Teaching and tragedy: Lessons from a population and GIS workshop in Cambodia

During the 1970s, nearly 2 million Cambodians were killed and the educational system was destroyed. The country now faces a moderate growth rate, rural to urban migration, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic. Cambodian higher education remains poorly equipped to train demographers and planners. We conducted a population/GIS workshop at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, and concluded that workshops are useful, but insufficient if Cambodia is to rebuild its educational system and train students in population geography and planning. Cambodian students need to strengthen critical thinking and research skills. Studying abroad is likely the best means to develop the research and critical thinking skills necessary to rebuild the Cambodian educational system.