On 4 August 2017, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) paid a courtesy call on H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of Cambodia. H.E. Mr. Siem Kosh and H.E Ms. Kim Sethany, Secretaries of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) as well as Ms. Kong Roatlomang, Director of Education, Culture and Tourism Division of ACC and Mr. Zhang Xuehai, Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations Division of ACC, attended the meeting.

Secretary-General Yang Xiuping expressed her appreciation to MoEYS for its long-time strong support and assistance for ACC’s work and said that ACC has taken educational cooperation as one of its priorities and has done a lot to support the building of educational exchanges networks and platforms between the two sides. ACC had facilitated the signing of more than 450 MoUs between Chinese and ASEAN TVET institutions by 2016. In 2017, ACC co-sponsored the inauguration of the Alliance of ASEAN-China Arts Universities, co-organized the 4th SEAMEO Regional Centre for Higher Education and Development Study Visit to Hainan province and actively supported the annual China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW). During the 10th CAECW held in Guiyang, ACC co-hosted or supported 7 activities and facilitated inauguration of cooperation mechanisms such as Belt and Road University-Enterprise Alliance for Talent Development Cooperation, ASEAN-China Consortium for TVET Cooperation, ASEAN-China Tourism Education Alliance, and ASEAN-China Institute of Science and Technology, as well as the preparations for the establishment of the Alliance of ASEAN-China Economics Universities. ACC has also supported and promoted youth exchanges. ACC launched the First Chinese Language Competition for ASEAN Students in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei region, and will organize ASEAN-China Youth Forum, Youth Forum on Cultural Heritage Preservation, Youth Winter Camp, Youth Football Friendship match and other activities to cultivate more successors for the development of ASEAN-China friendship.

She said that as the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN Community building were further advanced, both sides need more and more high-quality professionals. In order to support the technical and vocational education in ASEAN Members States, ACC, in cooperation with Zhejiang Yalong Company, has donated vocational equipment and provided training courses to Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar and planned to provide equipment and training courses to Cambodia. ACC would keep close communication and contact with the Cambodian side and join hands to elevate ASEAN-China and Cambodia-China educational cooperation to a new level in light of the actual needs of both sides.

H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, highly appreciated ACC’s significant contributions to promoting ASEAN-China education, cultural and youth exchanges, and emphasized that as economic, trade and financial cooperation has been deepened between China and ASEAN including Cambodia, more efforts should be made to develop education especially vocational education and cultivate more high-quality professionals. Cambodia has attached great importance to educational cooperation with China, supported and encouraged the colleges and universities of both sides to build closer ties in the fields of teacher and student exchanges, joint research, authentication of academic degree and so on. Cambodia is looking forward to drawing on China’s successful experience in synergizing development of colleges and enterprises, providing vocational skill training courses in economic zone, and engaging in exchanges and cooperation with Chinese sports colleges and universities so as to improve the sports education in Cambodia. MoEYS will continue to support and participate in various activities organized by ACC and hopes to strengthen educational cooperation with China through the unique platform of ACC so as to inject stronger impetus to the enduring development of Cambodia-China relations.

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