UNE is not the only one celebrating a major milestone in 2024. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Australia Awards in Cambodia, which have contributed significantly to that country’s development through postgraduate study opportunities.
Among the successful alumni of this scholarship scheme is His Excellency Mak Ngoy, Director General of the Higher Education Department within the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. And we were delighted to welcome him back to UNE earlier this year to relive his Australian education journey.
As Director General, His Excellency heads the regulatory entity for state universities in Cambodia, and he is committed to improving the quality of tertiary education so that his homeland can become a high middle-income country by 2030.
Despite losing almost all his siblings and his father during the Khmer Rouge’s occupation, Mak had a dream to study abroad. He completed a Master’s degree in Educational Administration at UNE through the Australia Award scheme, starting in 1996, and said he continues to apply what he learnt in his leadership roles.
And not all the learnings were academic. He said engaging with Australian students and culture improved his confidence, independent thinking and communications skills. He has been an advocate for Australian education ever since.
After completing his degree in 2000, Mak became increasingly involved in high-level meetings in Cambodia and across the ASEAN region to discuss policy and strategy for higher education development. Now he is in a powerful position to enact change.
When he visited our Armidale campus Mak reminisced about living in the university flats and playing football. He also met a number of our current international students and shared photographs of his time at UNE.
Mak Ngoy at the entrance to UNE in 1997
