UC Undergraduate Studies Catalog 2019-2023

 

Section I

 

The University of Cambodia

 

                                                                                                               

1. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT,

Dr. KAO KIM HOURN

The present Undergraduate Catalog for 2019-2023 has been produced to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the opening of The University of Cambodia. A comparison with UC’s first such catalog, for 2005-2006, provides insights into the rapid evolution of our university as it has ‘found its feet’ and matured as an institution of higher education, based on continual striving to update our original Vision and Mission in response to the relentless evolution of society at large and thus the expectations of our students and the requirements of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC).

The Royal Government of Cambodia has long recognized the importance of developing human resources for the country’s continuing development: something more pressing now that Cambodia is in transit from being a lower-middle income to a high-middle income country by 2030, and to a developed country by 2050. To this end, the ACC introduced a Foundation Year program in 2005 for all new university students in order to impose a rigorous national standard that all recognized universities must follow if they are to be accredited Higher Education Institutions. In the subsequent evaluations by the ACC, UC has always passed with flying colors.

Comparisons with the 2005-2006 Catalog show how our undergraduate programs have evolved and diversified in response to student demand and the changing requirements of the labor market, subject to financial constraints and those imposed by the availability of qualified instructors.

For example, whilst all programs at UC were originally taught through the medium of English (in what is now termed the International Track), some academic departments are now offering identical degree programs taught in Khmer. Also, the College for Media and Communications was established in 2015 to help meet the demand for professionals with backgrounds in these fields. Programs are designed to take advantage of our close relations with Southeast Asia TV (SEATV) and SEARadio, and the resultant access to their physical resources and the associated technical and other expertise. Moreover, I am extremely pleased to report that MoEYS has approved two new Schools just recently. One, the School for Creative Arts, will encourage the appreciation and practice of traditional and modern performance and other art forms and their further development, in concert with SEATV and the College of Media and Communications. The other, the School of Foreign Languages, will allow us to present majors in French, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin Chinese; we hope to include other languages such as Bahasa and Thai. Also, as part of an ongoing process, we received approval to transfer English Language programs from the present College of Arts, Humanities and Languages to this School and introduce exciting new programs to the now-renamed College of Arts and Humanities.

As detailed in a companion catalog, there have also been major developments in our graduate programs. The College of Management (now the Tony Fernandes School of Business) been regularly awarded Two Palmes in the world ranking of best graduate business schools by Eduniversal (the only other university in Cambodia to be nominated has received just One Palme). Also, many of the Master’s and Doctoral programs of the College of Social Sciences have been transferred to the Techo Sen School of Government and International Relations; other new programs have been developed by this School in order to further increase the pool of Cambodians qualified for leadership roles in the public and other sectors.

The above has focused on teaching, potentially a passive activity for those being taught. However an essential process in the development of a university (and thus of the caliber of its graduates) is the parallel evolution of more active learning through the need to also acquire critical thinking and other research-based skills to reinforce the foundation for effective life-long learning. To this end, I have introduced various initiatives in order to try foster such a proactive inquisitive ethos, including the Council for Research and Creativity to encourage and provide support for faculty, students and staff to become engaged in research, including the publication of a Working Papers series for the showcasing of undergraduate students’ scholarly articles, as well as the Cambodian Journal of International Studies and other initiatives. This is in addition to a Skills and Career Development Center, which encourages our students to further develop their other soft skills, as do other extra-curricular activities.

My Message in the 2005-2006 Catalog was of hope for UC to grow “into a community of students, scholars, researchers, practitioners, staff, and faculty … to achieve our mission by stressing excellence in our academic standards and instruction; by emphasizing the importance of teaching; by nurturing progressive research; and by encouraging a shared sense of responsibility.” This, the second edition of the Catalog, adds to other documentary evidence that we are well and truly on the right path to achieving this goal.

However this is no cause for complacency: whilst we have established our academic standards of relevance and stringency, we must not only seek to maintain them but also strive for yet further improvements – not just relative to other universities in Cambodia but also in the region and elsewhere.

