Sam Rany, Ph.D.

The Wall Street Journal 26 August 2012 Issue No:236   BEIJING—China's labor market has so far proved resilient despite a slowing economy, but that means little to recent college graduate Wu Xiuyan. "My classmates and I want to find jobs in banks or foreign-trade companies, but the reality is that we can't find positions that match our education," said Ms. Wu, 24 years old, who graduated in June from Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics. She has spent the time since then living at home and trawling recruitment websites. "I just want a stable, maybe administrative, job," she said, "but why is it so hard?" China has shown little evidence of rising unemployment despite the slowest growth rate since the global financial crisis—and is nowhere near the jobless rates seen in some of the countries hardest hit by the euro-zone debt crisis. But slowing growth underscores a fundamental challenge to China's economic develop

Vangelis Tsiligiris 26 August 2012 Issue No:236   With the rise in fees in the UK and elsewhere, higher education institutions have started exploring ways of responding to anticipated increased expectations of students. Investment in sport and IT facilities and additional teaching are some of the ways in which institutions are trying to respond to the ‘value for money’ conundrum. However, I think that we are missing a really important trick. Presumably, for a change, we can all agree that if we were to ask current and future students what they would consider to be the most rewarding outcome of their time and money investment in higher education, they would answer “a job”. Sadly, not many institutions can guarantee students that they will be able to find a job any time soon after graduation. In the recent past, employability has been one of the most popular catchphrases in higher education. However, employability does not mean employment; it means the propensi

Press Trust of India 26 August 2012 Issue No:236   After a long association with Yale University, noted Indian American writer and journalist Fareed Zakaria has resigned from its governing body to focus on his journalistic career, reports the Press Trust of India . Zakaria, who received his bachelor degree from the university, has been associated with the Yale Corporation for the past six years. The decision of Zakaria to shed some of his non-journalistic responsibilities has come close on the heels of accusations of plagiarism against him. However, CNN and Time magazine have completed their probe into the matter and revoked their month-long suspension slapped on the writer. “With great regret, I have decided that I will not be able to serve a second term as a successor fellow of Yale Corporation. I am re-examining my professional life and I have recognised that, in order to focus on the core of my work, I will have to shed some of my other responsibilities,” Za

Yojana Sharma and Suluck Lamubol 26 August 2012 Issue No:236   Thailand’s National Innovation Agency Director Supachai Lorlowhakarn was found guilty of criminal forgery on 8 August, just weeks after the council of Chulalongkorn University revoked his PhD in science because of plagiarism. The South Bangkok District Court, whose written verdict was only made available last week, ruled that Supachai fabricated and made use of a falsified employment contract of his litigant Wyn Ellis, a Thailand-based British agriculture researcher and a former consultant to NIA. The court accepted “beyond any doubt that the defendant [Supachai] was the principal party in committing document forgery”, and added that Supachai “cannot avoid responsibility by claiming this was an action of his subordinate and he did not know about it”. The court levied a 6,000 baht (US$190) fine and imposed a six-month suspended prison sentence on Supachai. The verdict has significance in an ongoin

Jane Marshall 24 August 2012 Issue No:236 In the run-up to the new academic year, France’s two biggest student organisations have condemned rises in students’ living costs and demanded that the government reverse increases in university registration fees and other compulsory charges. Minister for Higher Education and Research Geneviève Fioraso sympathised with students whose purchasing power was declining, but denied she had raised fees unreasonably and said she was giving priority to making higher education more accessible to young people from poorer families. Both the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France ( UNEF ) and the Fédération des Associations Générales d’Étudiants (FAGE) last week published their annual inquiries into students’ living expenses. UNEF claimed that these would rise by 3.7% in 2012-13 compared to last year – nearly twice the rate of inflation – while FAGE calculated that a student would have to pay €2,434.33 (US$3,060) at the start of t

