Provincial Universities Offer New Opportunities in the Countryside

Some Cambodian students still say they are not getting enough quality education in research.

Cambodia continues to see fewer female students than male, but in Phnom Penh, one organization hopes to change that. The US-based Harpswell Foundation runs two of the country’s female dorms, in an effort to encourage young women to attend university. The dorms were built in 2006, and since then have provided a place for young women to stay, as well as leadership training and other opportunities. VOA Khmer’s Soeung Sophat speaks with Harpswell alumni now visiting Washington about their experiences and challenges in higher education.

The parents of some 300 students in Kampong Cham province are calling for the release of jailed Beehive Radio owner Mam Sonando, who had been raising funds to build a school in their village before his arrest in July. Mam Sonando, 71, owns Beehive Radio, which broadcasts Voice of America programming, and is the head of a civic group called the Association of Democrats. He is widely considered innocent of charges related to fomenting a secessionist movement in Kratie province last year, charges that rights groups say came only after he publicly criticized Prime Minister Hun Sen. (Sok Khemera, VOA Khmer)

The teacher’s claim that Tea Misa, director of Tuol Prasat Sen Sok High School, embezzled around $1 million between 2005 and 2012, a claim Tea Misa denies.

About half of Cambodian-American students show signs of depression, according to a the KGA survey.

The urn containing the late king Norodom Sihanouk’s remains was moved out of its crematorium on Thursday and into the Royal Palace, its final place of rest, on the last day of a weeklong funeral rite for the former monarch. A portion of Sihanouk’s remains were cast into the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers on Tuesday. A golden urn containing the other portion was moved from the Preah Meru field, where Sihanouk’s cremation took place on Monday, to the palace, in a procession limited to members of the royal family and key dignitaries. VOA Khmer's Say Mony reports from Phnom Penh.

The annual award is granted by Los Angeles county for women who “bring about social and economic change” in the country.

Long Beach, Calif., has been selected as one of 14 cities in California to receiving funding and other assistance from the California Endowment to build healthier communities, including schools. The city stands to gain tens of millions of dollars in the coming years. But first they have to ask themselves, what does a healthy school look like? A group of Cambodian-American university students met at a local Long Beach restaurant over the Christmas holiday to share their experiences, so that when they enter the professional world, they’ll have a Cambodian network. Meetings for how to create healthy communities, and build better schools, are ongoing. There are working groups for better neighborhoods, schools and air quality. The next meeting for the schools working group is on Jan. 14. More information can be found at www.bhclongbeach.org. (Cheang Sophinarath, Long Beach)

Long Beach, Calif., has been selected as one of 14 cities in California to receiving funding and other assistance from the California Endowment to build healthier communities, including schools.

The new film is an attempt to inform Cambodians, especially those in rural areas, about the dangers of sending their daughters to work in Phnom Penh or abroad.

In Vichea, who recently received a PhD in critical literacy in elementary education, says elementary school is not too soon to start critical thinking skills.

A new film directed by a graduate student of the Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts highlights the problem of gambling in the Cambodian community in Southern California. Written and directed by Caylee So, “Paulina” portrays the life of a 17-year-old Cambodian-American girl who grows up in a community of gamblers in Southern California. VOA Khmer’s Reasey Poch reports.

The non-profit has provided free education and arts training to more than 1,000 children and youth.

Asean nations are moving toward full economic integration that would eliminate trade and labor barriers across the region.

The agency has disseminated some 80,000 job opportunities since 2010, but has only placed about 3,000 people.

About 70 percent of Cambodia’s population is below the age of 30, making them a powerful constituency.

He hopes to use the skills he takes from the Kennedy School to restructure the management of Cambodian Buddhism.

Although Cambodians who are younger than 30 make up more than 60 percent of the population, their potential contribution to social development is limited because of low engagement on social issues. Seang Soleak, a spokesman for Oxfam America, says that the low engagement is due to a lack of education, limited access to information and few role models for youths. VOA Khmer's Soeung Sophat discussed these challenges and Oxfam's new Change Initiative with him in Washington.

The God particle is just a fancy name for a sub-atomic particle called the Higgs Boson.