STEER Cambodia Report written 4 Jan 2018

STUDENT’S REPORT FOR

YOUNG TALENT PROGRAMME (YTP) – MARKET IMMERSION

Please submit a progress report of not more than 5 pages in length using the following format:

Name of STUDENT: ________________________

Report for the period: _10 December 2017_ to _23 December 2017_____

☐ Student Exchange Programme ☐ Internship
☐ Hybrid Work & Study Programme ☐ Short Term Study Programme

City, Country of Immersion: _______Cambodia________________________

Name of University/ Company: Royal University of Phnom Penh, Royal University of Law and Economics, Asian Development Bank, Transparency International, World Vision, Conservation International

Content of Report:

(a)  Tasks Accomplished

Briefly describe the activities being undertaken during the programme.

As a member of the Gifts committee, I prepared tokens of appreciation for the various VIPs in the institutions. We were also encouraged to interact and exchange social media profiles with the Cambodian students at Royal University of Phnom Penh and Royal University of Law and Economics as a means of networking, as well as visit their universities to get a sense of their education system as well as the government funding that they received, which was very different from Singapore. 

With Conservation International, we went by boat and tuk-tuk to visit fishing villages and fisheries living on the Tonle Sap, getting the chance to experience their standard of living as well as try some of the fish and products they prepared. The Asian Development Bank's dialogue session was fruitful to those who asked questions. This allowed me to see how organizations such as ADB can interact and help governments whilst remaining international private entities in their own right, so as to not be affected as much by national laws and changes in the environmental or political climate.

(b)  Experience/Knowledge/Skills Gained

Describe the experience/knowledge/skills you have gained during this period.  Discuss how this programme will impact your future decision to pursue a career outside of Singapore. 

By far the most startling contrast between Singapore and Cambodia is the government system. Seeing the corruption of the government, as expressed to us by Transparency International, truly allowed for a greater appreciation of Singapore's democratic political system I had previously taken for granted. Despite my initial expectation that Cambodia would be exactly like another SouthEast Asian country I had visited-Vietnam, I came to understand the intricacies and nuances in Khmer life which separates them as a nation. 

Their history of war, as we saw at the killing fields and S-21, brought home the message that peacetime must not be taken for granted, and that Singapore too was at risk of falling into the trap of violence if we were not careful enough. 

 (c)  Issues Encountered and Proposed Solutions

Describe any issues you encountered during the programme and the proposed solutions to overcome them. Discuss how you adapted to the environment in the country of immersion. 

During the program, the main issues I encountered were slight fatigue as the numerous hills we had to climb, as well as an overall issue with our academic guide, Dr Kyle. In general, I lead a rather sedentary lifestyle in Singapore, so it was quite difficult for me to get used to climbing uphill for extended periods of time. This problem was exacerbated by the fact that the schedule kept changing, and we as students were rarely informed beforehand that we would be climbing these hills, resulting in many of us trekking through corroded stairs and nature with flip flops instead of proper walking shoes. This can mainly be attributed to the second problem. 

The second problem was the main one which plagued us for most of the trip. In general, despite our prior meeting with him, many students did not enjoy or appreciate the company of our academic lead, due to some cultural differences which were no fault of his nor our own as Singaporean youths. The schedule was changed and altered due to numerous occasions where we were separated from Dr Kyle and were left in unfamiliar territory. Additionally, his unfortunate absence on both the return and setting-off flight hindered us even further, and caused worry. Dr Kyle, though no doubt a man of intellect, expressed sweeping statements and opinions about Khmer life, some of which stood in contrast to what the Cambodians themselves were telling us. This may be due to the irrelevance of his information given that his sources were taken from a few decades ago, and the country has evolved very much since. My proposed solution to this problem would be to screen academic leads with greater caution and rigor, taking into account not only their academic achievements but also perhaps interviewing them to receive a more holistic picture, and see how he or she might interact with us students. 

4. Summary of Observations on Overall Experience

Please share your observations and thoughts about the country, e.g. the economic and social situation or the lifestyle and culture. Please feel free to cite anecdotes or specific examples. 

Highlight the key learning points Singapore and its companies can adopt from the country of immersion.

No doubt, Cambodia's status as a developing country was a major switch for me, even on an individual level, such as the differences between public toilets in both our countries having such a stark contrast. The Cambodians we met lived up to their reputations of being gentle, helpful and down-to-earth. This is something I feel Singaporeans can learn to be: less defensive and more accepting of help. 

Our trip to world vision's schools really opened my eyes to the reality of how important literacy is to a country's economy and well-being. The children seemed so eager to learn, quite the opposite from my fellow students and I, growing up on ipads and sleeping frequently during lectures. The temples we saw also highlighted the aspect of time in both our countries: Cambodia has centuries of civilization and yet, was still economically behind the much younger Singapore. 

5. Other Issues/ Conclusion

Please feel free to share any other learnings, and how this overseas programme has shaped your view towards having a global career in future. 

It is sad to say that part of the charm of Cambodia as a tourist destination stems from the very fact that it is not as economically developed as some others. The inefficiency of government policies trickles down to communities and individuals. However, the resilience of the Khmer people is not one easily seen or recognized. One must be patient enough to get to know them, in order to see the strength which resides in their eyes due to decades of war and conflict. It is admirable that, though the wound torn by the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge still seems relatively fresh, compared to Singapore who ended the Japanese occupation more than 50 years ago, the Khmer people continue to do whatever it takes to survive, never giving up and never relying merely on sympathy or charity from other nations. Cambodia is building itself up to be more self-reliant, and one day, I hope I can see it attain the status of being a developed country, without its people losing the perseverance and simplicity I have had the privilege to witness and experience on this trip.