Keynote Address at the Conferment of Medals and Degrees of the Isles International University

National Institute of Education, December 8, 2009

Excellencies, Oknhas, Ladies and Gentlemen Distinguished National and International Guests,

The Management and all Professors of the Isles International University,

Dear Graduates and all the Students!

It is my privilege and honor today to be here in the conferment of medals and degrees of the Isles International University. This event indeed reflects the progress of country’s higher education sector as more and more Cambodia students are now able take up the challenge and complete higher education programs at various international universities. This also proves Cambodia’s human resource development has been significantly improved.

Taking this opportunity, on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia and myself, I would like to congratulate all the graduates and medal awardees. This event summarizes all the graduates’ efforts and patience, as well as lecturers’ untiring commitment to sharing knowledge and instructing their students. This event is a pride of our students since each individual student must satisfy all criteria set by the university’s assessment panel. All the Cambodian and foreign students must have either presented successfully in front of the assessment panel or passed their exams before the degrees are conferred. This intellectual achievement does not only represent the pride of individual awardees, but the pride of students’ families and the society as a whole which has been awarded with highly potential, confident and competent human capital for accelerating socio-economic progress towards prosperity and happiness.

In addition, I would like to extend my appreciation to the Isles International University for its contribution in human resource development in Cambodia. The contribution has been highlighted by the event we are attending today. This achievement will further promote human resource development and education sector, especially higher education.

Moreover, in spite of many years of progress in our education sector, we still have a long way to go, both in terms of quantity and quality. Large quantity with below standard quality will not enable us to realize what we expect and it is a waste of time and money. Similarly, small quantity of human resource cannot respond to the requirement of development. Hence, the quantity and quality must be both realized.

The Royal Government has given great importance to education and skill development sector to accommodate regional and global labor market. Through these efforts, the number and quality of public and private educational institutions have grown significantly and the number of graduates sees a noticeable rise. In particular, the Royal Government of the Fourth Legislature of the National Assembly identified human resource development as one of its priorities and an important agenda of the Rectangular Strategy-Phase II. This job is a concrete foundation for strengthening socio-economic development and ensuring sustainable growth to alleviate poverty incidence.

Moreover, according to the report by Prof. Dr. Hadib Sando, representative of the Isles International University and the welcoming remarks by H.E Cheam Yeap, representative of the graduates, it reaffirmed about the reason why this University decided to request for a venue for the conferment of medals and degrees for Khmer and foreign students of the 7^th batch in Cambodia today. Realizing that education sector in Cambodia today has been improving very fast, especially the human resource development at the higher education level and the impression from other countries in the region and the world, the management of the Isles International University planned to set up its branch in Cambodia in the upcoming 2010 with the objective to share knowledge and experiences to the students at bachelor and post graduate levels coming from a number of countries nearby Cambodia such as Viet Nam, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand, who have conducted researches and have exchanged their experiences in all sector in either real science or social sciences. Taking this opportunity, on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, I would like to warmly welcome and support the vision as mentioned above and wish to encourage this University for every efforts made in contributing to the development of education sector in Cambodia. Along with this, I would like the University to diversify academic curriculums and specializations and to be well equipped with instruments and modern facilities for the purpose of teaching and learning as well as for research by students and teachers, especially the library and laboratory.

Providing the HUN SEN Cultural Center to be the venue for medals conferment, granted by the King Albert 2 and awarding the State Doctor of Philosophy (State PhD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to the graduates, who are Cambodian civil servants and foreigners, is the tremendous honor for us all because this ceremony has provided us the opportunity to understand each other and accelerate closer cooperation. At the same time, this ceremony has been organized with the view of the Isles International University to make sure that foreign students know and better understand about the glorious culture and civilization since the ancient time of Cambodia: the Kingdom of Wonder, which had been constructed by Khmer Ancestors and under the royal leadership of the famous Khmer kings in many reigns and decades. The magnificent masterpieces as well as the architectural styles of various temples are the achievements that have been universally recognized a long time ago, and are being admitted to be the world heritage one by one. Therefore, this event has provided a lot of advantages for all foreign students, who have the opportunity to visit Cambodia now to improve their awareness and clearly witness the progress in Cambodia, especially I would like to encourage the Doctoral Professors and all graduates to travel to Siem Reap and explore more about the tremendous cultural heritages in the magnificent land of Angkor of our Cambodia.

Once again, I am truly proud that the Isles International University has continued cooperation and seen the opportunities in Cambodia after this University has awarded me with an Honorary Ph.D Degree and a medal on the 10^th April 2004 at the Council of Ministers. In the meantime, I am also proud and would like to praise our graduates, who are civil servants, in trying to spare their precious busy time from serving the nation, and take the opportunity to study until receiving degrees with pride for us all today.

The result of today’s event makes me believe further and proud of Cambodian civil servants, who have always fulfilled their duties to serve the nation with high responsibility, patience, and be able to improve and strengthen their capacities by trying their utmost to seek knowledge in all means to make sure that they are capable enough to fill up the need of our people and beloved nation.

In fact, the achievements made today came from the blood and sweat, in which we are unable to forget what we have come across so far. The presence of the graduates today truly stems from all kinds of sacrifices in order to salvage the nation from the tragedy and more than 30 years of efforts in restoring and rebuilding the country. This has highlighted the true pride of Cambodian graduates who have achieved this brilliant success based on a foundation, which was destroyed to the root in all sectors such as social infrastructure, economic, culture and human resources under the Pol Pot genocidal regime. Because of these factors, the spirit of the 7^th January is not just the liberation day for Cambodian people from the regime but also the day of destiny of our people and nation as well as the spirit of new development and achievements.

Before ending, I would like to thank once again the Isles International University and all Doctoral Professors, who have successfully trained all these graduates until receiving their degrees today. Along with the human resource we have had in hand, we have to continue preparing and sharpening various mechanisms for using all these resources, meaning to use the right people for the right jobs and with the right skills and talents, to achieve maximum productivity in our production.

Finally, I would like to congratulate and wish all successful graduates good health and success in their professionalism and I would also like to wish Excellencies, Lok Chum Teav, Lok Okhna, Ladies and Gentlemen, National and International Distinguished Guests and all Students, who are present here today the four gems of Buddhist blessing: Longevity, Nobility, Health and Strength.