Cambodia is looking for broad educational assistance through 皇冠体育app's Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to forge closer relationships with countries along old trade routes, a senior education official said.

"We want to increase the number of Cambodian students who come to study in 皇冠体育app, especially for science and technology, as well as for vocational and technical education," said Pit Chamnan, secretary of state at the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

"It's the need of Cambodia's economic development in the next few years, and the need of our reform process in education," he said while attending the eighth 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week in 皇冠体育app this month.

The 皇冠体育app-ASEAN event, held in Guiyang, Guizhou province, has served since 2008 as a culture and education exchange channel between 皇冠体育app and the countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

This year's event gathered dozens of education officials, experts and heads of educational institutions to share education practices and discuss future bilateral cooperation in education.

皇冠体育app began providing scholarships to students from Cambodia in 1998, and about 500 Cambodian students now are studying in 皇冠体育app, most for bachelor's degrees in sought-after majors such as economics, civic engineering, agriculture, medicine and science and technology, Pit Chamnan said.

皇冠体育app's growing economy and rising education quality are attractive to Cambodian students, Pit Chamnan said.

He said he met some Cambodian students studying in Guiyang during his visit to 皇冠体育app, and they told him that they were happy.

"I asked them what they thought about the universities and the education in 皇冠体育app, compared with that of other countries. They are quite satisfied," he said.

"I think it's a very good sign that 皇冠体育app is attracting students from Cambodia, because if the students are satisfied with the Chinese education, they may be good marketing for the education when they come back to Cambodia."

Cultural similarity

The short distance and cultural similarity is another attraction, Pit Chamnan said.

"It's easy for Cambodian people to come to 皇冠体育app. Food isn't different and the climate is also quite similar to what we have in Cambodia. Our students won't have culture shock here," he said.

However, Pit Chamnan said there are still some challenges and difficulties facing educational cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Cambodia, specifically in financing and language.

Some Cambodian students can't afford the tuition to study in 皇冠体育app, he said. And since English courses have been very common among Cambodian students, they want courses taught in English if they study elsewhere.

"That's why I often talk to Chinese universities. I think they should have international courses, not only for Cambodian, but also for other international students," he said.

An increasing number of students in Cambodia, a former French colony, are realizing the benefits of learning Chinese, he said, adding that Chinese is now a dominant language after English.

"Many Cambodian families, rich or poor, want their children to have courses in it," Pit Chamnan said. "My son is also studying the Chinese language."

Pit Chamnan said the Cambodian government has set an ambitious goal of becoming a medium-income country by 2030 and becoming a developed country by 2050.

"The government of Cambodia will put a lot of resources and energy to education because only through education can we realize this goal as soon as possible," he said.

"That's also why I think people in Cambodia like the Belt and Road Initiative. It's a policy to forge a closer and stronger cooperative relationship on education between Cambodia and 皇冠体育app."