Cambodian Wins Unesco Fellowship
By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer
Original report from Washington
19 February 2009
A Cambodian doctoral candidate in the US has been awarded the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi fellowship to conduct a research on “Public Service Broadcasting Model for Developing Countries: The Case of Cambodia.”
The $10,000 fellowship, from UNESCO and the Keizo Obuchi program, was awarded to Im Sothearith, a doctoral candidate of mass communications at Ohio University. He is one of the 20 UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi fellowship winners around the world.
“Many people have said press freedom in Cambodia is adequate, but we have only seen quantity, not quality,” Im Sothearith said. “The quality we’re referring to is independence of broadcasting, because broadcasting in Cambodia is still under political influence.”
UNESCO spokeswoman in Phnom Penh, Isabel Gonzalez Roje, said the organization provides scholarships and fellowships to Cambodian students each year. Ir Win Merida, an assistant program expert for UNESCO in Paris, said UNESCO awards about 500 fellowships a year.
The $10,000 fellowship, from UNESCO and the Keizo Obuchi program, was awarded to Im Sothearith, a doctoral candidate of mass communications at Ohio University. He is one of the 20 UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi fellowship winners around the world.
“Many people have said press freedom in Cambodia is adequate, but we have only seen quantity, not quality,” Im Sothearith said. “The quality we’re referring to is independence of broadcasting, because broadcasting in Cambodia is still under political influence.”
UNESCO spokeswoman in Phnom Penh, Isabel Gonzalez Roje, said the organization provides scholarships and fellowships to Cambodian students each year. Ir Win Merida, an assistant program expert for UNESCO in Paris, said UNESCO awards about 500 fellowships a year.
20 comments:
These stupid westerners love to award Khmer people with craps (evil ideology) that will be used to kill Khmer People.
What is the point of this news?...How about thousands of other Khmer students who have been awarded the scholarship but are facing hardship than this guy?
- Those who are studying in a less developed nations with little allowance but with quality of education, like in India, Russia, China?
- Those who are studying in difficult areas but could contribute immediately to the development of our country such as Sciences and Engineering, Economic Sciences, Infrastructure Development?
Pls think about it...
Don't patronize much about his guy, he soon will be working for the Hun family.
I would love to see VOA put many khmers graduated with BS, BA, MS, MA, MD, and PhD, if not around the world, just in the USA on the news each graduation years. Of course, we really don't need you, VOA, to put us on the news but since you are so selectively only patronize a certain people from Khmer why not do to every well educated khmer in the USA. We earned the degree and help make things happen.
Please invest in khmer throughout the world.
There is no such thing as the very well educated Khmer. Have there been some ever, Cambodia would never been destroyed in the first place.
So shut the fuck up, moron (10:56).
1:01 PM: You are very stupid!
I just don't get what are these people thinking. Look like they are facing identity crisis. Do you really know this guy? I've learned that he is from a very poor family in Prey Veng, struggling for education despites poverty for decades. He has done at least some for Cambodia. He was one of the Fulbrighters from Cambodia, hope you know what Fulbright is, obtained an B.Ed, two Masters degrees, and Ph.D. soon from the U.S. and one of the founders of the first-ever academic media department that has educated hundreds of media students and practitioners in Cambodia. All these negative critics might have done or accomplished nothing, but provoked the hatred among Cambodian people. What do you wanna get out of your coursing comments?
People! It’s been annoying for me to see that most of your comments here on this blog are plain nonsense—nothing but just groundless personal attack against someone greater than you because your mind is tiny, dusty, rusty and crappy, your eyes are short-sighted and/or sight-blinded, and your ears listen to one-sided, misinformed and/or uninformed facts of the matter. Either less-educated or un-educated, you people are too fool and fast at throwing your unwarranted unbalanced pieces of childish comments without first doing some sort of reality check or basic research to see a more and full comprehensive picture of the matter—and without ever first trying to educate or inform yourself of the reality and actuality of the subject being discussed. Your junky comments speak volumes about junky thinking and yourself.
My only sincere comment is for you people to do some information searching first before you post any of your future comments so that you would have some good references to back up your ideas in a civilized, educated, mature fashion.
To 11:33 PM, I appreciate your well-informed comment. Like me, you really know who this guy is, what he does, and where he comes from. Frankly, I know this guy pictured and featured on this article pretty well. In fact, I’m so proud of him in many ways—personal, educational and professional. You’ll be amazed to realize how much this guy has achieved academically and professionally when you have had a chance to get to know him more fully.
Khmer Student
USA
Cambodia needs more educated people like Im Sothearith. I admire his strength that he came to this far.
I congratulate him for his achievement whatever degrees he or any Khmer received we must congratulate and encourage our own people. There are some Khmers who live abroad who prefer to do nothing, and Sothearith rose from a poor family in Cambodia to this? I applaud him for that. I hope Im Sothearith will find a job in the US instead of Cambodia whereas no jobs are not available for the new generation who are educated.
But there is a great concern and I have to express to my Khmers to understand that no country on earth will survive without technology including the superpower USA.
