SMART Axiata and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport on August 25 celebrated a new partnership providing at least 30 scholarships at public universities nationwide over the next three years to financially challenged graduating high school students with good academic results in the National Grade 12 Examinations. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) under the watchful eye of Dr Hang ChuonNaron, Minister of MoEYS, and Thomas Hundt, chief executive officer of Smart Axiata, demonstrating Smart’s firm commitment to contributing to education in Cambodia.

The SmartEdu Scholarship Program aims to encourage high school graduates to pursue higher education and to respond particularly to those students struggling financially to pay for their university education. Beyond sponsoring the annual tuition fees, Smart will also provide a monthly allowance for the duration of their degree program, which totals up to $15,000 per scholar. Hundt said during the MoU signing ceremony: “Smart is very happy to assist young Cambodians to continue to excel through their tertiary education. This scholarship will certainly not be limited to only 30 scholars with a concrete deadline; Smart is a long-term investor in Cambodia and as demonstrated in the last few months, Smart will continue to invest heavily in the areas of telecommunication and ICT as well as in education in Cambodia. Photos supplied