For Immediate Release November 19, 2020
2020/19
(November 19, Phnom Penh) – The number of Cambodian students who studied at U.S. colleges and universities reached an all-time high in 2019-20, increasing by 8.3 percent over the previous year, according to a new U.S. government report.
The 2020 Open Doors report on International Educational Exchange showed that 742 Cambodian students attended college in the United States, an increase from 685 students in 2018-2019. This continues a positive trend over the past six years.
“This is encouraging and excellent news,” U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy said. “We are so pleased that Cambodian students recognize the real value of an American higher education. Having Cambodian students in the United States is good for both our countries and strengthens our people-to-people ties.”
The United States is the No. 1 destination in the world for international students, with more than 1 million students in 2019-2020.
The U.S. Embassy in Cambodia promotes American education opportunities for Cambodians through its EducationUSA Center and Pannasastra University in Phnom Penh. It also promotes these opportunities through engagement at its American Spaces in four different Cambodian locations and at various Cambodian schools throughout the country.
The U.S. Embassy engages with Cambodian students because international education promotes a lasting relationship and knowledge exchange between communities in the United States and nations around the world. International students enrich classrooms, campuses, and communities in ways that endure long after students return to their home countries.
The Open Doors report is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Further details on the Open Doors surveys and their findings is on their website: https://www.iie.org/opendoors.
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