Pouk General and Technical High School, Siem Reap, Cambodia – [9/12/2024] – As a milestone in advancing education reforms, the European Union (EU) Delegation in Cambodia and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) are delighted to announce the launch of a new project entitled “Supporting Upper-Secondary Technical Education Reforms in Cambodia”. In the framework of this new project, it brings European civil servants and education officials from Finland, France, and Germany to work together with their Cambodian counterparts in a modality called “Twinning,” which involves exchanges between public administrations.

Cambodia is the first country in Asia to benefit from the Twinning projects. Several Cambodian officials will also join study visits to Europe where they will learn best practices in the areas of work-based learning, curriculum and teacher training for technical education.

H.E. Igor Driesmans, EU Ambassador to Cambodia said: “This Twinning is a significant step forward for the EU commitment to support Cambodian education reforms. The focus is on the needs of the private sector, especially those identified by European companies, so they can invest more in Cambodia”.   

H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of MoEYS said:  "This collaboration will allow us to align our education system with the standards of countries with strong public-private partnerships in technical education such as Finland, France and Germany. This will help better prepare our students for the demands of foreign investment in the country."

The 36-month initiative, running until August 2027, will pilot European-inspired, Cambodian-adapted technical education reforms in five General and Technical High Schools (GTHSs) and two universities across Cambodia, fostering employability, gender inclusivity, and skill readiness towards sustainable economic growth.