Vicheth Sen

Higher Education and Civic Engagement in Cambodia: A Case Study at the Royal University of Phnom Penh Vicheth Sen

Master's Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Pedagogy - Miscellaneous Topics, grade: A, Simon Fraser University , language: English, abstract: In a democratic country, in particular a country in the process of being democratized, high levels of civic engagement from the public are seen as necessary factors to sustain the principles and livelihood of democracy. In the meantime, education, especially higher education, plays a very significant role in promoting citizenship and civic activism. This study tries to identify the levels of civic engagement among students at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and to investigate whether higher education has any significant part in fostering civic engagement among the students. To this end, 200 senior students at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's oldest and largest public university, were surveyed. In the questionnaire, three main categories of civic engagement were used: (a) civic activities, (b) electoral activities and (c) activities for political voice. Results indicate that the students were engaged in only a few activities, but not many others. However, based on the results, the students showed high perceptions about civic activities and high attentiveness to politics and government. What is interesting, however, is that (higher) education and family-two fundamental social institutions-seem to have no significant roles to play in building civically engaged citizens. The findings appear to reflect the current socio-political developments in Cambodia. The study concludes that Cambodia's historical context and current social, economic and political situations provide a strong basis for the results of the study.