Vocational school founded in Cambodia

Cambodia-China University of Technology and Science was officially unveiled on Wednesday in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, to provide vocational education to undergraduate students in Cambodia.

It was jointly founded by the Federation of Khmer Chinese in Cambodia and Nanjing Vocational University of Industry Technology.

Wu Yan, vice-minister of education, said during the unveiling that the university is the latest result of deepening cooperation between China and Cambodia, especially in the field of vocational education.

"China has built 19 overseas education institutes and projects in Cambodia to cultivate talent with professional skills," Wu said.

The university is the first to provide Cambodian students Chinese proficiency training and, more importantly, vocational skills that are necessary for employment after graduation, said Xie Yonghua, president of Nanjing Vocational University of Industry Technology.

Xie said the university has started enrollment for the fall and set up six majors, covering areas such as computer network, tourism management and cross-border e-commerce, Xie said.

"Talent is badly needed in these areas for industry and economic development in Cambodia," he said.

Students with knowledge of Chinese language and vocational skills are expected to look for jobs in both Chinese enterprises and domestic companies after graduation.

Kol Sovathanak, a freshman majoring in tourism management at the university, said Chinese proficiency is a stepping stone for employment.

With his solid grasp of the Chinese language, Sovathanak said he received high-paid offers from some enterprises.

"We not only learn Chinese here, there are also practical courses. The teaching method is so novel that I don't want to miss a single class," Sovathanak said.

"Cambodia has rich resources in tourism. By studying tourism management, I hope to become an expert in developing the industry in my country," he said.

Chim Kimheng was an online salesman at an international logistics company in Cambodia when the 19-year-old started to learn Chinese at the university. "I need to improve my Chinese language proficiency to communicate with Chinese clients at work. Teachers at the university come from China and can teach authentic Mandarin," Kimheng said, adding that he could have simple conversations after learning for eight months.

Meanwhile, with a major in logistics, Kimheng said he has obtained a deeper understanding of his work.

"I want to open a logistics station for trade related to China," he said.