Friday, 24 August 2012 Princess Soma Norodom   Karaoke is one of Asia’s favourite pastimes. The creator of the karaoke machine is Japanese, but a Filipino businessman, Robert del Rosario, takes credit for the invention because he was smart enough to patent it. From Taipei, Jakarta and Manila to Hanoi and Hong Kong, karaoke (KTV) is very popular, and Phnom Penh is no exception. There are so many karaoke bars throughout our city, but it was difficult to find one that was appropriate for my friends, their parents and me to go to. Eventually, I found a family-style KTV bar, and it was what karaoke should be about: singing along to the lyrics of your favourite songs. In many KTV bars in Cambodia, customers enjoy singing, dancing, drinking and having a great time. In most KTV bars, men enjoy other perks with young women. Many karaoke girls augment their income by moonlighting as prostitutes. Young women from rural areas earn the respect of their villages by sending money home,

Monday, 27 August 2012 Justine Drennan   The vision regional leaders have for an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 may become clearer after this week’s Economic Ministers meeting in Siem Reap, but not everyone has a rose-coloured view of what such integration might mean for Cambodia. “My peers are really concerned that other countries have many more skills and higher study levels,” National Institute of Business student Chan Kakada, 22, said yesterday, ahead of Prime Minister Hun Sen officially opening the meeting today. Students who have not mastered the English language also fear employment opportunities will fade into the face of stiffer competition for English skills, Kakada, who hopes to one day open her own travel agency, said. “If Cambodian students can’t compete with other ASEAN countries, maybe in the future [Cambodians] will be jobless after ‘ASEAN-alisation’,” she said, using a term coined by one of her professors, who urges students to study hard and choose

ដោយ ទីន ហ្សាការីយ៉ា 2012-08-22 នៅ​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា អ្នក​ដែល​មាន​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​ខ្ពង់ៗ ពួក​គាត់​មាន​ឱកាស​តិចតួច ដែល​អាច​ចូល​បម្រើ​ការងារ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ជួរ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បាន ដូច្នេះ​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ប្រទេស​ក៏​មិន​អាច​វិវឌ្ឍន៍​ទៅ​បាន​លឿន​ដែរ។ ម្យ៉ាង​ទៀត វិស័យ​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា គុណភាព​នៅ​មាន​កម្រិត​នៅ​ឡើយ​នោះ។ ថ្វី​ត្បិត​តែ​នៅ​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា នៅ​ក្នុង​រយៈពេល​ប៉ុន្មាន​ឆ្នាំ​ចុង​ក្រោយ​នេះ សន្ទុះ​សិស្ស​និស្សិត​បាន​ហក់​ចូល​ក្នុង​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ច្រើន​ក្ដី ប៉ុន្តែ​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថានភាព​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថានភាព​មួយ​គួរ​ឲ្យ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ ដោយ​សារ​តែ​បញ្ហា​គុណភាព។ ក្រុម​អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ខាង​អប់រំ និង​អ្នក​វិភាគ​បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ជា​កត្តា​មួយ​ដ៏​សំខាន់ សម្រាប់​ឲ្យ​ពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា​គ្រប់​រូប ចាប់​អារម្មណ៍​នឹង​វិស័យ​អប់រំ និង​ទទួល​បាន​ការ​អប់រំ​ឲ្យ​បាន​គ្រប់ៗ​គ្នា ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​មាន​ការ​យល់​ដឹង​ខ្ពស់ មាន​ការ​ផ្លាស់​ប្ដូរ​ផ្នត់​គំនិត ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​មាន​ក្រម​សីលធម៌ សេចក្ដី​ថ្លៃថ្នូរ និង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​ល្អ​ក្នុង​សង្គម​ជាដើម។ ប្រធាន​គ្រប់គ្រង​ផ្នែក​អ

