KB News Desk
Cambodia’s first university department dedicated to urban planning, established with support from the University of Seoul, has produced its inaugural class of 31 graduates.
The Department of Sustainable Urban Planning and Development at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s largest national university, was launched in 2022 as part of an official development assistance program run by South Korea’s Ministry of Education.
UOS said it was selected for the program in 2021 and received approval in May 2022 to establish the department.
Over the course of the project, the Korean university developed 28 courses and accompanying textbooks, organized seminars to strengthen faculty teaching capacity, supplied educational equipment and built smart-learning facilities.
It also operated internship programs in South Korea and created networks connecting academia and industry.
Students received hands-on training through internships at Cambodia’s Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction and Phnom Penh City Hall.
UOS’ International School of Urban Sciences participated in the project. The graduate school specializes in urban studies and was established to share Seoul’s urban development experience and policy expertise with the international community.
The commencement ceremony was attended by Pen Sophal, a secretary of state at Cambodia’s Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction; Som Ratana, an undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport; Phnom Penh Vice Gov. Seng Vannak; South Korean Ambassador to Cambodia Kim Chang-yong; and the presidents of both universities.
“The 31 graduates will become pioneers who write a new chapter in Cambodia’s urban history as globally competitive professionals combining Seoul’s development experience with the academic foundation of the Royal University of Phnom Penh,” UOS President Won Yong-kul said in a congratulatory address.
