The Academic Foundation Department (AFD) of the University of Cambodia (UC) cordially hosted its Graduation Ceremony and Outstanding Awards’ Conferment for students in promotion eleven, term two. The ceremony was held on Saturday, September 13th, 2014, in the UC Conference Center with the highly honorable presence of H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister, and the President of the University of Cambodia; H.E. Samraing Kamsan, Member of UC’s Board of Trustees, and Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts; Dr. Angus Munro, UC Vice President for Research, Development and Policies; Mrs. Por Malis, UC Vice President of Operations; Associate Deans; Directors; Deputy Directors; lecturers; and parents.
Mr. Cham Soeun, AFD Director, started the ceremony by presenting a brief history of AFD and the objectives of its establishment in 2005. He explained that the AFD program aims to ensure the quality of higher education in Cambodia by providing students with fundamental knowledge through courses from different fields of study, and providing students more networking opportunities by integrating students from various majors into the same classes. He reported that 149 students would be graduating from AFD, and 19 of those students received a B+ mark and will receive certificates of recognition for their outstanding performance. He noted that 12 out of the 19 outstanding students were female, and that female students consistently score higher than their male counterparts.
Then he said that, “Learning is endless process; one never gets scientific knowledge within a single day, and even if you have found knowledge within period of time, it does not mean you have reached to the ultimate truth of knowledge. Learning through sharing and giving to one another, learning through discussion, experimentation and writing, plus practical activities are seen as a good method for achieving an end in the academic life. Therefore, learning is not silent.”
In his keynote address, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn expressed warm congratulations to all AFD graduates as they have successfully passed another milestone in their academic life. He stressed the importance of the Foundation Year Program, calling it, ‘absolutely fundamental’. He explained further saying, when you construct a big building you must always start with a solid foundation or you will be unable to construct the rest of the building successfully.
In addition, he told the AFD Graduates to think about commitments, challenges, continuity, and to foster a culture of reading and researching in our lives. He explained how everything we do in life requires commitment – commitment in study, in doing homework, to come to classes regularly; and other commitments – with family, to work, to ourselves; but we still manage, and thus, commitment is really an imperative factor for success. An important lesson for students is to learn how to manage their commitments, and to not take on too many at one time. Above all else, it is crucial for students to have a strong commitment to the completion of their studies.
After the conferment of degrees, Miss Thy Sotheavy, an outstanding student majoring in English Literature in the College of Arts and Humanities, gave a speech regarding her academic achievements. She stated that she used four techniques as the backbone of her strategy to become an outstanding student; they were self-discipline, self-commitment, self-motivation, and self-assessment. Furthermore, she noted the rigorous policies of the university to prevent plagiarism on assignments and cheating on exams. She explained that through the continued enforcement of these policies students are forced to take responsibility for their own studies, and in turn, will be more successful in their future endeavors. She complimented the university for creating a credible academic environment, where students and educators alike continue to improve themselves.
