HISTORY / ASRIC
If the human condition can be measured by how the human spirit seeks to prevail in the wake of crisis, the current stirrings among the new generation of Cambodians in their country is of great importance. The context that frames their reawakening must, naturally, be situated in the wake of the Khmer Rouge era, during which a disastrous attempt at social engineering by Cambodia’s Communist polity resulted in the deaths, directly or indirectly, of 2 million Cambodians—out of a total of roughly 7 million at the time.
Today in Cambodia there is a new embracing of a rudimentary democracy, a welcoming of opening markets, and a desire to foster a new geopolitical identity in Southeast Asia. Most importantly, there are institutional attempts at bringing closure to the Khmer Rouge era, as exemplified by the internationally-anticipated Khmer Rouge Tribunal. In addition, Cambodian universities are now engaged in new modes of nation-building and historiography; Cambodia’s future will rest on the shoulders of recent graduates from these institutions. These graduates, while still painfully aware of the horrible legacy of the Khmer Rouge, are no longer firsthand survivors or victims of the genocide, and are thus poised to contribute greatly to the welfare of their country. Nevertheless, many recent (and not-so-recent) university graduates in Cambodia are unemployable, in part due to their inadequate training and in part due to the inability of the Cambodian economy to absorb new knowledge-based workers into its labor force.
ASRIC was formed to address these problems. ASRIC will not only provide specialized training in the most-needed fields, but will also actively build networks to create demand for its graduates by government agencies, local and international organizations, businesses, and academic and professional institutions abroad. ASRIC will also implement projects that immediately and directly benefit the Cambodian community in its search to heal the wounds of the past.
If the human condition can be measured by how the human spirit seeks to prevail in the wake of crisis, the current stirrings among the new generation of Cambodians in their country is of great importance. The context that frames their reawakening must, naturally, be situated in the wake of the Khmer Rouge era, during which a disastrous attempt at social engineering by Cambodia’s Communist polity resulted in the deaths, directly or indirectly, of 2 million Cambodians—out of a total of roughly 7 million at the time.
Today in Cambodia there is a new embracing of a rudimentary democracy, a welcoming of opening markets, and a desire to foster a new geopolitical identity in Southeast Asia. Most importantly, there are institutional attempts at bringing closure to the Khmer Rouge era, as exemplified by the internationally-anticipated Khmer Rouge Tribunal. In addition, Cambodian universities are now engaged in new modes of nation-building and historiography; Cambodia’s future will rest on the shoulders of recent graduates from these institutions. These graduates, while still painfully aware of the horrible legacy of the Khmer Rouge, are no longer firsthand survivors or victims of the genocide, and are thus poised to contribute greatly to the welfare of their country. Nevertheless, many recent (and not-so-recent) university graduates in Cambodia are unemployable, in part due to their inadequate training and in part due to the inability of the Cambodian economy to absorb new knowledge-based workers into its labor force.
ASRIC was formed to address these problems. ASRIC will not only provide specialized training in the most-needed fields, but will also actively build networks to create demand for its graduates by government agencies, local and international organizations, businesses, and academic and professional institutions abroad. ASRIC will also implement projects that immediately and directly benefit the Cambodian community in its search to heal the wounds of the past.