6 January 2012 (Phnom Penh) – The University of Cambodia (UC) hosted a public lecture with H.E. Dr. Sok Siphana, 6 January 2012, from 2-4 PM, at the UC Conference Center. This lecture was delivered to UC and South Korean students from Inha University. Mr. Peter Tan Keo, VP for Strategy, Development, and International Cooperation, chaired the lecture.
The title of the lecture was, "The Political and Economic Situation in Cambodia: Past, Present, and Future." During his presentation, Dr. Sok addressed the political and economic history of Cambodia, covering a broad range of issues. He attempted to explain how today’s political and economic landscape is essentially structured around, and was in response to, the Cambodian genocide, years of civil war, and a 17 year economic embargo. Those triple forces have today accelerated the pace and direction of growth in Cambodia. Dr. Sok presented information regarding the construction of Cambodia’s legal system and business environment, and explained how far Cambodia has come since the 1993 Paris Peace Accords. His presentation was from the perspective of a practicing attorney and adviser to the Royal Government of Cambodia.
Dr. Sok was Secretary of State, Ministry of Commerce, Royal Government of Cambodia, from 1999 to 2005. In that capacity, he played a pivotal role in negotiating successfully Cambodia\'s accession to the World Trade Organization. The WTO is the international organization that deals with the rules of trade between nations. From 2005 to 2009, he served as Director for the International Trade Center (ITC), in the Division of Technical Cooperation Coordination. Dr. Sok returned to Cambodia from Geneva, Switzerland in 2009, and was appointed Adviser to the Royal Government of Cambodia. Today, he is a practicing attorney and Principal at Sok Siphana & Associates.
Dr. Sok is a Member of the Advisory Board, Asia Economic Forum (AEF), and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI).
He received a Juris Doctor (JD) from Widener University, School of Law, Delaware, United States, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Bond University, School of Law, Queensland, Australia. He is admitted to both the Cambodian Bar and the Pennsylvania Bar (inactive status).
