Phnom Penh (FN), Aug. 27 — The American University of Phnom Penh (AUPP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Next Make company of Japan to establish an academic pathway, “Japanese IT Pathway Program”. This partnership aims to equip students with advanced IT skills and expand their career opportunities by allowing them to explore job prospects in Japan.
The MoU signing ceremony was held on Tuesday (Aug. 27) at the AUPP under the presidency of Chea Vandeth, Cambodian Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Ueno Atsushi, Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, Takahashi Fumiaki, President of the Japan-Cambodia Association (JCA), and Matsui Akira, Chief Executive Officer of Next Make company of Japan. The event was also attended by leaders of the Ministry, leaders of the JCA, professors and students of AUPP.
“The signing of the MoU today between the AUPP and Next Make of Japan marks yet another landmark day for the University, Cambodian students seeking international opportunities, and for the cordiality and cooperation that exists between Cambodia and Japan”, said AUPP President Malcom McIver. “Today's signing ceremony demonstrates AUPP’s continuing commitment to working with industry, and our continued commitment to offer our students the chance to secure high quality jobs and become industry leaders in their own right.”
“Rated number one in the world for digital infrastructure, Japan is renowned for its technological prowess, with a long history of driving ground-breaking digital technologies. Our agreement with Next Make, not only provides AUPP students with the opportunity to study these ground-breaking technologies from a Japanese industry perspective. It will also enable them to gain invaluable experience of working in the Japanese technology sector. Every student who successfully graduates from the AUPP Next Make programme is guaranteed a job in Japan upon graduation,” he added.
“We are committed to further innovation. We will continue to closely collaborate with our corporate and industry partners to ensure Cambodia’s future leaders are industry-ready and well-equipped to contribute to Cambodia and the world,” said Malcom McIver.
During the signing ceremony, Ambassador Ueno stated “These IT courses will be instrumental to developing human resources and their readiness for the future digital sector. [...] The relationship between Japan and Cambodia has shifted to a new phase since the marking of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between our two countries last year. We will continue our efforts to enhance further the new comprehensive strategic partnership and we will work to ensure that the partnership works as a tangible and beneficial relationship for both countries.”
On the occasion, Minister Chea Vandeth highlighted the importance of digital skills and digital government transformation in Cambodia in contributing to national growth.
“This milestone truly represents our collective effort in driving forward Cambodia's agenda on fostering human capital in the digital field. [...] As mentioned by the President of Japan-Cambodia Association, Japan will need hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to fill in the emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science, Internet of Things, blockchain and so on by 2030. So to meet the nation's economic growth target, this in turn translates into job opportunities for overseas talents, particularly from Asian countries like Cambodia.”
The minister continued, “The aim of this contract is to form a productive alliance between AUPP and Next Make, aim at fostering economic development ties between Japan and Cambodia by addressing the shortage of trained ITC, ICT experts in Japanese economies and promoting technology capacity for Cambodian upcoming IT professionals, a critical component of Cambodia's national growth.”
“The partnership formed by AUPP and Next Make to collectively establish an educational route for students aiming to acquire IT-related skills vital for the Japanese private sector holds significant importance. It would not only facilitate employment prospects for graduates in Cambodia to secure well-paid jobs in Japan, but also assist in advancing the digital skills of Cambodian populations. At the national level, developing robust digital human capital in supporting the digital transformation of government, business, and citizens is one of Cambodia's top priorities.”
In his remarks, Minister Chea Vandeth believed that the partnership will be a model achievement that enables the development of digital education with a proactive and open-minded approach to support digital transformation in Cambodia.
About Japanese IT Pathway Program
The program is designed for students starting from their third year of study and spans two years. In the first year, students will focus on Japanese language courses to build a strong foundation in communication, writing, and listening. In the second year, they will progress to practical Japanese IT courses, where they will acquire industry-relevant skills.
The program aims to prepare students for immediate employment in Japanese companies after successfully completing the program. The curriculum emphasizes the development of advanced IT skills, active participation in Japanese projects, and the attainment of Japanese Language Proficiency certifications at the N3 and N2 levels.
About Next Make
Next Make Co., Ltd., established on January 5, 2018, specializes in a wide range of IT-related services, including system product development and sales, website production, smartphone app development, and infrastructure design. The company also offers video production, design services, translation (English, Vietnamese, Khmer), SNS management, crowdfunding, kitting, and PC repair. Driven by the mission to bring ideas to life through IT, Next Make is dedicated to creating new opportunities and staying ahead in a rapidly changing world, with a belief that every innovation starts with a single idea.
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