Sitting in a chair wearing a graduation dressing gown, a young lady in her thirties smiled and said “I am so excited to be here on this occasion; especially because my family—my husband and my one year-old daughter—are here for me.” Ms. Bun Rachana is a graduate student receiving her Master’s in Business Administration, and is also a staff member at an organization. She stated that studying at PUC gave her lots of knowledge. She added that the professors were qualified and the curriculum excellent so that it was worth her effort to fulfill the university requirements. PUC was the best choice for her.

The 6^th commencement ceremony of Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia (PUC) was held on May 24, 2014, under the high Patronage of H.H. Samdech Preah Abhisiri Sugandha Mahasangharajah Dhipati Bour Kry Samdech, Preah Mahasangharajah of Dhammayuttikanikaya of the Kingdom of Cambodia; and H.R.H. Norodom Arunrasmy, Privy Council of H.M. the king of Cambodia.

PUC was established in 2000 with a vision to play an active role in the building process for future generations, and a mission to build capacity for a better life with education as the foundation of sustainable development.

Currently, PUC has an enrollment of 23,600 students (including the Battambang and Siem Reap branches) of which 9,400 are females. Out of this number, 13,900 students are in the pre-academic programs of PUC’s Institute of Foreign Languages. The remaining of 9,700 students are in academic programs for bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees. PUC actively cooperates and exchanges with a number of higher ranking institutions worldwide, including universities in the USA, European Union, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The graduates of the 6^th commencement ceremony totaled 654, with 72 receiving associate degrees, 532 receiving bachelor degrees, and 50 receiving master degrees. Sixty-five of these students graduated with honors, fulfilling their academic requirements with a GPA between 3.70 and 3.96.

It was noted that 90 percent of PUC graduates are now serving in the public sector, or working at private corporations or NGOs, and the remaining 10 percent work for their own businesses.

To close the proceedings, Dr. Kol Pheng, PUC founder and president, conferred degrees on the successful graduates by announcing, “With the power invested in me by the Board of Trustees of PUC, I hereby declare you all graduates of the class of 2014.”

The commencement ceremony was also attended by parents, guardians, relatives, and friends of the graduates.  Their presence made the event more enjoyable and meaningful.  Mrs. Mao Sophorn, a civil servant at the Ministry of Agriculture and an aunt of a graduate, sat smiling as she waiting for her nephew to receive his bachelor degree in architecture. She stated, “I am very proud of my nephew and I am happy to be here today. Being his guardian, I give my heartfelt warm regards to my nephew so that he will feel we are family. We belong to each other.”