It is very important to note that much of what has evolved has only been possible because of the munificence of our esteemed Chancellor, Dr. Haruhisa Handa, and other generous donors of scholarships and monies for the development of infrastructure; the UC community is extremely grateful for their crucial support. Further growth and development of the University will depend on similar generosity from such benefactors, to which end The University of Cambodia Endowment Fund has been set up.

2. STATEMENT BY THE CHANCELLOR,

Dr. HARUHISA HANDA

I first visited Cambodia in 1994, after the UNTAC period and the first election. Reminiscent of Japan in the aftermath of the Second World War, the brutal civil war, still ongoing after more than a quarter of a century, had meant that everything had been destroyed – not just buildings and institutions but also the spirit of the nation. Most serious of all, there was a lack of hope.

Since then, I have frequently come back to Cambodia to look after some of the projects our members from World Mate and B.C. Consulting have supported: to provide health care to the poor and education to the disadvantaged, such as orphans, and building schools in the rural areas. Each visit has shown me an exponential progress in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of a country that had suffered so much misery and misfortune, to put it mildly. This was much aided by the eagerness of young people to make up for lost time in education: to raise their level of knowledge and thereby create new opportunities, they were eager to learn English, computer and business skills. The high value that all Cambodians place on education is the greatest asset that this country possesses. On the other hand, the quality of instruction provided was often questionable, with private universities opening and offering degrees of dubious merit in an entrepreneurial environment with an increasingly competitive job market.

It was against this background that Dr. Kao Kim Hourn approached various influential members of Cambodian civil society and others, including myself, about the possibilities regarding the establishment of a private not-for-profit university to provide quality degree programs taught by qualified instructors through the medium of English as a means of helping not only to ameliorate Cambodia’s dearth of qualified personnel but also the need to deal with other ASEAN member states on a more equal footing.

As a result of his dedication, not only did Dr. Kao succeed in getting The University of Cambodia off the ground but he also turned his dream of producing tomorrow’s leaders, through encouraging their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, into a reality. Thus I am proud that my ‘investment’ in providing scholarships and support has been so amply rewarded by the fact that many UC alumni have gone on to hold responsible jobs in the public and private sectors, including after having been awarded prestigious scholarships to further their studies abroad. Moreover, this worthy output has also enabled Dr. Kao to seek additional sources of financial support for more scholarships and further infrastructural development.

This year, as the fifteenth anniversary of the opening of The University of Cambodia, represents an important milestone in the evolution of this as an institution for excellence in higher education. The present Catalog is one example of the documentary evidence for this, to augment the results of implementing the degree programs it details: the recognized quality of the University’s graduate output.  

3. VISION

A vision of The University of Cambodia has resulted from many discussions with various Cambodian intellectuals and scholars who wanted to give clarity and purpose to the University’s essential character and aspirations. This vision is dynamic, bold and strategic. It is forward-looking and committed to academic excellence.

The University of Cambodia strives to be the institution of choice for higher education in Cambodia and in the region because of its concern with the new social, economic, political and technological realities, as well as the current process of globalization. In an information age that demands originality, imagination, creativity and quality of education, The University of Cambodia will be the nation’s leading university and the center of excellence in teaching, training, research, dialog and scholarship.

The University of Cambodia will:

4. MISSION

The University of Cambodia strives to provide quality education for students to develop critical, analytical and creative thinking so they can make well-founded and ethical decisions and be part of an informed citizenry. The University promotes academic excellence at the national, regional and international levels and responds to the call for interdisciplinary research, teaching and training, by rethinking the structure and purpose of higher education in Cambodia.

The University prepares students to address the increasingly complex issues facing them in society and to discover meanings in their own lives. It encourages diversity in its student body and meets the needs of students by providing them with interdisciplinary and innovative undergraduate, graduate and professional courses. The University energetically and dynamically seeks ways to interact with and to serve the needs of the student body.

To this end, the University nurtures and supports a diverse faculty who engages in active research, brings excellence and innovation into the classroom, in order to better respond to the needs of students and the community. The faculty embodies the university’s interactive approach to change Cambodia’s higher education.

The University is fully committed to long-term sustainable development and in being:

·         a center of excellence for teaching and learning;

·         a center of excellence for research and creativity;

·         a center of excellence for language training and technology skills;

·         a center of excellence in leadership, diplomacy and media training;

·         a center in Cambodia for building alliances and partnerships for collaboration with universities, think tanks, the private and public sectors and other like-minded institutions to serve mutual interests;

·         a center for continuing education and community development; and

·         a center for dialogues, conferences and other interactions.

