The Readiness of Cambodian University to AEC

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) or the regional economic integration will start at the end of 2015. With a single and free flow market, AEC generally provides a huge advantage for a developing country like Cambodia. On the other hand, the competitiveness in free flow of skilled labour and human capital seem to trigger the concern of Cambodian youth toward such issue.

Cambodia education was ranked in around 170th in the world due to budget spending on education sector is very small (just 1.6% of Cambodia's GDP spending on education), According to UNESCO, 2010. 

Sin Rithy, a senior in Royal University of Phnom Penh, express his concern toward the employment competitiveness when AEC is introduced, as a sign of Cambodia education sickness that need to be cured as soon as possible.

“Our education level has to meet the standard that can be recognized by other countries. Even Cambodia has included 4 universities into ASEAN university network, I still think those ASEAN developed countries like Singapore and Malaysia still don’t value our education system”, he continued.

There were considerable progress that has been made in Higher Education between 2009 and 2013 with student enrollments increasing to 207,000 and students receiving scholarships to 4,200, stated in Ministry of Education website. And to ensure the quality of university students’ enrollment, in 2014, the first national grade-12-examination reform was implemented, among 90,000 candidates, less than 50% passed and proceeded their higher education in university.

Cambodian government has taken progress in developing higher education and education in Cambodia as a whole. Released in April 2014, the Higher Education Vision 2030 agenda aims to create a more equitable and accessible higher education program, develop a better curriculum that meets national and labor market needs, improve teaching, learning and research quality, and establish a governance system for higher education.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Education Youth and Sport has been doing its job by setting up development strategies to ensure that all universities have to meet the standard of higher education.

Quoting from the interview with Mr. Ros Salin, spokesman of Ministry of Education, by Phnom Penh Post on July 31, 2015, “This year, we selected 11 universities for a pilot project. We went to the universities first to get information to test the criteria. We look at quality, student standards, achievement, management, curriculum, teaching, research activities and libraries.”

He continues, “From January 2016, we will start our assessments on the 73 criteria. We have a certain standard in each of our criteria that all the universities must meet. They have six months to develop on the criteria to be ready for the assessment next year.”

Strengthening university agenda alone cannot ensure the development quality of higher education. There are a lot that have to be tackled and improved.

In Cambodia Education 2015 Review by Dr. Sothy, Head of Education Research Unit at Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI), there are four suggested policies to develop higher education in Cambodia.  One of those is Improving Access and Equity, the accessible education service has to be widely reached through out the whole country. 

Secondly, Improving Quality and Relevance, developing educator ability is the main priority and at the same time focus on the areas that are needed in today’s demand. As suggested, building science and technology education is very important to respond to market demands and ASEAN integration.

Financing Higher Education is also one of the top priorities, government must invest in higher education development especially in building facilities as libraries and laboratories at public high education institutions. Developing incentive and remuneration program for encouraging management and lecturing staff is also a priority. Last but no least, strengthening the governance and management in higher education is also one of the suggested policies.