Sam Rany, Ph.D.

Last Updated on 26 February 2013 By Daniel de Carteret The number of international tourists in Cambodia increased by 24.4 per cent from 2.88 million in 2011 to 3.58 million in 2012, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism. The most significant increases came from the Kingdom’s closest neighbours. Laos nearly doubled in visitor numbers to over 250,000 and Thailand, which had declined year on year in 2011 by 21.7 per cent, increased in 2012 by 72.5 per cent to over 200,000 visitors. Visitors from Vietnam account for the largest group coming to Cambodia, making up 21 per cent of total visitors in 2012. Tith Chantha, director general of the Ministry of Tourism, said improved transport and rising incomes across ASEAN are increasing travel options for Cambodia and its neighbours. “Vietnam is number one, but Laos and Thailand are also now increasing because of ease of travel and low visa [restrictions], so neighbouring countries can come any time,” h

Last Updated on 19 February 2013 By Melissa Cockroft Dear editor, Valentine’s Day 2013 again saw debate rage in the media about the negative influence of “Western culture”, the importance of Cambodian women maintaining their virginity and the subsequent actions by local authorities. In regard to the issue of culture, when asked what their plans were to celebrate the day, young people seemed quick to comment: “It’s not our tradition”; “It’s not related to Cambodian culture at all” (Lift, February 13). But whether Cambodians like it or not, Valentine’s Day is becoming a part of Cambodian culture, and the way it is currently interpreted – as the day to lose your virginity - is a uniquely Cambodian cultural creation. A simple internet search will show that the origins of Valentine’s Day, although European, were not specifically related to sex or losing one’s virginity. In “Western” culture, which is typically blamed for Valentine’s Day’s “scourge”

Last Updated on 19 February 2013  By Sreng Mao English has more and more become a language that provides an avenue for overseas scholarships, work, business and other opportunities internationally. The vast majority of scholarships available to Cambodians have English language proficiency as an eligibility requirement - quite often demonstrated through the IELTS test. Universities in Australia, Canada, the UK, the USA or New Zealand usually require their students to have an IELTS score of 6.5 or above. Therefore scholarships to these countries available to Cambodians every year require the same band score for direct entry into universities or an IELTS score of at least 5.0 with further English language training provided. IELTS is the world’s leading English language test for higher education and migration. More than 7,000 universities, government bodies and professional organisations in over 135 countries accept IELTS scores. IELTS is jointly owned by the Bri

Michael Gardner 15 February 2013 Issue No:259   Christian Democrat Johanna Wanka was sworn in as Germany’s new education and research minister on 14 February. Wanka succeeds Annette Schavan, who announced last weekend that she would resign, after being tripped up by a plagiarism affair. Higher education in Germany has taken a bashing following a string of plagiarism scandals, culminating in the previous education minister being stripped of her doctoral title by the University of Düsseldorf earlier this month. Schavan announced her resignation after a panel investigating her PhD thesis found she was guilty of “deliberate deception” in using text that was not properly attributed. She said she would take legal action against the university’s decision and that the allegations “have hurt me deeply”. New minister Wanka (61) seeks to boost the reputation of higher education by granting institutions maximum autonomy and promoting their ability to control their own affairs. W

Geoff Maslen 16 February 2013 Issue No:259   One of the earliest open access science journals, PLOS , is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a year-long series of events to “recognise and advance the innovations brought about through the adoption of open access publishing”. The activities will be aimed at members of the scientific community and the public at large. The PLOS story began in 2000 when its founders set out to tackle the lack of access to the majority of scientific research, which was then published behind pay walls. They startled the American academic science establishment with a petition calling for open access to research findings. Two years later, the team established a new entity called the non-profit Public Library of Science, now known as PLOS , an open access model, and launched its first journal, PLOS Biology . This was followed over the next decade by six other science periodicals that are among the most widely read around the globe. The o

Deseret News 16 February 2013 Issue No:259   When Barack Obama first became president, he set the goal of increasing America’s college graduation rate to 60% by 2020. But the idea of working towards becoming a nation of college graduates has a major problem, according to a report by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, writes Michael De Groote for Deseret News . There are not enough jobs that require a college degree. Analysing 2010 data from the US Department of Labor, the report finds that of the 41.7 million working college graduates, barely half (51.9%) are working in jobs that require a bachelor degree or higher. Thirty-seven percent are in jobs that require a high school diploma or less. The rest (11.1%) are in jobs that require some post-secondary training such as an associate's degree. In other words, there are 13 million college graduates working in jobs that don't require a bachelor degree or more. Full report on the Deseret N

