Faculty Member Wins Scholarship

Source: University of Cambodia

Faculty Member Wins Scholarship 

Peouv Polinel, a part-time lecturer at the University of Cambodia (UC), won a scholarship given by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management, a graduate institution located in Seoul and operated by KDI.

The KOICA-KDI Scholarship provides full tuition, a monthly stipend, and round-trip airfare. This year 30 individuals, representing 21 countries, were selected as KOICA-KDI scholarship recipients, with Mr. Polinel being one of them.

Mr. Polinel started the one-year academic program in January 2011 and will pursue a Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management. He expressed much excitement about pursuing the Master’s Degree.

“I hope to use it [the Master’s Degree] to help develop Cambodia and formulate policy recommendations for the country,” said Mr. Polinel.

At UC, Mr. Polinel served as the instructor for two courses, Comparative Politics of Developing Countries and Cambodian History. According to him, teaching is an opportunity to share knowledge and experiences with the younger generation, and has large implications for the country’s development.

“The future prosperity of Cambodia depends on the prosperity of the youth,” he said, adding that his dream is to make a difference in the country.

He plans to conduct research in international politics and international relations, and intends to pursue a Doctoral Degree. He also aspires to attain a high position in the Royal Government of Cambodia, in which he can help to formulate foreign policy.

In addition to serving as a part-time lecturer at UC, Mr. Polinel worked as a Research Official at the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, a public academic institution and research and development center affiliated with the Council of Ministers. He has had previous international experience prior to winning the KOICA-KDI Scholarship. In 2009, he was a part of a Youth Exchange Program and visited three countries in Asia: the Republic of Korea for the Korean-ASEAN Youth Exchange, Thailand for the ASEAN + 3 Youth Caucus, and Malaysia for a Youth and Social Media Study Program.