2011-2012 - Center for Khmer Studies

PuBLisHinG & TRAnsLATionAbig part of the Center’s commitment to strengtheningCambodia’s cultural and educational structureshas been, and continues to be its Publishing andTranslation Program. Steadily over the last few years theCenter has built a reputation for publishing high qualitytranslations and other reading materials that make importantcontributions to replenishing stocks destroyed duringthe Khmer Rouge period. CKS Khmer-language versionsof David Chandler’s History of Cambodia, and MiltonOsborne’s Southeast Asia: An Introductory History are stillavailable in bookstores in most major Cambodian townsand cities. Our series of seven readers, containing contemporaryKhmer translations of academic articles used duringour training programs, are widely applied inCambodian universities and other institutions of learning.We also publish materials in English and French as well asKhmer, including proceedings from conferences, monographs,original research and our very own trilingual,peer-reviewed academic journal Siksacakr, Journal ofCambodian Studies.Khmer-language translation of Benny Widyono's Dancing in Shadows: Sihanouk, theKhmer Rouge and the United Nations in CambodiaVoices: ith channacKs Junior fellow, 2011My name is ith channa, a graduate of TheRoyal university of Phnom Penh. sincegraduating in June 2010, i still take time tofurther my studies as much as possible.Therefore i was very happy when, innovember 2010, i got the chance to take acourse at the center for Khmer studiesalongside another twenty-six students,whilst also completing a TEsoL course in English teachingmethodology.Before i began my studies at cKs, i received a copy of the academicprogram, which informed me about what classes i couldlook forward to. i was so surprised after i realized that we wouldreceive instruction on an impressive fourteen topics, taught bytwelve different lecturers, even though the course would only runfor three months.By participating in this program, i noticed some dramatic differencesfrom my experiences at university. in particular, the teachingmethods at cKs inspired students to feel motivated to study.i not only came to listen and take notes, but i was also encouragedto use my thinking skills and share ideas. We wereassigned with a variety of activities, such as group discussions,assignments, presentations, and above all, successful completionand defense of a research paper. This gave me a lot ofscope to express my own ideas. Thus, both in response to theclass requirements, and in order to succeed, i had to be active,committed, and challenge myself.if i compare my time before coming to cKs, i feel i have gainedso much from participating in the southeast Asian studiesProgram. cKs didn’t just improve my knowledge; it also built upmy confidence, dedication and thinking skills. it especially guidedme in how to successfully write a research paper. Althoughonly a relatively small task, i feel that writing a research paper,something i had never done before, was one of my biggestachievements.now i work as a translator and reporter for DAP news center.Having had the opportunity to be a part of this program, i wouldlike to say a big thank you to cKs for giving me the chance tobroaden my knowledge and research skills. in addition, i wouldlike to thank the cKs lecturers and facilitators for their immensehelp, which inspired me to become a successful student.12 in focus