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The Foundation
Established in 2005, the University of
Cambodia Foundation exists solely for the benefit of the
University of Cambodia and its affiliated programs. The
Foundation strives to maximize support from the private
sector by uniting donor and University passions to achieve
educational excellence. The Foundation mission is to
facilitate the attainment and administration of private
resource donations in support of academic programs, student
scholarships, faculty development, facility and campus
developments, establishment of endowments to increase the
value of existing gifts, in order to enable the University
to fulfill its own mission of excellence in providing
quality education, research, and public service
initiatives.
The rise
of the Khmer Rouge – with the subsequent Civil War and
genocide – destroyed much of Cambodia's social
infrastructure, including the education system. With the
restoration of peace and stability, Cambodia has embarked on
the road to recovery and the reconstruction of a society
with an educated populace and functioning institutions. The
University of Cambodia objective is to provide high quality
education for students in order to develop skilled human
resources and help rebuild an educated society whose
citizens work to restore dignified and integrity of its
people. Privately funded, the University of Cambodia
receives no financial support from the Royal Government of
Cambodia. The University’s operation and its quest for
long-term academic excellence are dependent on the
generosity of individuals, alumni, friends, philanthropist,
foundations, corporations, and other organizations for
financial and other forms of support. As the University of
Cambodia’s needs continue to expand, so has the fundraising
mission of the Foundation.
The
Foundation serves all campuses of the University of Cambodia
and is responsible for ensuring that 100% of all funds
received are used to support the teaching, research,
scholarships, endowment, facility and campus developments,
and other programs and projects initiated by the University,
as well as the wants and needs of students, faculty, and
staff.
Donations
cannot be reallocated by the state or any other third
party. This means that any donations will be
beneficial for the long-term development of the University
of Cambodia and Cambodia as a whole.
Cambodia's Recent History
The rise
of the Khmer Rouge – with the subsequent Civil War and
genocide – destroyed much of Cambodia's social
infrastructure, including the education system. Now, with
the restoration of peace and stability, Cambodia has
embarked on the road to recovery and the reconstruction of a
society with an educated populace and functioning
institutions. These first steps have been largely made with
the assistance of the international community, tapping
overseas for both the financial resources to fund various
development projects and the specialized expertise to
supervise their implementation.
However,
it is essential to fight the widespread poverty which has
been the inevitable result of the country's recent history,
and thereby attain financial self-reliance. To achieve these
objectives, the Cambodian people must strive to recreate not
only a skilled workforce but also a pool of competent
professionals, who can oversee our continued development and
plot the nation's course into the future.
Only then,
when the country's human resources are developed to realize
their true potential, will Cambodia be able to become
integrated into the international community on its own
merits; and so achieve ownership and control of its own
resources. This, together with the consequent expansion and
strengthening of an educated middle class, is essential for
the stabilization of Cambodia as a fully-independent,
democratic nation which is able to earn mutual respect and
thus hold its own in the international arena.
Cambodia
has a mainly youthful population: according to a recent
census, the median age is about 20 years. This potential
source of drive and vigor can be considered as one of the
country's major assets. However, it is a two-edged sword: if
this 'fountain of youth' is not tapped for Cambodia's
benefit, and the country's young are not given the
opportunity to realize their natural aspirations for
self-advancement, then frustration and social disenchantment
must inevitably result.
Therefore,
to help realize the latent talents of the Cambodian youth
and thus to channel their energy and ambition towards the
necessary goal of national self-sufficiency and sustainable
development, the University of Cambodia was established in
June 2003 by a sub-decree issued by the Royal Government of
Cambodia and signed by Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen.
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