Admission to the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Geography and Land Management) is administered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, based on sound results in the High School Certificate subjects of Geography and Mathematics. From 1995-1997, the French organization, CERPAA (Centre for Population Study and Research in Africa and Asia) assisted the department by training students and staff in
demography. From 1997-1999, Louvain La Neuve University (Belgium) took over this support role. Both organizations helped the department establish a library (Room 308, Campus I) which is now administrated by Center for Population Studies. At the same time, a Population Research, Training and Policy Program was established to strengthen
research skills and staff development. This program is supported by the United Nations Fund for Population Activity (UNFPA) and the Australian National University (ANU). Since 2001, staff members have undergone regular training in population research and policy by a senior lecturer from ANU. In September 2001, several staff members attended training in curriculum development at Lambaga University (Indonesia). RUPP has also established staff exchanges with Lambaga University. Beside the support from the above mentioned organizations, RUPP has built a collaborative relationship between the Department of Geography and Land Management and its counterpart at the University of Bordeaux III in France. As part of this relationship, expatriate experts, funded by the Embassy of France, conducted training and field research at RUPP for two years, from 1999 to 2001. As part of their stay, these experts also offered a Maitrise degree at RUPP. Four of the graduates from this degree now work for the Department of Geography and Land Management. In response to the needs of Cambodia’s market, the Department of Geography has recently revised and updated the curriculum, in order to provide students with the latest knowledge, theories and perspectives, which are necessary for current market job opportunities. To suit the updated curriculum, the department’s changed its name to the Department of Geography and Land Management in 2006. The department hopes to encourage more students to graduate with the B.A. (Geography and Land Management) to serve the need for trained
professionals in this field throughout Cambodia. It also hopes to expand its capacities in the areas of Cartography, GIS training, research methodologies, population and human resources development, rural-urban development and human and economic development.
