Of Sound Mind and Policy

Kim Rithy’s conviction and experience find their purpose in his vision for Cambodia. His work to enrich communities continues in the form of numerous projects, from the local to national level.

  [ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="In the next 5 to 10 years, I hope to contribute to a robust public service system to meet the demand of our communities.” As vice-governor for the Kandal province, Rithy oversees the education, health, labour, information and human resource development departments. His efforts include mobilising youths as community volunteers, the Blood Drive project and a project to build daycare centres in disadvantaged communities. However, there is a clear focus on developing educational infrastructures.

He explains: “Our education system has to reform faster to produce better human capital for the knowledge economy and to be competitive in the region.”

Rithy has been actively involved in various educational reforms, including enforcing against cheating in examinations and the One Computer Project, which raises funds to build computer labs for high schools. He also regularly makes personal visits to many schools.

His background in law enforcement, the military and social service have yielded a dogmatic resolve: “I am facing issues daily. Those issues don’t take me down; they excite me when I manage to solve them.”"][/ALUMNI-INFO]

[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="However, his passion has been an impediment at times. “When my organisation fails to meet my high expectations—that's when I feel frustrated," he says. However, LKYSPP has helped with this: "The School helped me look at organisation reform and set policies with realistic and pragmatic expectations.”

Doing the Master in Public Management (MPM) programme at LKYSPP has also complemented his career advancement and further equipped him for public service. “LKYSPP broadened [my] perspective in pursuing justice through various sectors, from better access to education and healthcare to creating employment and developing the community.”

While Rithy is no stranger to hard work and action, he also keeps in contact with his classmates, especially the Cambodian Alumni: “I reach out to them from time to time seeking their opinions on complicated issues, or for the sake of good barbeque and great companionship!”"][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]