By Erika Colin CNN PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Francois Ponchaud was a newly ordained Catholic priest when he arrived in Cambodia in 1965 from a small village in France. He was sent to do missionary work. But within a decade he would become a crusader against the worst genocide since the Holocaust. "I was staying by the Cambodian people's side," Ponchaud said, "through the good and the sadness and the suffering." When he arrived at age 26, Cambodia was a peaceful place: a bucolic land of villages, peasants, rice paddies and Buddhist monks. Ponchaud studied Cambodian history and Buddhism, became fluent in Khmer, made friends and immersed himself in the culture -- falling in love with the country and its people. But the peacefulness was short-lived. By 1970, Cambodia was descending into chaos as the Vietnam War spilled across its borders. In the countryside, the Americans were carpet-bombing Vietcong outposts. In the capital, Phn

By Susan Long | Adjunct Professor, South University There is an old saying that, “Education is the only purchase people make where they complain if they get too much for their money.”  Although everyone can complain about something relative to higher education, in my opinion, the largest problem today is the decline in the level of education provided compared to 20 or 30 years ago.  We, as educators, have allowed the students to determine how much education is enough in any given course.  We have also, in many cases, allowed grade inflation which, to some extent, has fueled the decline in the level of instruction. Thirty years ago the volume and depth of material covered in an introductory class was much greater than it is today.  Students complain if they are required to research and write a 20 page paper written in proper English with proper punctuation. The common complaint heard is, “This is not an English class.” We, as professors, have coddled our students, giv

By Ken Coates | Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation, University of Saskatchewan Nowadays there is a shadow over post-secondary education in Canada. Most people who work and teach at universities feel the pressure: insufficient institutional funds, over-crowded classrooms, difficulties with students’ transitions to university and—more seriously—to the workforce after graduation, questions about the relevance of academic research and teaching, and many other issues and problems that reflect a growing disconnect between the university and its many constituencies. And, alarmingly, the situation is likely to get significantly worse in the coming decade. One section of the university, however, is in a position to show what can be done in lean times. Continuing education units, once held up by institutions as critical to universities’ connections with their communities, have also faced difficulties in the last decade. Financial shortfalls have meant that traditional

Wednesday, 22 August 2012 Ou Banung   As technology develops, our world is getting smaller. News from one continent to the other can be passed on in seconds. In the past, getting news took months. The news agenda was set by professional journalists. But now, everyone who knows how to write and take photos can be a citizen journalist. But what is a citizen journalist and what do they do for society? Keo Chan Sopheap is a university student who posts many pictures to her Facebook page and writes about them – does that make her a journalist? “Personally, I love taking photos. I’m always taking photos everywhere I go, as well as writing down words that show my opinion on them,” she said. The established media makes use of people like Keo Chan Sopheap to make news reports and radio shows. Pen Samithy, editor in chief of Rasmey Kampuchea newspaper, says that ABC Cambodia is a great example of a citizen journalist talk show. Its makers use networks of people around the Kingdom

Wednesday, 22 August 2012 Menghourng Ngo   Since the internet was introduced in Cambodia, pornography has become much more widely available and accessible. Now, young Cambodians have been caught watching pornography in class on mobile phones, prompting education experts to call for better sex education provision in schools. One 17 year-old boy, a student at a high school in Phnom Penh said: “I watched video sex in the class via my mobile phone because I was bored with my teacher. He was teaching alone, and he did not know what I was doing since I took a book to hide my mobile phone. I’m not the only one who was doing it.” “We weren’t shy about it! A big group of boys watched it, and the girls watched it in their own group too.” Another 19 year-old girl, who studies at a private university in Phnom Penh, said that the boys in her class always watch pornography on their mobile phones and sometimes throw it to the girls to watch. I wrote a research thesis on the subject whic

Wednesday, 22 August 2012 Ven Sakol   Media is the backbone of our interpretation of the world, whether in rich or developing countries. This is why we notice that bachelor degrees in Media and Communication are very popular among students in university. The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) began teaching media and communication courses in 2001. Since then, private universities have also started teaching in this field. As the result in 2012, we can find out that not only RUPP but also Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Cambodia and Pannasastra Univercity of Cambodia (PUC) have this major in their course study. It has been over 3 years that PUC had been providing Communication and Media Arts (MCA) and named as the last university in Cambodia that educates students in this field, according to Mr. Raymond, dean and professor of Media and Communication Arts at PUC. He adds, “We just started but we focus on the quality; as the result, the number of stu