Voice of America 16 February 2013 Issue No:259   RANGOON — Burma's universities were once considered by many to be among the best in East Asia. But years of mismanagement and a disastrous nationalization process left the education system in such shambles that many students seek educational opportunities abroad. Since entering parliament, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made restoration of Burmese schools a priority, and a new attitude towards learning has emerged among policymakers. These Burmese students are visiting a United States college fair in Rangoon, in the hopes to attend college there. Recent political reforms that have resulted in the lifting of sanctions against Burma have made this type of event possible for the very first time. U.S. Ambassador Derek Mitchell says he hopes Burmese students can go to the United States to get a good education, but at the same time there is a need to improve local education systems. "Most important

By Roger Mitton Although it should be a cinch to guess the name of the politician who did the following things, several perceptive observers were flummoxed when tested over the weekend. The politician in question visited the Hamas-controlled Palestinian enclave of Gaza last month, and then went to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum . There, he told investors the threat of Islamic militancy in Southeast Asia had been nullified; yet upon returning home, he promptly had three alleged terrorists detained for subversive activities. Soon afterwards, he was mortified to hear that Singapore’s long-ruling People’s Action Party had lost a by-election in a formerly safe seat after an anti-government swing of 13.5 per cent. Today, he plans to attend a vote-getting Chinese New Year bash at whiche South Korean superstar Psy will perform his famous Gangnam Style dance. No, it’s not Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose party does face

Last Updated on 15 February 2013 By Sarah Thust    Roy G Crawford, school head at Northbridge International School Cambodia, poses for a portrait this week in Phnom Penh. Photograph: Ruth Keber   Northbridge International School Cambodia (NISC) was originally founded in 1997 as a US school. Soon after, the management decided to develop the school to international standards and to offer a fully accredited Western curriculum. Northbridge school head Roy G Crawford talked to the Post’s Sarah Thust about the rapid growth in Cambodia’s education sector. How big is the school at the moment? Currently, we have 500 students that are between three and 18 years old, and 96 employees, including 53 teachers. For each student we charge US$10,000 to $18,000 per year, which is less than in other Southeast Asian countries. Those revenues we reinvest in renovation and extension, but mostly in personnel costs. We offer our teachers salaries between $30,000 and $41,000 per year. Ad

Geoff Maslen 06 February 2013 Issue No:258     Young Australians are facing fierce and increasing competition from foreign-born graduates for a declining number of jobs, according to a new report. The report says it is the Australians who are losing out, given that the 100,000 new jobs created since 2011 have been almost all taken up by migrants, many of whom are foreign students who graduated from Australian universities and have stayed on. The study highlights the problems faced by Western countries – that have attracted high migrant numbers from Asia – when unemployment rates begin to rise. The report says the slowdown in employment growth in Australia is starting to bite on the job situation for the local-born. This effect is exacerbated by the federal government’s immigration policies to encourage large numbers of migrants into the country, since they have succeeded in taking up all of the net number of new jobs created in Australia over the past two yea

TIME 09 February 2013 Issue No:258   Last week, President Obama and a bipartisan group of senators outlined a plan for comprehensive immigration reform. Like the DREAM Act that has stalled for years in Congress , the proposal’s outline hints at an expedited pathway to citizenship for young people who came to the U.S. as children if they attend college or serve in the military. As the details are worked out in the coming weeks, it is critical that legislation include provisions that make it easier for undocumented high schoolers to go to college. Education is the gateway to the American Dream. But today our immigration laws make higher education — a virtual requirement for financial security — out of reach for more than one million undocumented students. (MORE : Read this week’s TIME cover story, “Immigrant Son,” by Michael Grunwald ) Of the roughly 65,000 undocumented students who graduate from American high schools each year, only 5–10% will go to college ,

The Conversation 09 February 2013 Issue No:258   Higher education, 2060: academics are out of a job. All the brand name universities have made all their courses free online , easily doing away with one side of the teaching and learning equation. Pretty soon all the universities realised how much money they could save. Tutorials have been replaced by Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) with the wisdom of the crowd sourcing all answers from the students themselves. Algorithms update the online course content in response to the question’s popularity – after all, “the customer is always right”. Eventually no new information is taught, as it is too difficult to produce. There can be no FAQs for new material. So university courses have become useless. People need to find other ways to learn. Universities took up the idea of the customer is always right earlier than 2012. Students became clients. So it became obvious that student evaluation of teaching results determi

