Introduction to The Center for Khmer Studies

by Norhafitzah Ashruff and Melanie A. Chalil


We were thrown into a whole new and unknown world today. Siem Reap tastes, smells and sounds different in every way imaginable. What we experienced on our first day really is an eye opener. Cambodia is a country thriving with diverse culture in spite of its troubled and rocky history of violence and genocide. Today, Cambodia attracts tourists from all over the globe due to its rich historical background and culture.

The Centre for Khmer Studies (CKS) plays an important role that enables researchers from all over the world to immerse themselves in the Khmer culture. CKS is situated in the peaceful and lush grounds of Wat Damnak in Siem Reap. For us Monash University Arts students, the CKS forms the key to the gateway of our journey here. As our host, CKS plays a role in aiding our understanding and awareness of the Khmer society. We are sure that today’s visit and the upcoming ones made possible by Dr. Yeoh’s correspondence with the centre for the past six months will be an enlightening experience to all of us.

Dr Michael Sullivan, our first guest speaker

Dr.Michael Sullivan was our pioneer guest speaker for the day and has just recently taken up the mantle as the Chief Operating Officer of CKS. From the enlightening talk on CKS’ work, we gathered that he certainly has a lot to be proud of. CKS has a library which is the largest outside Phnom Penh boasting a collection of five thousand books. As we walked through the silence of the library, children and members of the public flipped through page after page of books during the cloudy afternoon. The library simply exuded a welcoming atmosphere. The library is a place where passion for books and knowledge of the Khmer society comes together. This is in line with the mission set by CKS to promotion research, teaching and public service in the social sciences, arts and humanities in the Cambodian context.

CKS may appear to be small but the magnitude of their work is certainly not. They collaborate closely with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) for students from all over the world to study in Siem Reap. The center also provides grants and financial support for senior researchers of PhD and Post-doctoral graduates. Their advocacy in education is admirable and this passion is further perpetuated in their Junior Resident Fellowship Program. Young individuals are be trained by international scholars on teaching and research methods – a module in line with their vision to strengthen Cambodia’s higher education system.

We were interested to find out about gender concerns in the context of Khmer education in general. We asked if gender disparities are present in the area of education as well as literacy rates between male and female children. Dr Sullivan pointed out that the UN Development goals are on track and there is balance between genders concerning literacy. He did explain though, that many girls do not complete the duration of their schooling years due to financial constraints.

Borey Yin, one of our student guides from the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), agrees to this. She says that there are more boys than girls attending universities here. Borey, who is studying History, reflects the slowly changing gender dynamics of university undergraduates as her parents are survivors of the brutal Khmer regime. The twenty-four year old says that it is important to know about her country’s history. She states that family tradition upholds the idea that girls will one day become wives and therefore tertiary education is redundant. However, this is changing. Modern families today like Borey’s believe that every child is entitled to tertiary education in order to secure a stable future.

Another reason that Borey stated in accordance to less girls attending university is the distance of one’s house and the learning institution. This prevents them from receiving a tertiary education. She says that Cambodian families used to have an average of ten people. The modern family today has less members but she makes a distinction between families in the city and rural areas stating that rural families have more children compared to families in the city. Smaller families would be able to cope with the city’s higher cost of living and thus, their children gain an opportunity of attending university.

She lets out a laugh and says, “I am very lucky”.

As Arts and Communications students from Monash University granted the amazing opportunity to visit Siem Reap on a study trip, Borey’s sentiment is something we all echo.

CKS’ Junior Resident Fellowship Program is attended by students from France, Cambodia and America. According to Borey, the Cambodian participants are entirely males and this perhaps resonates with her opinions on why fewer girls receive a tertiary education.

CKS's vibrant library

Their ongoing devotion of creating cultural and historical awareness is an inspiring achievement to us. To thank Dr Sullivan, a book was given to him on behalf of Monash University – who knows if it could turn the center’s library of five thousand references into five thousand and one.