Cambodia launches Chinese department in university

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - The Confucius Institute of Royal Academy of Cambodia and Cambodia's Asia Euro University co- launched a Department of Chinese Studies on Friday in the capital of Phnom Penh, offering cause of the Chinese language and culture in the Southeastern Asian kingdom.

The newly unveiled Chinese department is the second in Cambodia after the first was inaugurated last October.

Addressing the launching ceremony, Seang Borath, secretary of state with Cambodia's Education Ministry, spoke highly of the newly established Chinese department, saying that could provide the Cambodian students more learning opportunities and exposure to the Chinese language.

He underlined that the Chinese department will also help promote cultural communication and people-to-people exchanges between the two peoples.

Li Zhigong, political counselor with China's embassy to Cambodia, believes that the launch of the Chinese department will help push up the significance of Chinese in international communication.

He said that it is not difficult to set up such a department, and the real challenges, however, are the performance of the faculty and students in teaching and learning.

He hopes the Department of Chinese Studies can also function as a training center for the Cambodian faculties in terms of Chinese language teaching.

Wang Xianmiao, co-chair of the Confucius Institute, told Xinhua that the department will be located in the Asia Euro University and offers students a 4-year bachelor degree.

Around 100 Cambodian high school graduates are expected to be enrolled this October as pioneers of this newly-launched department, starting their 4-year journeys of language learning under the instruction of Chinese teachers from the Confucius Institute.

The curriculum includes Chinese language, literature, culture and history.