America is a great country because of technology, but now Technology declines, since too many jobs are offshore to oversea like China and India.
Because many American students are not working hard to pursue careers in science and enginnering. Unlike American students, India and China both have million Engineers, Computer Engineers and Scientists and many of them brought to fill the tech jobs in the US and many jobs go to India and China.
Bill Gate took his giant companies to overseas because he cannot find qualified people in the US to work for him.
Please don't get upset, it is very important for us to see how the world operates with technology.
Indians have million Engineers and space scientists, mnay brought to work for NASA.
Indian are known as extremely intelligent people on the planet today in term of technology.
8:41 AM sent the right message just that he does not express in a friendly way. I believe he also concerned about our people.
This to 12:30AM. You don't know these posters and please don't make an angry reply to them and claimed who is greater than who which i snot true, you know that.
Your angry reply indicates that you lack of maturity and security.
Don't pay attention what on the internet say, since we don't know why these people are or what they do. Just take their comments as a new learning process and laugh. Avoid boastful speech.
There about nearly 300,000.00 Khmers in the US and among them I met many highly educated from very difficult fields, and they are not here to compete with their own people. Think about it.
Correct my post 1:48PM.
whereas no jobs are available.
I have a Master Degree in Mathematics from Ecole Polytechnique in France. Now I am working for my Doctorat. The US companies already contacted me.
Mr. Im Sothearith said "Many people have said press freedom in Cambodia is adequate, but we have only seen quantity, not quality,”
Whereas the quantity he referred to independence of broadcasting, because broadcasting in Cambodia is still under political influence.
Mr. Mam Sonando, a founder of an independent broadcasting was jailed by the current regime , and
What will you do to make a difference?
How would you make a difference or operate your broadcasing from being interrogated like Mr. Mam Sonando if you are not tied to this current regime?
1:01 PM is Vietnamese.
11:33PM,
Why a fullbrighter studied Mass Communication not technology to help Cambodia?
Using Mass Communication in an under developped country like Cambodia? Unless he goes to work for the Hun's family members.
There are no such thing called "quality media in Cambodia."
The country is too poor and too corrupt and how he will earn his living in Cambodia without working with CPP?
12:30AM. You seemed to be bothered by just the public' comments, and why need to be fussy. What for? It's just internet people post whatever they feel like it, and after that they disappear. You need to grow up and learn how to ignore and laugh with it. Are you somehow been infected by the inferioty complex?
Good that your friend has degrees, and don't waste so much time to just want to brag and to ocmpete with others online, who is greater than who.
His Mass Communication degree is no great, please don't flatter yourself, only if he has a PhD in Engineer or Space Engineer or Einstein like degree in Physics.
Bragging is only the insecure people. No body is jealous with his degree do no good for Cambodia. We are all have degrees and careers. Be kool and move on.
11:30PM
You are dumb. Who provoked hatred among Cambodian people? Are you that crazy to think some of these posters are Khmers? Some Thais and some Viets and Khmers.
You need to get use to the internet, and don't expect posters will be nice to you or care what what shit you posted.
12:30AM aka Khmer Student,
Q: Do you know why some people like to brag about themselves?
A: Because they want to impress others, and because they are insecure about themselves.
Have you explored enough how many Cambodans in the US who earned prestige degrees and careers?
Bullshit, we have many Khmer with Engineering degrees in all fields, Pharmacists, Dentists, MD, Economists (PhD) and many that I know about.
Let people decide instead of bragging about yourself. And don't need to get too nasty about posters' comments. Ask Ratha Sourn, he will tell you when he bragged what did he get?
Look now Ratha is calm and humble like an old cow.
Im Sothearith is just a bad guy whom I studied with at Institute of Foreign Language (Ex. FLC). He was just a lady killer when he was a teacher of English and owed many firends'money. He is just a piece of shit guy
Khmer Student in China
Hi Khmer Student in China,
Glad to know about our Khmer bro Im Sotearith. Based on what you described our Bro. Im is a smart guy who knows how to use women to help him. He now got 10,000.00 USD and maybe a few Ladies or one Lady is in his life to take care of him and defend him.
So what will happen when he returns to Cambodia? Will he take his Ladies or Lady in the US with?
I doubt it. He may be returned to marry a pretty Khmer girl from a rich family like some others. Or may be his Lady here helps him to find a job in the US. But who will hire him here with that field? I hope he gets a job, but if not, he will go home and yep CPP's daughters are waiting inline for his useless PhD. Then he will be powerful and rich. Bravo good for him.
Congratulation!
Sothearith, you are really top notch! Great my countryman!
I've just got a Ph.D. in Air-space Engineering in South Africa. I've been contacted by NASA already. Yay...
Student
South Africa
No matter what kind of degree the person receive, we, as Khmer people should proud for Khmer. Since Cambodia had been destroyed during the war, we lost so many educated people. Now we have an opportunity to show the world our tallent that Khmer people can do and do it well as other countries. Why would some of you criticize about other achievement. No matter, what kind of field the person persuit, it is still benefit for country.
Post a Comment