– Your Excellency Yvon Roé d’Abert,
Ambassador of the Republic of France to the Kingdom of Cambodia
– Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen;
– Dear All the Faculty Members and Graduates,
Today I am most honored and pleased to join you all in this joint events, in the presenting of the degrees and diplomas to the new graduates of the “Rectangular Strategy” Senior Officials Class, the Middle and Senior Officials Trainees Class 2004 and in the opening of the new academic year for the Senior Officials and Civil Servants Class of the Royal School of Administration, as well as in the inaugurating of the new building which was renovated and equipped with IT with the support from the Republic of France.
In this special occasion, I would like to sincerely commend the board of directors, the management, the faculty members and all the staff of the Royal School of Administration for their excellent work in achieving all these prideful outcomes.
At the same time, I sincerely congratulate all the graduates who have studied hard to get to the finals today, and will now receive your degrees and diplomas. The conferment today presents your great accomplishment in your own academic life, as well as the splendid honor for your parents and families. I believe they would really proud of your accomplishment today. Moreover, this success would also mean that you all embark on your lifetime profession as civil servants. You are now entering the public service, which is indeed the hope of the Royal Government and our people.
Indeed, what you have achieved are not only your own accomplishment, but also the achievement of our whole country. Your success today will contribute to the increase in number and quality of our nation’s human resource that is important for the development of the country, and presents one of the four key rectangles in the Rectangular Strategy.
Today, the Rectangular Strategy Senior Officials Class and the Senior and Middle Officials Class 2004-2005 have completed, while we are commencing the training for new Class of Senior Officials and Civil Servants. Thus, all you have witnessed today are the hard works that bring about the success in life. The success of the alumnus should serve as the model for new students to follow. I would advise you all to remember that “knowledge is the long-lasting assets that nobody can steal from you!”
Another important thing that we cannot overlook is the support from our development partners in the education sector. The Republic of France has provided considerable assistance to our education particularly to the Royal School of Administration. In this auspicious occasion, on behalf of the Royal Government and the People of Cambodia, I wish to convey, through H.E. Ambassador Yvon Roé d’Albert, our profound gratitude to the government and people of France for the valuable contribution to the Civil Service Modernization Supporting Project in Cambodia, and especially for the assistance in renovating and equipping a new building of the Royal School of Administration with the information and communication technology, which serves the training of Cambodian civil servants at the School.
The Royal Government is aware and fully committed to the development and strengthening human resource through a long term development strategy of poverty reduction, which started from building the foundation for human resource development. As a result, this will ensure sustainable development and equitable distribution of the fruits from economic growth. Human resource development is our utmost priority as international experiences clearly show “development starts from and ends up with human resource”.
In this sense, we have exerted our utmost efforts in developing our human resource and physical infrastructure, and are determined to reforming the public finance system, demobilization and legal and judicial system, increasing revenue for spending on rural development, agriculture and health, through cooperation with international community and implementation of liberalization policy whereas the private sector becomes a key development partner.
Thus, to improve the quality of education and effectiveness in human resource development, may I take this opportunity to share some views and visions, as follows:
1. Efficient education has to be linked to human resource development
In this sense, education at all level requires the development of human resources in terms of technical capacity and high professionalism including creativity which is the most important factor to ensure competitive advantage of the nation and to play a key role in guaranteeing the sustainability of the nation development. This factor is even more significant when our country is active in economic integration into the region and international community, in particular while becoming a member of WTO.
2. Education has to be linked to promoting progress in general technology and science and information technology
Indeed, technology, science and information technology (IT) are the foundation for technical knowledge and development. Human resources that we requires in this era of globalization are the resources which have the capacity in technology, science and IT that is a main prerequisite for the development of our country overcoming the economic backwardness and poverty. In this regards, the most essential aspect is to focus our attention to education and training in technology, science and IT in order to promote productivity and technical knowledge.
3. Enhancement of capacity to be competitive in market economy
Presently, the academic curriculums that ensure the provision of competitive capacity for the market economy are the topic that needs to be taken with utmost attention. As I already highlighted, our country is preparing itself to compete in world market economy through a decision to integrate itself into regional economy, into international community and into WTO. Thus, if our human capitals have no capacity to effectively compete then we will face challenges. In order to be ready to face this problem, our schooling or education has to pay more vigorous attention to educate and train our human resources to have the capacity and quality, and awareness on market economy competition in terms of attracting job and productivity.
4. Nurturing culture in reading, researches and publications
All the academic books are the stock of knowledge. Books are the good teacher in this world. Without books there is no hope for development. Learning or researching from reading the books are the education outside schools under natural environment that require no financial resources and specific timing. Books that are valuable for development are those books that have knowledge in scientific, technical, philosophical, economic, political and cultural research. In order to provide good resources and knowledge for development, all educational institutions have to promote the culture in reading, research and publications.
5. Lifelong learning cycle
Indeed, human life is a learning life. Always learning! Without education there would not be prosperity. Lifelong learning cycle is the most progressive culture for national development, because knowledge that we have received at this time is only appropriate for the presence, but it may not be so relevant in the future when the science and technology will constantly progress further. Hence, we have to consider that the research and education is a constant process and require polishing and regular knowledge training and know-how to catch up with science and technology development that is constantly progressing beyond our expectation.
6. Preserving cultural spirit and national language
I believe that the preservation of national spirit and culture is a necessity for us all. Our nation will not exist if the national spirit and identity disappeared. National spirit and identity are embedded in our culture, civilization, tradition, customs, history, literature, language, etc. If our students do not well understand all those, we cannot bring our country to the stage of a developed country. Taking this opportunity, I would like to appeal to all academic institutions to foster and promote the lectures on culture, civilization, morality, philosophy, history, Khmer Studies and Khmer language in order to cement the foundation for our national spirit and identity for our students, along with scientific, technical and language knowledge.
7. Education of morality and psychological virtue
We all recognize that the impact of globalization and evolution of modern materialism might affect psychological virtue of our students, if we do not have appropriate measures or put effort to lift up the education on morality and psychological virtues. Therefore along with the training on general knowledge and scientific techniques or modern technology, we are required to promote classes on the morality and psychological virtue. Our nation is in full peace and stability, but the true peace and stability is the psychological peace and stability which is the product of education on peace and stability. The promotion of training on morality and virtue is to build peace, prosperity, fraternity, harmonization and happiness for our nation and people.
8. Imagination is more valued and important than advanced knowledge
My last proposal is “promoting innovation and invention”. Our country used to be a famed civilized country in the past. The civilization is the produce of education, promotion, invention, innovation and knowledge. Our ancestors were the great architects and developers. The temples, scriptures, books, philosophy, literature, languages, music, songs, poems, artistic decoration and other countless items are left up to now. These are the evidences proving the produce of intelligence, innovation and invention. If they do not have those properties, we would not see those civilization and cultural achievements.
Please keep in mind that “imagination bears higher value and more important than knowledge”, because if have only knowledge without invention and morality, the knowledge is just the jewel that is for decoration without an essence.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to advice that, even though, you now graduated from here. It doesn’t mean that you stop learning from now on. You have to put effort constantly on learning in order to be ready in response to new evolution and technological developments. What we have never seen and heard about in the last 10 years, it is now well known. Moreover, what we learned in school is not necessary the same in reality. In actual works, it is not exactly the same as what we had in class, but the knowledge can be used as the bases for analysing and seeking appropriate solution.
In closing, I would like to grasp this opportunity to thank the donors and our development partners who join the Royal Government for the causes of reconstruction and human resource development where we have made significant progresses and changes. Finally, I wish you all, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, the five gems of Buddhist blessings.
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