Keynote Address at the Conferment Ceremony of Diplomas – the 4^th and 5^th Batch Bachelor Degrees – the 6th Batch Master Degrees – the 4^th Batch Master of IT Degrees (International Program) – and the 2^nd Batch Doctoral Degrees for Graduates of Build Bright University 

Phnom Penh, August 4^th, 2010

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, National and International Distinguished Guests,
The Management, Lecturers, Staffs,
Dear Students!

Today, it is my great honor and pleasure to participate once again in the conferment ceremony of Diplomas, Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees to 4097 students of the Build Bright University.  On behalf of the Royal Government and my own behalf, I would like to express appreciation to students who are going to graduate soon. 

I think that today’s event is deeply meaningful with tremendous pride for the successful students as well as their families and society as a whole due to the fact that through the achievements we have received today it clearly shows Cambodia has increased more potential of competent human resources for socio-economic development.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to congratulate and appreciate the Build Bright University who has contributed in building and developing human resources and further upgrading our higher education sector through actively participating with high responsibility from the management, professors, lecturers, and staffs until achieving proud success. 

In this framework, the Royal Government has always considered the development of human resource as the most important foundation for socio-economic development and to ensure sustainable economic growth in order to contribute to gradual poverty reduction of the people of at least 1% per year with the objective to promote growth and increase employment, enhance social morality and efficiency of public administration service in Cambodia. Base on this vision, the education sector has always been considered as the priority among all political agendas and in the national economic and social development plan. In particular, the share of national budget allocated to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has been increased every year, in spite of the impact of the global economic and financial crisis. Due to this effort, all levels of the education sector, especially undergraduate and graduate levels, have grew significantly.

As Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen already have been already aware of, to achieve sustained and prosper macro-economic development, it requires peace, political and macro-economic stability and social order. In this connection, Cambodia is now enjoying the full peace made possible by the Royal Government’s “win-win” policy. This historic event represents a great opportunity for the development of all sectors and all localities of the country, in particular, the education sector which is key to socio-economic development and assurance of competitive advantage in the face of regional and global integration. 

The Royal Government understands the education is a lengthy and costly investment and requires a great deal of patience while the outcome is mainly invisible and sometimes it takes a generation until the real outcome appears. This means that our effort, apart from producing the fruit we see nowadays, is a highly potential social capital for sustainable development for future generations. In this spirit, the Royal Government regards the education as a priority and key factor for productivity and efficiency improvement so that we can successfully attain sustained development while Cambodia is facing with the storm of globalization.

Moreover, the success of human development relies on the capacity of all education institutions, especially higher education institutions as they are the source of innovation skill, i.e. “knowledge” produced through learning, thinking, practicing, experience, and conscience. Also, higher education institutions are “training centers” for developing student’s capacity, genius, credibility and professional skill, and for building a foundation network for their future life. In this context, in addition to equipping their students with both knowledge and know-how, higher education institutions must pay great attention to the rule of law, social order, code of ethics and principle of righteousness left by our ancestors to transform the students into righteous individual and good citizen after their graduation.

Along with this, in the context of market economy, the success of human development cannot be separated from the private sector’s participation. The Royal Government regards the private sector as the engine of growth. Under current circumstance, the globalization trend and liberalization policy of the education sector are producing positive outcome for Cambodia. This outcome is attested by the rising number of private education institutions and strengthened partnership with the private sector. Along with this, in spite of the impact of the global economic crisis on our annual growth, we still manage to keep employment creation at a controllable level, implying that we have addressed unemployment issue effectively and managed to lessen drawbacks on the economic foundation. This success cannot be separated from the education sector growth and good partnership between the Royal Government and the private sector. Moreover, based on experience from countries, development of all sectors rely on human capital that play a key role in addressing all issues and spread the knowledge through studies reports and academic document. Approaching the 21st century, the era of knowledge and information, the role of human capital is now more important than ever and the knowledge they posses is the most dominant determinant of growth, competing ability and competitive advantage of each nation for maximizing national interests.

Since its inception in 2000 until today, Build Bright University has been actively working with the government to develop human resource which is an indispensible element for a war-torn country like Cambodia to build and redevelop and make way forwards on long journey to development, prosperity and happiness for the nation and people. Taking this opportunity, I would like to encourage Build Bright University to continue fulfilling this mission by adhering to government strategic policy of human resource development.

At the same time, I am always optimistic that all degree awardees will become momentum that is truly equipped with knowledge, know-how, technical skill and genius as well as responsibility, professional ethics, and will become intellectual with rationality and conscience which are factors determining your success and dignity in the very near future.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to remind all degree awardees to use your knowledge in right way and at the right target in order to make something beneficial to yourself, to family and to the nation. You must remember that all works, big or small, have its own value and feature that you have to understand to build your qualification i.e. genius and skillfulness which are vehicle bringing you to desired goals. Our Khmer proverb that goes “knowing ten things is not as good as being skillful at one”. Therefore when you know something; you must really know it, and then you do not need to struggle seeking job, the job will definitely look for you. Furthermore, you are the one who are educated and intellectuals with conscience. Therefore, you do not have to expect existing jobs, but rather you should turn your knowledge into vision, creative idea to create opportunities and create employment for yourself and for others who did not have chance to receive education like you. So, transforming into an entrepreneur and successful entrepreneur in the future is the desire that the family and whole society want all of today degree awardees to make effort to succeed in the future in order to ensure dynamic participation in making socio-economy developed, affluent and prestigious like Royal Kingdom of Cambodia in Angkor era.

Before closing, once again on behalf of the government and myself, I would like to sincerely congratulate and admire all management board, staff, professors and lecturers of Build Bright University for having made effort and succeeded in human resource development mission and made contribution to development of education sector. Along with, I would like to thank and appreciate Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport as well as relevant ministries, development partners and private sector for exerting utmost effort in terms of spiritual, material and financial supports for the cause of human resource development in Cambodia. 

Finally, I would like to wish all Excellencies, Lok Okhna, Lok Chum Teav, Ladies and Gentlemen, National and International Distinguished Guests, professors and lecturers and students four gems of Buddhist blessing: Longevity, Nobility, Health and Strength.

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