It was a unique opportunity for many alumni to meet their peers after many years and to share memories about their student years abroad. There has been always development cooperation between Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic and government scholarships have been always part of it. The first Cambodian students came to study in Czechoslovakia in 1981. Over the course of more than four decades, nearly 400 graduates have graduated from Czechoslovak and Czech universities, who have subsequently contributed significantly to the development of the modern and prosperous Kingdom of Cambodia.

The success of the programme was decisively supported by the stay of His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, in Prague, where he studied from 1962 to 1975 and became the most prominent "Czech" student in the world. The King sent a greeting to the event, which was delivered by Czech Ambassador M. Vávra in his opening speech. The ambassador also highlighted the long-standing diplomatic relations between the two countries, appreciated the fact that Cambodian students are returning to their homeland, and expressed his wish that this meeting would become an annual tradition.

The ceremony was also attended by H.E. Yuok Ngoy, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Kingdom of Cambodia, who spoke on behalf of the Minister. In his speech, the Minister proposed, on behalf of the Ministry, the establishment of the Czech Alumni Association in view of the increasing number of alumni and to facilitate communication among students. According to him, the meeting of former international students is very important and also an opportunity to share successes in life and career after graduation. He also urged the alumni to spread information among the younger generation about Czech government scholarships and the benefits of studying in the Czech Republic, and to maintain contacts with Czech citizens, especially investors, volunteers and employees working in Cambodia.

The photo exhibition covers the most important projects fulfilling the objectives of the bilateral programme between Cambodia and the Czech Republic for the period 2018-2023. The exhibition highlights the development challenges Czech implementers are addressing and includes both completed and ongoing interventions.  Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the history and present of the relationship between the two countries, characterised by dynamism and friendship. The exhibition will remain at the venue until 1 August 2022 free of admission.

Embassy of the Czech Republic received following message from participating alumni: "On behalf of all alumni (some did not attend due to other commitments), we would like to thank the Czech Embassy for hosting the meeting.  It is a way for us to meet, exchange experiences, greet each other and reminisce about our past school days.  We would like to thank the government and people of the Czech Republic and Slovakia for providing financial support during our stay there. We have now used this knowledge to serve and contribute to the development of our country.  On behalf of the Cambodian people, I would also like to thank the Czech Republic and Slovakia for their continued support in various areas.  Yours sincerely, Khan Manner, a first generation graduate of the SVST University of Bratislava, currently State Secretary of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport."

In addition to alumni and future scholarship recipients, the opening was also attended by representatives of Czech implementers, private sector, local authorities and partner institutions, and other development partners such as the Country Representative of UNICEF Cambodia, Head of Cooperation Delegation of the European Union, representatives of the German and Swiss Embassies and USAID.