Wednesday, 22 August 2012 Sen David   The Ministry of Labour is launching a new training program to prepare Cambodians to compete in the integrated ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) slated to come into being in 2015, ministry officials said yesterday. The “Skills Bridging Program” will offer training in standard professional skills to youth in grade levels seven through nine across the country. “Many youths across the country are dropping out of school and taking jobs without finishing their education, so they do not have skills comparable with workers in other countries,” Pich Sophan, secretary of state at the Labour Ministry, said yesterday. “This worries us, because our country will face job competition with other ASEAN countries starting in 2015. We hope that this new program will make us competitive in the ASEAN job market. We have enough human resources and do not want to see other ASEAN labourers overwhelm our country.” Sophan said that of Cambodia’s seven million cu

Wednesday, 22 August 2012 Shane Worrell and Mom Kunthear   Malis, not her real name, appears forlorn as she describes what her daughters go through to secure tips from their customers. The young women, promoters for a major beer company, reluctantly spend their nights getting drunk on their own product – it’s what customers demand and can be the difference between the promoters earning tips and leaving their restaurants empty-handed. Malis would know – she sells for the same beer company. “I very much pity my daughters for following me into this work, but what can I do?” the 42-year-old says. Getting drunk may be only a weekly or monthly pleasure for the customers, but for the women who serve them in restaurants, beer gardens and karaoke venues, it can be a full-time job – 27 nights a month. “Every night, I have to talk to clients and persuade them to drink my beer,” Malis says. “I have to force myself to drink with the clients because it’s the only way they will buy it –

  A recent study showed that about 55 per cent of students used their mobile phones to cheat in high-school exams. Photograph: Will Baxter/Phnom Penh Post Wednesday, 22 August 2012 Chhay Channyda   National High School Exam candidates each spent an average of 120,000 riel – about US$30 – on bribes over this year’s two-day testing period to secure exam answers, according to independent research released yesterday. Social researcher Kem Ley’s report Turning a Blind Eye purported that 92 per cent of students were involved in bribery or cheating during the exam, which is conducted under the supervision of high- school proctors, teachers and police officials. “We also see that 55 per cent of answers were copied from their hand phone after the answer was made and sent around by email,” Ley said, noting social media site Facebook had emerged as a popular means to cheat during this year’s exams, which took place on August 6 and 7. “However, while this is a self-formed habi

