Phnom Penh:National Bank of Canada, in partnership with ABA Bank and Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), has initiated the Canada-Cambodia Scholarship Program to aid Cambodian students in pursuing studies and research opportunities at Canadian universities.
According to ABA Bank, the scholarship was launched during the 3rd General Conference of the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Rectors (C2R) at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia. This initiative underscores a mutual commitment to fostering skilled talent and enhancing academic cooperation between Cambodia and Canada.
The program is financially supported by the National Bank of Canada with a total investment of CAD 500,000 (approximately USD 365,000) over five years. It aims to assist up to 40 Cambodian students through academic exchanges and research opportunities at eligible Canadian universities.
Cambodian students enrolled at AUF member universities will have the chance to engage in research placements ranging from three to six months. The program prioritizes fields such as business administration, finance, economics, cybersecurity, management, and artificial intelligence, focusing on areas pertinent to the financial sector's future and the digital economy.
AUF will implement the program, handling scholarship promotion, candidate selection, university coordination, participant support, and the initiative's language component. In line with AUF's mission to promote the Francophonie, non-French-speaking scholarship recipients will also have access to French-language training and certification.
Igor Zimarev, Chief Marketing and CSR Officer at ABA Bank, expressed that education is a vital driver of economic progress. The hope is that Cambodian students benefiting from the initiative will return with valuable knowledge, international experience, and innovative ideas to contribute to the country's economic and societal development.
ABA Bank, as a subsidiary of National Bank of Canada and Cambodia's largest financial institution, plays a crucial role in bridging the two countries, facilitating initiatives that contribute to education, innovation, and human capital development.