5. ACCREDITATION

The University of Cambodia is fully registered with the Royal Government of Cambodia and is officially recognized by a sub-decree (number 51) issued by the Royal Government of Cambodia and signed by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, on 20 June 2003. It is also registered with and recognized by the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia (ACC: number 34/05).

6. AFFILIATIONS

It is one of The University of Cambodia’s top priorities to build strong affiliations and partnerships with accredited universities and associations from abroad to provide its students, faculty and staff with important collaboration and exchange in the field of higher education. Thus it is a member of the Association of Universities in the Asia Pacific (AUAP); and the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL).

At a more individual level, we have signed memoranda of understanding with a number of universities, as well as various other organizations:

Bangladesh

Daffodil International University

 

University of Asia Pacific

Cambodia

AIP Foundation Safe Roads for Life

 

Asia Euro University

 

Clinic and Maternity Bun That

 

Human Resource University

 

International University

 

Khmer Brewery Company Limited

 

Maybank

 

People Health Development

 

Vanda Institute

China

Guangxi University of Foreign Languages

 

Guangxi University for Nationalities

 

Guilin University of Technology

 

Guizhou Medical University

 

Guizhou Minsu University

 

Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology

 

Overseas Students Communication Association of Yangjiang

 

Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities

 

School of Continuing Education, Tsinghua University

 

Sias International University, China

 

Taiji Computer Corporation Limited

 

Xi'An International University

 

Zhengzhou University

European Union

The European Commission

EU-ASEAN

EU-SHARE

India

Amity University Uttar Pradesh

 

Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences

 

Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology

 

University of Jenderal Achmad Yani

Indonesia

President University

Israel

Galilee International Management Institute

Japan

Osaka International University

Malaysia 

Berjaya University College of Hospitality

 

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Philippines

Lyceum of the Philippines University - Batangas

South Africa

Luther Varsity in Southern Africa

South Korea

Chosun University

 

Dongseo University

 

Inha University

 

IOM Migration Research and Training Center

 

Kumoh National Institute of Technology

 

Kyung Hee University

 

Woosong University

 

Yeoju Institute of Technology

Thailand

Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University

 

Faculty of Home-Economics Technology, Rajamangala University of Technology

 

Mae Fah Luang University

United States

Freeman School of Business, Tulane University

 

Global Technology University Board

 

Human Rights Resource Center, University of Minnesota

 

Ohio University

 

University of Houston

 

WSD Handa Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Stanford University

7. UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE AND ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Founder and University President

Dr. Haruhisa Handa, University Chancellor

LCT. Khem Rany, Vice President for General Affairs

Mr. Kao Sophalla, Vice President for Supporting Services   

Dr. Angus D. Munro, Vice-President for Research, Development and Policies

Dr. Y Ratana, Vice President for Academic Affairs

8. BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, PhD (Chairman)

Dr. Haruhisa Handa (Vice Chairman and University Chancellor)

LCT. Khem Rany, Member

H.E. Samraing Kamsan, Member

Mr. Kao Sophalla, Member                 

9. UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC COUNCIL

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and President of The University of Cambodia

H.E. Samraing Kamsan, M.A., Member of the Board of Trustees and Senior Advisor to the University President

Dr. Angus D. Munro,  Ph.D., Vice-President for Research, Development and Policies

Ms. Gina Lopez, M.B.A., Vice-President for International Affairs and Dean, The Tony Fernandes School of Business

Prof. Keo Chhea, M.A., Dean for Techo Sen School of Government and International Relations

Dr. Suy Sareth, Ph.D., Dean, of the School of Undergraduate Studies

Dr. Hem Sras, Ph.D., Dean, College of Law

Dr. Hu Ty, Ph.D., Dean, College of Social Sciences

Dr. Nhor Sanhei, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education

Dr. Chhun Vannak, Ph.D., Director for ASEAN Studies Center

Ms. Gina Lopez, M.B.A., Vice-President for International Affairs and Dean, The Tony Fernandes School of Business

