Speehes
Ambassador Rodley's Remarks at the Reception for Exchange Programs
U.S. Embassy
June 17, 2009
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming to the Embassy this evening to recognize the important achievements that these students have made by successfully competing for some of the most prestigious academic scholarships that the U.S. government offers. The fact that they are here tonight is a testament to their hard work and to the support they have received from their families and instructors.
Since the U.S. Embassy reopened eighteen years ago we have been providing the best and the brightest Cambodian students with the opportunity to travel and study in the United States through the Fulbright and Hubert Humphrey programs. In addition, through our international visitors programs, the Embassy has helped send some of this country’s key leaders on two to three week programs which focused on a range of issues such as the American judicial system, political parties, environmental conservation and education. At this time we have over 300 alumni from these programs and some of them are here with us tonight. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for continuing to participate in Embassy events, and for helping our new recruits prepare for this new stage in their lives.
The Fulbright and Hubert Humphrey programs continue to be the core of our educational offerings, but as you may have noticed things are changing here in Cambodia, and we believe that the Embassy must change as well. This latest generation of students, both in secondary school and in university, are some of the brightest and most dedicated young people that this country has seen. They are also talented linguists, and many have achieved a high level of English at a very young age. The Embassy has noted these changes and has responded accordingly. This year we have doubled the number of exchange programs that we offer and almost tripled the number of students that will be studying in the U.S. next year, from 17 in 2008 to over 40 in 2009. All of them are here tonight and I hope you have a chance to talk to them and to congratulate them for their achievements. They will be attending over twenty different universities and colleges throughout our country, and will be competing with some of the best American and international students in the world.
I think we can all agree that the future of Cambodia lies in the hands of this next generation, and that building human capacity should be a priority in the coming years. We are happy that we can play a small role in this process. We do not, however, do this on our own. Over the years we have formed a strong partnership with the Ministry of Education, and I would like to thank HE Pit Chamnan for joining us here tonight and for the Ministry’s continued support. By working together we can ensure that the opportunities to study abroad match the talent and the determination of Cambodia’s students.
Thank you all for coming tonight, and to those of you that are leaving soon to start your studies in the U.S. good luck. I hope that you take full advantage of this opportunity and study hard during the time that you will in my country. Even more importantly I urge you to take what you will learn in the classroom and on the streets back to Cambodia when you finish and to share your experiences with your peers. Alumni of our exchange programs are critical to their continued success, just as you are critical to the success of your country in the future. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening.