Wednesday, 22 August 2012 ឆាយ ច័ន្ទនីដា ភ្នំពេញៈ អំពើ​ពុករលួយ​សូក​លុយ​គ្រូ​ ដើម្បី​បាន​បើក​ចម្លង​ចម្លើយ​វិញ្ញាសារ​ដោយ​សេរី នៅ​តែ​កើត​មាន​ខ្លាំងក្លា នៅ​ក្នុង​មណ្ឌល​ប្រឡង​ មធ្យម​សិក្សា​ទុតិយភូមិ បាក់​ឌុប​ ដែល​បាន​ក្លាយ​ជា​«ទម្លាប់»​ រវាង​សិស្ស និង​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស​តាម​បន្ទប់​ប្រឡង ​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​អ្នក​វិភាគ​គិត​ថា បើ​គ្មាន​កំណែ​​ទម្រង់​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ឲ្យ​ទាន់​ពេលវេលា​ទេ​ នោះ​សមត្ថភាព​យុវជន​កម្ពុជា នឹង​មាន​ការ​ប្រឈម​ខ្លាំង​ នៅ​ក្នុង​សមាហរណកម្ម​អាស៊ាន​ឆ្នាំ​ ២០១៥ ខាង​មុខ។ របាយការណ៍​ឯករាជ្យ​ មួយ បាន​រក​ឃើញ​ថា​ ក្រុម​យុវជន​ ជា​សិស្សា​នុសិស្ស​ ប្រឡង​បញ្ចប់​ថ្នាក់​ទី​ ១២​ ប្រព្រឹត្ត​ទៅ​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី ៦-៧-៨ ខែ​សីហា​នេះ ដែល​មាន​ចំនួន​សិស្ស​ ១១៤ ៤១៤​ នាក់  ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​ ៩២ ភាគរយ បាន​នាំ​គ្នា​រៃលុយ​គ្នា​ ក្នុង​បន្ទប់​ប្រឡង ឲ្យ​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស ​ដោយ​គ្មាន​ការ​ជំរិត​នោះ​ឡើយ​ ហើយ​គ្រូ​ក៏​ទទួល​យក​ដែរ​ ដោយ​ធ្វើ​ជា​មិន​ដឹង​មិន​ឮ​ បើក​ដៃ​ឲ្យ​សិស្សច​ម្លង​គ្នា​ដោយ​សេរី​។ ការ​សិក្សា​ ដែល​ធ្វើ​ដោយ​ក្រុម​លោក កែម ឡី ជា​អ្នក​ពិគ្រោះ​យោបល់​ និង​ស្រាវ​ជ្រាវ​ឯករាជ្យ​ផ្នែក​សង្គម ចេញ​ផ្សាយ​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ចន្ទ ក្រោម​

Tuesday, 21 August 2012 Bloomberg    ក្រុង​មេនឡូផាកៈ ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​របស់​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន Facebook Inc ដែល​បាន​ធ្លាក់​ចុះ​ដល់​តម្លៃ​ទាប​បំផុត​ បន្ទាប់​ពីអ្នក​ខាង​ក្នុង​ក្រុមហ៊ុន (insider) អាច​លក់​ភាគហ៊ុន​ជា​លើក​ទីមួយ ចាប់​ពី​ការ​បោះ​ផ្សាយ​ IPO ​មក​នោះ នឹង​ត្រូវ​ប្រឈម​នឹង​សម្ពាធ​កាន់​តែ​ខ្លាំង​ថែម​ទៀត នៅ​ពេល​ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​ចំនួន ១,៤៤​ពាន់​លាន​ហ៊ុន​ផ្សេង​ទៀត ត្រូវ​បាន​លក់​ចេញ​រហូត​ដល់​ខែ​វិច្ឆិកា។ កាល ​ពី​សប្តាហ៍​មុន ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​ Facebook  បាន​លក់​ចេញ​ភាគហ៊ុន​ចំនួន ២៧១,១​លាន​ហ៊ុន ដែល​ជា​ការ​លក់​ចេញ​លើក​ដំបូង​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​ការ​រឹត​បន្តឹង​ការ​លក់​ចេញ​ ចំនួន ៥ ដែល​ត្រូវ​ធ្វើ​ក្នុង​អំឡុង​ឆ្នាំ​ទីមួយ​ក្នុង​នាម​ជា​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​សាធារណៈ។ ខណៈ ​លោក Mark Zuckerberg អគ្គនាយក​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន Facebook  កំពុង​ប្រតិបត្តិការ​សេវា​បណ្តាញ​សង្គម​មួយ​នោះ ​លោក កំពុង​ប្រឈម​នឹង​ក្តី​បារម្ភ​របស់​ក្រុម​វិនិយោគិន​ថា​តើ​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​នេះ អាច​រក​ប្រាក់​ចំណូល​បន្ថែម​ដោយ​របៀប​ណាពី​មូលដ្ឋាន​កំណើន​អ្នក​ប្រើ​ប្រាស់ ​សេវា​សង្គម​នេះ​។ ក្តី​បារម្ភ​នោះ រួម​ទាំង​ការ​បញ្ចប់​រយៈ​ពេល​បម្រាម​លក់ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​ចេញ​ (lock-up) លើក​ទីមួយ បាន​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