NEWS

On January 10, 2025, a special lecture was coordinated by Associate Professor Takashi Tsukamoto of APU, featuring Director Chandarith NEAK, and Deputy Director Kea YUN from Institute for International Studies and Public Policy at Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). RUPP is one of the key partner universities for the “Advanced Area Studies” program, which will be launched in the College of Asia-Pacific Studies in 2025. This event signifies the strong collaboration between APU and RUPP, aimed at enhancing research and education in international relations and international economics in the Asia-Pacific region.

As part of collaboration to enhance research and education, we invited Dr. Neck and Dr. Yun to APU to deliver a social joint lecture titled “Contemporary Cambodia”. This special lecture helped us greatly understand Cambodia's current foreign policy and economic development.
In the first half of the lecture, Dr, Yun provided a clear and concise overview of Cambodia’s modern history, followed by a discussion on the country’s social and economic development, focusing on the challenges and obstacles related to the development of the high-income population. In the second half, Dr. Neck discussed sovereignty and strategic friendships in Cambodia’s foreign policy. He explained Cambodia’s hedging strategies to diversifying its diplomacy with the United States and China from historical and geopolitical perspectives. Additionally, he shared insights on Cambodia’s future relationship with Japan and expectations for Japan’s role.

On January 10, when Dr. Neck and Dr. Yun visited APU, the lecture was unfortunately held online due to snowfall. However, more than 60 students participated, leading to intensive discussions on Cambodia’s economic trends and its diplomatic relations with ASEAN and Japan.