The higher education system in Cambodia has changed significantly over the past 10 years and the number of private universities has grown substantially. The tremendous growth in the private education sector has benefited many Cambodians by providing more options for continuing their education after high school. However, according to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), this rapid expansion has created inconsistencies and gaps in the “quality, access, effi ciency and managerial effectiveness in HEIs”. Due in large part to these concerns, the Kingdom of Cambodia has received a credit of US$ 11.5 million and a grant of US$ 11.5 million from the World Bank’s International Development Association with the purpose of funding the 5 year Higher Education Quality and Capacity Improvement Project (HEQCIP) 2011-2015.
The development objective of this project is to improve: a) the quality of teaching, management, and research in project-supported entities and b) pilot the targeting of disadvantaged students for enhanced access and retention. The project is comprised of four components: 1) Strengthening the Governance and Capacity of the Higher Education System; 2) Provision of Competitive Development and Innovation Grants; 3) Provision of Scholarships to Disadvantaged Students; 4) Project Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. DHE plans to hold workshops and seminars to build the aforementioned programs.
Over the next five years the University of Cambodia will take part in seminars, conferences and projects seeking to improve and standardize the four components of the HEQCIP project mentioned above. UC looks forward to improving its own standards and to work alongside other HEIs in Cambodia to improve the sector as a whole.
