Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron has led a delegation to the International Conference of Francophone Science, running from October 26-28 in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

According to the ministry, the meeting is chaired by Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, with numerous education ministers, university rectors and other stakeholders from French-speaking nations in attendance.

Chuon Naron addressed the conference on behalf of the Asia-Pacific region, which is a member of the Francophone University Agency (AUF) – a network of 944 higher education institutions and scientific research centres that use the French language in 116 countries.

He highlighted the important of responsive education, saying that it enables learners to connect to the cultural context and needs of their communities.

“Higher education reform in Cambodia is not only focused on strengthening governance, but also on improving the qualifications of professors and lecturers. Improved curricula and study resources which meet the needs of the labour market, along with the use of technology to link theory to the employment market, are also priorities,” he said.

The minister commended the AUF for their active contribution to achieving their millennium development goals, which contributed to improving the quality of higher education.

This sector plays an important role in responding to social needs such as education, social protection, employment, the fight against climate change and environmental protection, he added.

He told the forum that education reforms in Cambodia are focusing on how higher education institutions could strengthen their autonomy, in response to the government’s strategic vision for 2030 and 2050.

He thanked the AUF for organising the event, saying it was an excellent opportunity to strengthen the quality of higher education through the exchange of ideas. This was crucial, in order for it to contribute to human resources that meet socio-economic needs, he concluded.