Students of this new field should gain practical skills to be used to increase the income of their farmer families, to run their own businesses or to continue their studies at universities.

The project is funded by the Czech Development Agency within the official Bilateral Development Program of the Czech Republic with Cambodia. On the Czech side, the project is implemented by a non-governmental organization People in Need and the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague responsible for the coordination and the quality of the technical part of the project.

„Development of capacities in agro-processing industry is one of the most important needs of Cambodian agriculture sector. Not only can this project help young people to find a better job, run their own business or gain enough skills for their future career, but through improved capacities and skills, the project can contribute to the development of agro and food processing industry in Cambodia. In this manner, the Czech Republic can offer technical know-how and the tradition of high quality education in agriculture and food processing.“ says H.E. Mr. Marek Libřický, the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Cambodia.

The entire project will be piloted at the General Technical High School of Samdech Preah Borom Neath Norodom Sihamoni, with which the Czech Republic has been cooperating for a long time.

 During following 3 years of the project´s implementation, a new food processing curriculum will be developed in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, a laboratory for food processing courses will be renovated and appropriate equipment will be supplied and installed. An intensive cooperation with teachers and students to apply new curriculum into practice will be an essential part of the project. Moreover, public-private partnerships between school and local agro processing businesses will be established to ensure linkages and appropriate internships for students.

After piloting this project at the General Technical High School of Samdech Preah Borom Neath Norodom Sihamoni, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports plans to replicate this model at other general technical schools in Cambodian provinces.

Aside from this project, for a long time the Czech Republic has been cooperating also with the Royal University of Agriculture where, through a special program of sending teachers to Cambodian Universities, helps to improve the quality of education and research in Cambodian agriculture and forestry.