University of Kratie

As a nation situated in Southeast Asia, which has endured decades of foreign intervention and social unrest, the Kingdom of Cambodia has been acknowledged for experiencing numerous positive transformations over time. These advancements are not limited to political and security domains but extend to economic, commercial, and social sectors. These changes were a result of the Win-Win Policy executed by Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, following the significant achievement of complete peace, national unity, social order, political stability, macroeconomic and financial stability, democracy, and human rights by the end of 1998.

Nevertheless, Cambodia still requires additional resources and means to bolster and expand its growth foundation, particularly to ensure sustainable development. Therefore, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has consistently focused on multifaceted development as outlined in the Rectangular Strategy, which emphasizes four key areas: enhancing the agricultural sector, further rehabilitating and constructing physical infrastructure, developing the private sector, generating employment, and especially, building capacity and developing human resources. In line with this direction, the Prime Minister highlighted and supported the establishment and expansion of higher educational institutions in provinces under the slogan "One Province, One Public University."

In line with these objectives, and to strengthen and develop human resources in parallel with the RGC's strategic plan, with generous financial contributions from the Prime Minister to the Khmer Fund for Higher Education Opportunities (KFHEO), the management team, led by H.E. Dr. KEAT CHHON as President, Akka Pundit Sapheacha, Deputy Minister AUN PORNMONIROTH as Vice President, and H.E. Dr. NGY TAYI as Executive Director, has actively coordinated and collected contributions for the construction of the university in Kratie province.

With Grant-Aid support from the People's Republic of China (PRC) through an agreement between Samdech Prime Minister and H.E. XI JINGPING, President of the PRC, the construction of UKT (Phase 1) was smoothly initiated following approval by Samdech. The “University of Kratie (UKT)” was officially established by Sub-Decree No. 8 ANKK dated

February 6, 2015, in Kratie Province, encompassing a total area of 99.01 hectares (SubDecree No. 143 dated September 11, 2012). This was made possible by the continuous support and coordination of KFHEO, the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS).

The UKT was established under the regulation of MEYS and is set to evolve into a "University City" in the northeastern part of Cambodia. It aims to provide educational training, know-how, and practical skills instilled with nationalism. The acquired knowledge will be applied in the university farm to ensure practical skills and professionalism before entering the workforce, contributing to national development.

Initially, UKT will focus on training in agricultural science (agronomy and ichthyology), agroindustry, rural engineering, business management, foreign languages, and information. The university's reputation is founded on the high-quality training that will commence from the academic year 2018-2019 onward.

As a member of ASEAN, Cambodia must develop its professional skills and workforce to meet the demands of the highly competitive regional and global markets. It is crucial to ensure that graduates are highly qualified according to labor market demands, aligning with the status of regional countries and the context of climate change.

Aligned with this vision, UKT is dedicated to preparing itself to meet national and global training standards, striving for "Academic Excellence" to boost the development of Cambodian society and economic growth while equipping itself for integration into regional economic competition.