Mr. Pay Chheng How, M.A., Dean, School of Foreign Languages

Mr. Teav Chhun Nan, M.Sc., Associate Dean, College of Science and Technology

Mr. An Sopheak, M.A., Dean, School of Creative Arts

Mr. Sok Sovanchandara, M.A., Associate Dean, College of Arts and Humanities and Languages

Mr. Bun Sophal, M.A., Associate Dean, College of Media and Communications

Ms. Chan Sreyroth, B.A., Director for Office of Accounting and Finance

Ms. Kong Rathana, M.B.A., University Registrar and Director for Office of Students Services.

Mr. Ban Bunheng, M.B.A., Director for Office of Administration

Mr. Travis Mitchell, M.Sc., Director of the Council for Research and Creativity

Mr. Norm Sinath, M.B.A, Director for Office of Human Resources

Mr. Kosal Chansakvitou, B.A., Director, Office of Public Affairs, Communications and Alumni

Mr. Pheng Sopheak, M.A., Director, Office of Scholarship

Ms. Sovann Chanry, M.A., Acting Director, Office of Academic Affairs

Mr. Inn Tong Ann, B.A. Deputy Director for Office of President

Mr. Cheng Vichet, M.A., Assistant to Vice President for Academic Affairs

Mr. Pom Piseth, B.A., Webmaster, Office of President

Mr. Tep Reaksmey, B.A., Head of Design, Office of President

Mr. Kor Chhaihong, M.A., Head, Department of English Language, School of Foreign Languages

Mr. Chan Seng, M.A., Head, Department of French Language, School of Foreign Languages

Mr. Roth Sakada, M.B.A., Head, Department of Japanese Language, School of Foreign Languages

Mr. Enbao Hu (Peter), M.B.A., Head, Department of Chinese Language, School of Foreign Languages

Mr. Loch Ratana, M.A., Head, Department of Thai Language, School of Foreign Languages

Ms. Kong Sokunthen, B.A., Head, Department of Korean Language, School of Foreign Languages

Mr. Chhean Brasit, B.A., Director, Skills and Career Development Center

Mr. Kay Chandara, B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Administration

Mr. Chann Klem, M.B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Administration

Mr. Pang Sina, B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Academic Affairs

Mr. Prak Sopheara, B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Planning

Ms. Sar Synat, B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Human Resources

Ms. Chan Sophea, B.A., Deputy Director, Office of University Registrar

Ms. Kong Sokkheang, B.A., Acting Deputy Director, Office of Admissions, Information, and Registration

Mr. Hor Kimheng, B.A., Deputy Director, Office of Public Affairs, Communications and Alumni

Ms. Phlot Mlaichan, B.A., Assistant Dean, School of Undergraduate Studies

Mr. In Sovanpol, M.P.P.M., Assistant, Techo Sen School of Government and International Relations

10. FACULTY

The University of Cambodia is committed to recruit, retain and nurture outstanding scholars and professors who are concerned with broad and fundamental intellectual issues and are dedicated to research, undergraduate and graduate teaching alike. The University comprises a team of academics, researchers and professionals who hold Master’s and Doctoral degrees from accredited overseas universities and possess extensive teaching and research experience. They are experts in a broad range of fields, who have published widely; have contributed to major research findings; and have consulted with government, businesses and the civil society.

11.  DISTINGUISHED VISITING PROFESSORS

Lord George Carey of Clifton (Archbishop of Canterbury, 1991-2002)

Professor Katherine Marshall (Georgetown University; former Counsellor to the President of the World Bank)

H.E. Ong Keng Yong (Secretary-General of ASEAN, 2003-2007)

Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko (Chief Executive Officer and Head of Luther Varsity in Southern Africa)

Professor Achyuta Samanta (Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha; Founder of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences)

12. ACADEMIC CALENDAR

The University of Cambodia operates on a term system which runs an average of 15 weeks, excluding the final examination period and public holidays:

·      the first term (Term I) begins in October and ends in February, although there may be separate sessions, starting on different dates, to allow for the intake of different groups of new students

·      the second term (Term II) begins in March and ends in July.

