A decade of cooperation in higher education between Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Cambodia’s Ministry of Economy and Finance has been described as significant for the future development of the South East Asian nation.

 

The Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, His Excellency Keat Chhon made the comment as he hosted a ceremony on Tuesday 12 April for the renewal of an agreement between CSU and the Economics and Finance Institute (EFI) within the Ministry of Economy and Finance in Cambodia.

 

Since 2001 the Institute has been one of the University’s international partners, initially to deliver CSU’s Master of Business Administration program and then the Master of Business from 2007. During this decade of cooperation, 299 students have graduated from CSU through the program delivered by EFI in Cambodia.  Many of those have travelled to Australia for the annual graduation ceremony held at CSU in Wagga Wagga.

 

In the recent meeting held in the capital Phnom Penh, talks between the CSU delegation headed by Chancellor Mr Lawrence Willett, AO, and Deputy Prime Minister Chhon focused on the University’s engagement with Cambodia to date and on further collaborative opportunities.

 

CSU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Lyn Gorman said, “Both the Deputy Prime Minister and our Chancellor spoke of the importance of the Charles Sturt University program in Cambodia in providing higher education for human resource capacity development, which is critical to the socio-economic development of the country.

 

“The Deputy Prime Minister noted its importance in developing competence, confidence and networking for all graduates. He also spoke of the graduates working and leading in various top management positions in government, non-government and private sector institutions, with some of them becoming successful entrepreneurs in leading business companies in Cambodia.

 

In addition to the Master of Business program delivered through the EFI, cooperation between CSU and Cambodia includes:

“There was also discussion about opportunities to extend our involvement in Cambodia, for example, through further research, student mobility programs and by expanding the type of courses taught in-country in addition to the Master of Business,” Professor Gorman said.

 

As well as the CSU delegation, the signing ceremony on Tuesday 12 April was attended by more than 100 Cambodian students who are currently studying the University’s Master of Business through the EFI. One of those students, Mr Lam Keang, was presented a Dean’s Award by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor for his exceptional academic performance in 2010.

 

The Deputy Prime Minister hosted a dinner on the Monday 11 April in honour of Mr Willett.