Team Europe and the Ministry of Education have launched the EU's flagship project "Education for green and digital jobs" in Cambodia, aiming to attract more educational investment in Cambodian youth. The project was inaugurated by Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, and Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, along with EU member state representatives, during Urpilainen's visit to Cambodia.
Backed by the EU, the project aims to train young Cambodians, particularly middle and high-level technicians, in essential skills to support the Kingdom's industrial policy goals. Investments will focus on resilient infrastructure, research and knowledge, people-to-people exchanges with Europe, rights-based policy reforms, and private-sector engagement.
As part of the initiative, scholarships will be provided to university students in Cambodia to study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) through sustainable government funding. Urpilainen emphasized the EU's commitment to its partnership with Cambodia as it transitions into an upper-middle-income country, stating that education is a vital investment in a brighter future for Cambodian youth.
Urpilainen expressed confidence that investments in education, skills, and research will also attract European companies, offering high-quality jobs for Cambodian citizens to contribute to the country's green and digital development. Urpilainen, Chuon Naron, and representatives from the Czech Republic, France, and Hungary visited Chumpou Voan General and Technical High School near Phnom Penh, interacting with students and teachers to discuss the importance of studying STEM subjects and integrating theoretical education with practical, work-based learning.
Cambodia marks Urpilainen's first stop on her official tour of Southeast Asia. Her engagements with the government, youth, and civil society organizations aim to enhance cooperation and explore new initiatives to promote the Kingdom's development in partnership with the EU.