There is also a 10-week special term (Term III) from August to October for students who wish to finish their degree at a faster pace. Note that this term is not open to new students, apart from those with transfer credits.

There are four periods in each of these terms:

Morning

8:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., weekdays

Afternoon

2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., weekdays

Evening

5:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., weekdays

Weekend

7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., Saturday and Sunday

There is a one-week break after the end of scheduled classes, so that students can revise for the final exams for that term's courses in the following week. This one-week break also allows time for make-up classes which had to be cancelled for public holidays or other reasons.

13. ADDRESS AND CONTACTS

Our campus is located at:

The University of Cambodia,
Northbridge Road,
P.O. Box 917,
Sangkat Toek Thla, Khan Sen Sok,
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia 12000.

Enquiries and further information can be obtained through the following:

·         Tel:  (855-23) 993-274 and 993-276; (855-60) 333 346;

·         Fax: (855-23) 993-284

·         E-mail: info@uc.edu.kh; admissions@uc.edu.kh; library@uc.edu.kh

·         Website: www.uc.edu.kh

·         Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cambodia

·         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universityofcambodia

14. THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBODIA FOUNDATION

The University is a privately-funded institution, which means that it receives no financial support from the Royal Government of Cambodia. The present revenue from students is inadequate to meet the running costs of The University of Cambodia, never mind provide income to be invested in the University's further development and expansion. Thus, we have been dependent on the generosity of individuals and organizations for financial and other forms of support to get where we are now.

ü  An updated list of past and present donors of scholarships can be found here.

ü  Also, a similarly updated list of donors of books and other materials appears on the back cover of the quarterly UC Bulletin. ???

Such donations are essential for:

1.    supporting the employment of quality faculty, critical for establishing and maintaining the solid foundation (in both teaching and research) required of a good university;

2.    establishing an environment conducive for the promotion of research and investigative studies relevant to the country’s future development;

3.    providing scholarships for the deserving poor, so that they are given the chance to upgrade themselves and thereby take advantage of emerging opportunities offered as a result of the accelerating development of Cambodia, the Greater Mekong Region and ASEAN as players in an increasingly globalized world; and

4.    furthering the development of the infrastructure of the university, including the opening of community colleges in the provinces.

To this end, The University of Cambodia Foundation was established in 2016 to facilitate the obtaining and administering of donations (including the setting up of endowment funds) to help to meet these four areas of need. This is administered by a committee, under the oversight of the University’s President; and it also is responsible for ensuring that donations are used solely for the benefit of The University of Cambodia, and that any donors' specifications can be best realized.

Ø  Related to this, we have introduced the UC Funding Campaign 2018-2023, with the aim of raising monies to provide financial support eleven key components of the above major areas of further development.

Donations of money can typically be in one of two different forms:

1.      Dispensable funds, where money donated (pledged as a single lump sum, or over a period of several years) is available in its entirety to provide immediate support for the University, whether for general use or for a specific project. 

2.      Endowed funds, where the donated money is instead invested in a financial service institution under one of the Foundation’s existing endowment funds or a new one nominated by the donor, and the University only uses a percentage of the annual investment income (as agreed between the Foundation and the donor) for long-term support of either the general running of the University or particular projects.

Donors will be issued with an official receipt from The University of Cambodia Foundation to acknowledge their generosity and public-spiritedness. Apart from acknowledging donations on the Foundation’s web-site and in the UC Bulletin (for those who do not want to remain anonymous), large donations will be further recognized by The University of Cambodia naming a College, Center, Headship, Chairmanship, Scholarships or various facilities according to these supporters' wishes, as appropriate.

The University of Cambodia also welcomes various types of non-monetary gift. For example, books are essential for student learning, and for the promotion of reading and life-long learning in Cambodia. In addition, various items of equipment would be appreciated – for example, computers and ancillary accessories, audiovisual and telecommunications equipment, vehicles.

Should you decide that you would like to make any sort of donation to help support us, please contact The University of Cambodia Foundation (www.ucf.edu.kh) at the following address: 

The University of Cambodia Foundation,
Northbridge Road,
P.O. Box 917,
Sangkat Toek Thla, Khan Sen Sok
Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia 12000

E-mail: donation@universityofcambodiafoundation.org