Michael Gardner 07 February 2013 Issue No:258   The University of Düsseldorf has withdrawn the doctoral title of Annette Schavan, Germany’s education and research minister, claiming that she lifted material for her thesis. While Schavan is seeking to contest the university’s verdict, the opposition in parliament has called for her resignation. The University of Düsseldorf stripped Schavan of her PhD on 5 February. The council of the university’s faculty of philosophy had found that “a considerable amount of texts written by other authors had been adopted word-for-word but had not been correspondingly referred to as citations,” the faculty dean, Bruno Bleckmann, explained. The accumulation and structure of the text passages adopted and the omission of source titles in the footnotes and further reading list had convinced the faculty council that Schavan had “systematically and wilfully presented academic performance that she herself had, in reality, not delivered”. Bleckm

By Chin Chan - February 11, 2013 Lawyers must now obtain permission from the Cambodian Bar Association before speaking to television and radio media in order to ensure that they do not speak out of turn, the association’s president said in a meeting on Friday. “First, we want to ensure a high quality of law dissemination. Second, to ensure that explanations of the law to the public are correct, and third to ensure that lawyers adhere to high professional standards,” said Bun Honn, the association’s president. The new rule does not mean that lawyers would not be allowed to speak to the press, nor is it an attempt to stifle media freedom, Mr. Honn maintained, addressing Bar Association members at the organization’s Phnom Penh headquarters. “Lawyers can talk to the media, for example, about where a case is going but they can’t criticize a court’s judgment or say the verdict of the court is unfair,” he said when contacted by telephone later. Penalties for violating the

By Zsombor Peter - February 10, 2013 A U.S. Justice Department document that says America can le­gally order the killing of its citizens if they are believed to be al-Qaida leaders uses the devastating and illegal bombing of Cam­bo­dia in the 1960s and ’70s to help make its case.  American broadcaster NBC News first reported on the “white pa­per”—a summary of classified mem­os by the U.S. Justice Depart­ment’s Of­fice of Legal Council—on Monday. The 16-page paper makes a legal case for the U.S. government’s highly controversial use of un­manned drones to kill suspected terrorists, including some U.S. citizens. In making its argument, the docu­ment brings up the U.S.’ bombing of Cam­bodia—which claimed thousands of innocent lives in the pursuit of North Vietnamese forces—to ar­gue for the right to go after its enemies in neutral countries. “The Department has not found any authority for the proposition that when one of the parties to an armed conflict plans an

 By Aun Pheap and Dene-Hern Chen - February 12, 2013 At 9 a.m. on Sunday, more than 200 soldiers, police and military police officers were gathered outside a large mansion on Street 55 in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district. By 10 a.m., their numbers had swelled to about a thousand, now including members of the national bodyguard unit, turning the street into a sea of government uniforms.  Hundreds of police, military police and RCAF soldiers on Sunday wait outside the Phnom Penh mansion of Choeung Sopheap, the owner of Pheapimex company and wife of CPP Senator Lao Meng Khin, to receive envelopes of money for the Chinese New Year. (Ben Woods/The Cambodia Daily) All were waiting for their prom­ised “ang pao”—red enve­lopes containing cash usually handed out during Chinese New Year—from Choeung Sopheap, the powerful owner of controversial land development firm Pheapimex and the wife of CPP Senator Lao Meng Khin. Pheapimex holds a number of economic land conc

ដោយ កែវ និមល 2013-02-12 មេធាវី​មួយ​ចំនួន​មាន​ប្រតិកម្ម​តប​ចំពោះ​ការ​ទាមទារ​ឲ្យ​អនុវត្ត​ តាម​មាត្រា ១៥ របស់​ក្រម​សីលធម៌​មេធាវី ដែល​និយាយ​អំពី​ចំណុច​អន្តរាគមន៍​តាម​ប្រព័ន្ធ​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​ជា​សាធារណៈ​នៃ​ មេធាវី។ ខ្លឹមសារ​សំខាន់​នៃ​ក្រម​សីលធម៌​នោះ គឺ​មិន​បាន​ហាម​មេធាវី​ក្នុង​ការ​និយាយ​ជាមួយ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​ឃោសនា មាន​វិទ្យុ កាសែត ទូរទស្សន៍ ទេ តែ​ត្រូវ​ជូន​ដំណឹង​ដល់​ប្រធាន​គណៈ​មេធាវី​ជា​មុន កាល​ណា​និយាយ​ជាមួយ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​ឃោសនា។ ការ​រឹតត្បិត​សេរីភាព​មេធាវី​ក្នុង​ការ​ធ្វើ​បទ​អន្តរាគមន៍ និយាយ​សម្ភាសន៍​ជាមួយ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ គឺ​ជា​ការ​ខាត​បង់​មួយ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ពេល​ដែល​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា មិន​សូវ​មាន​អ្នក​ចេះ​ដឹង​ច្បាប់ និង​សៀវភៅ​ឯកសារ​ផ្សព្វផ្សាយ​ច្បាប់​នៅ​មាន​ចំនួន​តិច មិន​បាន​ចែក​ទូលំ​ទូលាយ​ទៅ​ដល់​ជនបទ​ដាច់​ស្រយាល។ មេធាវី​មួយ​ចំនួន​បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹង​ថា មេធាវី​គឺ​ជា​អ្នក​ចេះ​ច្បាប់ និង​រស់​នៅ​រក​ស៊ី​ដោយ​ប្រើ​សមត្ថភាព​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​ខាង​ច្បាប់។ ដូច្នេះ​បើ​មេធាវី​រូប​ណា​និយាយ​ខុស គឺ​រូប​គេ​ជា​អ្នក​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ​តាម​ផ្លូវ​ច្បាប់​ដែល​កំពុង​អនុវត្ត​នៅ​ ក្នុង​ប្រទេស។ ការ​ទាមទារ​ឲ្យ​ប្រធា

