Royal University of Phnom Penh

Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in Cambodia. As of 2007, the university has over 5,000 students across three campuses, and offers a wide range of high-quality courses within the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL). The University has approximately 200 teaching staff, seven of whom have PhDs, 66 who have master degrees and the remainder with undergraduate qualifications. There are over 176 administrative and support staff. Various international and non-government organizations also provide adjunct faculty members.

History

The Royal University of Phnom Penh began as the Royal Khmer University in 1960. It opened during a period of intense growth in Cambodia and expanded rapidly to include a National Institute of Judicial and Economic Studies, a Royal School of Medicine, a National School of Commerce, a National Pedagogical Institute, a Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, and a Faculty of Science and Technology. The language of instruction during this period was French. With the establishment of the Khmer Republic in 1970, the Royal Khmer University became the Phnom Penh University. Between 1965 and 1975 there were nine faculties, namely the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Higher Normal College), Letters and Humanities, Science, Pharmacy, Law and Economics, Medicine and Dentistry, Commerce, Pedagogy, and the Languages Institute. The period of saw the closure and destruction of schools, the decimation of the teaching service and the cessation of formal education. During this period the Phnom Penh University, as well as all other educational institutions in Cambodia, were closed down. Under this regime an education was perceived as a dangerous asset - hence the educated were targeted, and most of the University's faculty were killed. Of the educated people who survived, few remained in Cambodia once the borders reopened.Deserted for almost five years, the abandoned campus became another victim of the grim civil war. This period was a dark time for education and progress in Cambodia and produced many repercussions that are still being felt today. In 1980, the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Higher Normal College) reopened, again teaching predominantly in French. In 1981, the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) began, initially training students to become Vietnamese and Russian teachers. The purpose of both colleges was to provide surviving graduates of primary school or above with crash courses in teaching. In 1988, the college and the IFL merged to create Phnom Penh University, and in 1996 the name was changed to the Royal University of Phnom Penh. During the past decade, the University has grown and now includes the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Institute of Foreign Languages. In 2001, the University began its first postgraduate degrees with the Graduate Diploma and Master's Courses in Tourism Development. Co-operation with Royal Government of Cambodia The support of the Royal Government of Cambodia, particularly the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports (MOEYS) is critical to the life of RUPP. All degrees and course programs at RUPP have been recommended and supported by the Government, which also covers electricity and utility costs, provides staff salaries (approximately US$25/month), and provides important resources such as computers. The Prime Minister and other government representatives have also participated in the University's graduation, cultural and opening ceremonies.

Global networking

Other international academic networks in which the University is a member:

External links

• Royal University of Phnom Penh