Sen thanked Krasae and asked him to continue discussions with education minister Hang Chuon Naron,” it said.
Yong Kim Eng, director of the People’s Centre for Development and Peace, said more opportunities for students to study abroad would encourage young people to study hard and compete for scholarships.
Kim Eng suggested that the scholarships be awarded in a transparent way to earn the trust of students, as that would improve the image of Cambodia’s education system.
“Schools in Thailand generally have high standards and are strictly regulated. This will be a great opportunity for students to absorb knowledge in their chosen field,” he told The Post on July 20.
“Cooperation in the education sector is very helpful. If we assure the country’s future, we must invest heavily in education, so our society has a solid foundation for the journey towards peace, stability and long-term social development,” he said.
During the meeting, Krasae also told Hun Sen that the ADPC had been designated an international centre, to which the prime minister offered his congratulations.
“Hun Sen offered his recommendations as to how the organisation could take action to prevent specific disasters,” it said.
When Krasae proposed meeting again next year, the prime minister said he would be pleased to meet him every time he is in Cambodia.
Established in 1986, the ADPC is an autonomous international organisation which works to build the resilience of individuals and institutions against disasters and the effects of climate change in the Asia-Pacific region.
It supports countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific to build systems and institutions to help them withstand disasters such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, cyclones and droughts.