Tuesday, 12 February 2013 Abby Seiff & ឆាយ ច័ន្ទនីដា    ភ្នំពេញៈ ក្រុម​អ្នក​ឃ្លាំ​មើល​សិទ្ធិ​មនុស្ស​រិះគន់​គោល​ការណ៍​ថ្មី​របស់ គណៈ​មេធាវី​កម្ពុជា​ដែល​តម្រូវ​ឲ្យ​មេធាវី​ទទួល​បាន​ការ​អនុញ្ញាត​ជា​មុន​សិន មុន​ពេល​ធ្វើ​ការ​អត្ថាធិប្បាយ​ជា​សា​ធារ​ណៈ​​​​​​​​នៅ​តាម​ទូរទស្សន៍ ឬ​វិទ្យុ ដែល​អាច​ប្រាស​ចាក​នឹង​រដ្ឋ​ធម្មនុញ្ញ ក៏​ដូចជា​បិទ​សិទ្ធិ​ក្នុង​ការ​បញ្ចេញ​មតិ។ មន្ត្រីគណៈមេធាវី​កម្ពុជា​បាន​ថ្លែង​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ​ថា គណៈ​មេធាវី​បាន​ប្រកាស​នូវ​គោលការណ៍​ថ្មី​ដែល​មាន​វត្ថុ​បំណង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​​ ប្រសើរ​ឡើង​នូវ​វិជ្ជាជីវៈ​មេធាវី។ លោក យីម សារី អ្នក​នាំពាក្យ​គណៈ​មេធាវី​បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា មេ ធាវី​ទាំង​ឡាយ​ណា​ដែល​ស្វែង​រក​ធ្វើ​អត្ថាធិប្បាយ​ស៊ីជម្រៅ​តាម​រយៈ ទូរទស្សន៍ ឬ​វិទ្យុ​ត្រូវ​តែ​ទទួល​បាន​ការ​អនុញ្ញាត​ជាមុន​សិន ខណៈ ពេល​បណ្តាញ​សារព័ត៌មាន​ណា​មួយ​ចង់​ស្វែង​រក​វាគ្មិន​ទៅ​ពិភាក្សា អំពី​ច្បាប់​គួរ​ត្រូវ​ឆ្លង​កាត់​គណៈ​មេធាវី​ដែរ។ នេះ​បើ​យោង​តាម​សេចក្តី​ថ្លែង​ការណ៍​ដែល​បាន​ផ្ញើ​ទៅ​ក្រសួង​ព័ត៌មាន​នៅ​ ថ្ងៃ​សុក្រ។ អ្នកនាំ​ពាក្យ​រូប​នេះ​បាន​ពន្យល់​ថា៖​«បើ​ការ​អត្ថាធិប្បាយ​របស់​អ្នក​ ស្រាល ឬ

May Titthara, David Boyle and Danson Cheong, Phnom Penh Post, Feb. 8 2013 Yong Yim’s voice rises to a high-pitched quiver when she talks about a planned dam in the Areng Valley that would inundate land her family has inhabited for hundreds of years to form what amounts to a giant battery. “Sometimes I am crying, because I will miss my homeland and my ancestors’ farmland,” she says, spitting out chunks of betel nut. The trees and shrubs that flourish in this haven between peaks of the Cardamom Mountains now bear an ominous token: red demarcation ribbons posted by Chinese engineers a few weeks ago. Yim, 65, was born here among a cluster of villages populated by 380 families. Most say they are Chong and Phor ethnic minorities, who fall under the umbrella identity of the Khmer Daeum — literally “original Khmers”. The Khmer Daeum are so isolated they still speak a dialect believed to have derived from ancient Khmer that has been preserved since their ancestors fled from Tha