asianews

September 15 2009PHNOM PENH : An NGO under the auspices of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions is providing vital access to higher education for young Cambodians, who belong to the next generation of leaders in their country.New Humanity, whose mission statement envisages a society where everyone has the same chance for education, is plugging a gap in the Church's educational mission in the country.Many Church resources are funneled into basic education, but fewer go toward tertiary studies."Cambodia is trying to develop, but it lacks expertise, especially specialists in sociology to tackle social and development issues," says Khan Sophirom, a New Humanity beneficiary. He earned a master's degree through a scholarship program the Italian NGO runs in collaboration with Royal University of Phnom Penh.The scholarships "are very necessary and important," he affirmed.New Humanity and the university set up the two-year Master of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology in 2004. Sixty students have graduated from the program since then, in three groups. Sophirom, now 29 and a journalist, was among the 25 graduates in the first group."It was a good chance to study with good equipment and materials, and especially to have been taught by lecturers from many countries such as Australia, Italy and Thailand," he said.He added that he understands social issues more in depth because of the program."If we talk about development in the country, we must not only consider how to make people live happily and in harmony but we must also think about what effects development has on local people," he commented. The question that must be asked, he said, is: "Do development programs have sustainability and participation from local people?"According to Rene Ayala, who coordinates the program, it emphasizes understanding of the fundamentals of sociology and anthropology in relation to language, literature, history, geography and psychology. It aims for the students to reflect critically and analytically about the evolution of social issues in Southeast Asian culture, especially Cambodian culture.The initiative contributes toward rebuilding human resources lost by decades of civil war that ended in the 1990s, he explained."We prepared workshops about culture, directly visiting people in villages, study tours, research and other activities," Ayala said. "In addition, we invited international professors who have deep experience in the context of Cambodia to teach."Ayala added that air-conditioned rooms, computers, projectors, printers and Internet access are part of the initiative and enhance its effectiveness."Quality is the priority," stressed Herve Roqueplan, executive director of New Humanity in Cambodia, "so we select the best teachers." Their criteria for admitting students are also strict."Before students can get a scholarship, they have to show their background of education, take the exam and be interviewed to show they have the capability and ability to study this course."New Humanity has been working in Cambodian education since 1994 when it set up the Department of Sociology at Royal University of Phnom Penh, which offered bachelor's degree programs. It now operates in three other areas apart from its work with the university.In the province of Kandal, which surrounds Phnom Penh, it runs an education and development project for the disabled. Just to the northwest, in Kompong Chhnang province, it has a community education program that focuses on agricultural development and food security among other things.The NGO also has a community education pilot project in Mondolkiri, on of the two provinces covering the easternmost part of the country.Courtesy : UCAN