Near Cambodia’s Temple Ruins, a Devotion to Learning

Millions of tourists come here every year to visit the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, an influx that has helped transform what once resembled a small, laid-back village into a thriving and cosmopolitan town with thumping nightlife and more than 10,000 hotel rooms. But the explosion of the tourism industry here has also done something less predictable. Siem Reap, which had no universities a decade ago, is now Cambodia’s second-largest hub for higher education, after the capital, Phnom Penh. The sons and daughters of impoverished rice
farmers flock here to work as tour guides, receptionists, bartenders and waitresses.When their shifts are over, they study finance, English and accounting. “I never imagined that I could go to university,” said Hem Sophoan, a 31-year-old tour guide who is now studying for his second master’s degree. “There’s been so much change and opportunities for young people.” The establishment of fi ve private universities here is helping to transform the work force in this part of Cambodia, one of Asia’s poorest countries and a society still living in the shadow
of the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge. Employers say that English profi ciency is rising and that workers who attend universities stand out for their ability to express themselves and make decisions. A generation of students who would otherwise havehad little hope to study beyond high school are enduring grueling schedules to get a degree and pursue their dreams.

Read More in Cambodia Insight Website on Issue 10 Page 46.