Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP)

Royal University of Phnom Penh

INTRODUCTION

The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) is Cambodia’s oldest and one of the largest public universities. It hosts more than 12,000 scholarship and full-fee paying students, across a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It is unique in Cambodia for offering specialist degrees in fields including the sciences, humanities and social sciences, as well as professional degrees in fields such as information technology, electronics, psychology, social work, and tourism. RUPP also provides Cambodia’s foremost degree-level language programs through the Institute of Foreign Languages. Due to its many achievements, RUPP has full membership of the ASEAN University Network (AUN).

RUPP has over 450 full-time staff. All of its 335 academic staff members hold tertiary qualifications, including 15 PhDs and 280 Masters Degrees. They are supported by over 120 administrative and maintenance staff. In addition, the university maintains links with Cambodian and international NGOs, local and international universities and government ministries. As a result, various international and non-government organizations and government offices regularly contribute adjunct faculty members to help expand RUPP’s capacity.

RUPP is located on three spacious campuses. The main campus lies roughly five kilometers from the center of Phnom Penh. Adjoining the main campus is the Institute of Foreign Languages, which boasts peaceful landscaping features alongside its modern architecture. Roughly one kilometer further from town lies RUPP Campus II, in which the departments of History, Sociology and Philosophy reside.

VISION

The Royal University of Phnom Penh will continue to be the leading higher education in Cambodia, focused on excellence in teaching and learning, committed to research for the development of the country and making a contribution to Cambodian society.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Royal University of Phnom Penh has its mission:

1. to educate graduates who strive for excellence in their chosen academic fields and in their capacity to put this knowledge to work;
2. to foster high-quality research which will assist the development of new knowledge and create paths for national development;
3. to provide research and service to the public and private sectors for the advancement of national self-reliance;
4. to continuously expand its programs to respond to emerging needs in Cambodian and regional society; and,
5. To promote cultural preservation, exchange and development.

GOALS

1. The Royal University will achieve accreditation from the Accreditation Committee of Cambodia of its institution and programs within the next three years.
2. Each department will have both teaching and research as part of their mandate and will be able to demonstrate excellence in these areas.
3. A graduate school of arts and sciences will be established within the next two years.
4. The Royal University of Phnom Penh will have an integrated Information and Technology system.
5. Community service will be integrated into various departments and programs. 

HISTORY

The Royal University of Phnom Penh first opened its doors as the Royal Khmer University on January 13, 1960, with a National Institute of Judicial and Economic Studies, a Royal School of Medicine, a National School of Commerce, a National Pedagogical Institute, a Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, and a Faculty of Science and Technology. The language of instruction during this period was French.

With the establishment of the Khmer Republic, the Royal Khmer University became the Phnom Penh University. Between 1965 and 1975 the university consisted of the Ecolab Normal Supérieure, the Faculties of Letters and Humanities, Science, Pharmacy, Law and Economics, Medicine and Dentistry, Commerce, Pedagogy and the Language Institute.

Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge regime forced the cessation of formal education. Schools and universities were closed and destroyed, and teaching services decimated. Along with all other educational institutions in Cambodia, Phnom Penh University ceased to function during this time. The Khmer Rouge targeted the educated, and many of the University’s faculty members were killed. Of the educated people who survived the regime, few chose to remain in Cambodia once its borders reopened. Deserted for almost five years, the campus became another victim of the grim period during the Pol Pot regime.

In 1980, the Ecolab Normal Supérieure reopened, again teaching predominantly in French. The following year saw the opening of the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), initially training students to become Vietnamese and Russian language teachers. Both colleges focused on training students to become teachers, thus rebuilding the education system within Cambodia.

In 1988, the Ecolab Normal Supérieure merged with the IFL to create Phnom Penh University. In 1996, the university underwent its final change of name, becoming the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

During the past decade, the University has continued to grow and now includes the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Institute of Foreign Languages. New departments and degree programs are developed regularly to keep up with the changing needs of Cambodian society. In keeping with its commitment to higher education, RUPP began to develop postgraduate degrees at a Masters level since 2001.