Monthly Archives: March 2015

18 Young Cambodian Stone Conservators Pass Final Exam

Final Exam

Final Exam

24 March 2015

Siem Reap, Cambodia – It was a special day for the 18 students of APSARA Stone Conservation Unit: After two years of intense training they were about to finish their studies with a final exam last Monday.

APSARA is the only Cambodian institution offering a vocational training programme to become a Stone Conservator in Cambodia. It addresses the urgent need for skilled conservators to safeguard the temples of Angkor and others located in remote areas. The programme puts the care of Cambodian heritage back into the hands of local people.

The design of the two-year training programme was based on the German vocational training system. The curriculum consists of theoretical lessons

Mapping at Banteay Samre

Mapping at Banteay Samre

and guided practical work. Following the specially developed “Handbook Stone Conservation and Restoration in Angkor”, the students learned how to classify types of natural rocks; their cultural history;  how to assess damage on decorated temple walls and how to treat them accordingly.

In the last four weeks of their training the students were very busy. Each student composed a condition and damage assessment report on a decorated part of a balustrade at Banteay Samre temple. After they handed in their final reports and the mappings, they had to defend their assessment in an oral exam. In a written test their knowledge and theoretical background was verified, while their practical performance was evaluated by the three local training supervisors.

Students are checking results

Students are checking results

All students passed the exam with good results, and so the experts of Stone Conservation Unit are now looking forward to work together with 18 new colleagues.

The APSARA Authority announced that all students will be hired and will work either at the temples of Angkor or at other temples throughout the country. After finishing this multidisciplinary training program, 18 young Khmer are now facing a bright future and will contribute to the sustainable preservation of their own cultural heritage.

Congratulations!

new-facebook-like-button

In Memoriam of Dr. Franz-Volker Müller (August 03, 1950 – March 22, 2015)

Volker Müller 2 corrសូមគោរពមិត្តរួមការងារនិងមិត្តភក្តិ,

យើងមានការសោកស្តាយខ្លាំងណាស់ដែល លោកបណ្ឌិត Franz-Volker Müller (អ្នកគ្រប់គ្រងកម្មវិធី សិទ្ធិដីធ្លីនៅក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា) ដែលជាបុគ្គលិកយូរអង្វែងរបស់អង្គការ GIZ បានទទួលមរណៈភាពនៅលើជើងហោះហើរចេញពីទីក្រុងភ្នំពេញទៅកាន់ទីក្រុងវ៉ាស៊ីនតោន ឆ្លងកាត់ទីក្រុងសេអ៊ូលនៅថ្ងៃអាទិត្យទី 22 ខែមិនាឆ្នាំ 2015 ដែលបានកើតឡើងមុនថ្ងៃខួបកំណើតទី 65 របស់គាត់។ លោកបណ្ឌិតMüllerបានទទួលមរណៈភាពខណៈពេលគាត់កំពុងទទួលទានដំណេកនៅលើយន្តហោះពេលចុះចតនៅទីក្រុងសេអ៊ូល។

លោកបណ្ឌិតFranz-Volker Müllerទទួលបានការគោរពយ៉ាងខ្លាំងពីសហការីនិងមានកិត្តិយសកេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះល្បីល្បាញ នៅក្នុងកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការអន្តរជាតិជាច្រើនឆ្នាំប្រកបដោយការទទួលខុសត្រូវខ្ពស់ ។
គាត់បានរួមចំណែកយ៉ាងច្រើនដល់កេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះអន្តរជាតិ / កិត្យានុភាពដែលអង្គការ GIZ មាននៅក្នុងប្រទេសអាល្លឺម៉ង់និងនៅបរទេសផងដែរ។ ក្រៅពីនេះលោកបានដឹកនាំរួមចំណែកដើម្បីផ្ដល់ឱ្យមានការកែលម្អស្ថានភាពរស់នៅរបស់មនុស្សជាច្រើននៅក្នុងប្រទេសកំពុងអភិវឌ្ឍន៍។
គាត់មិនត្រឹមតែស័ក្តសមនឹងទទួលបានការដឹងគុណដ៏ស្មោះស្ម័គ្រចំពោះកិច្ចការដ៏អស្ចារ្យរបស់គាត់ ប៉ុណ្ណោះទេប៉ុន្តែ លោកនឹងស្ថិតនៅក្នុងការចងចាំរបស់យើងថាជាមិត្តរួមការងារដែលខិតខំប្រឹងប្រែង និងមិត្តភក្តិដ៏ស្មោះត្រង់ម្នាក់។

យើងសូមចូលរួមរំលែកទុក្ខជាមួយនឹងក្រុមគ្រួសាររបស់លោក។

យើងនឹងមិនអាចបំភ្លេចលោកបណ្ឌិតVolkerបានទេ។លោកនឹងស្ថិតនៅក្នុងការចងចាំនិងក្នុងដួងចិត្តរបស់យើងដោយសេចក្ដីគោរពជារៀងរហូត ។

ជាមួយការកាន់ទុក្ខដ៏ជ្រៅនិងទុក្ខព្រួយ,

ប្រធាននិង បុគ្គលិកអង្គការGIZ ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា
/
Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We are very sad to inform you, that all of a sudden and quite unexpectedly our long-standing employee, Dr. Franz-Volker Müller (Programme Manager for the Land Rights Programme in Cambodia), has died on the flight from Phnom Penh to Washington via Seoul on Sunday, March 22, 2015; just short before his 65th birthday. Dr. Müller passed away while sleeping, before landing in Seoul.

As a longtime, popular, deservedly esteemed and very respected colleague Dr. Franz-Volker Müller has been engaged in the international cooperation all these years tirelessly with a high sense of responsibility.
He has contributed a lot to the international reputation/prestige which GIZ has in Germany and abroad. Besides, he decisively gave important impulses to improve the living conditions of many people in the developing countries.
Not only he deserves our heartfelt gratitude for all his great work, but also he will be remembered as a dedicated colleague and a loyal friend.

We feel connected with his family in the pain and the sorrow of his unexpected departure.

We will not forget “Volker”; his memory will remain in our minds and hearts with great honor and respect.

In deep mourning and sorrow,

GIZ Cambodia
Country Director and Colleagues
Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

A Study Tour to Thailand

11708_1051324638227593_4357339909656752162_n04 March 2015

The GIZ-ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN-SAS) project in Cambodia has brought people together to strengthen the capacity of farmers in organic production techniques, to help them establish linkages to international markets. To that end, the technical staff of GIZ ASEAN-SAS (Cambodia and Thailand), the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), and CEDAC Sahakreas Ltd. (SKC) undertook a study tour to Thailand, which took place 25-29 January 2015. The aims of the study tour were:

  • To share experiences with entities working in the organic food sector in Thailand,
  • To study agricultural best practices, including CO2 fumigating procedure for organic rice, and
  • To strengthen the network between practitioners in the organic agriculture sector. More>>>

A Study Tour to Thailand

11708_1051324638227593_4357339909656752162_n04 March 2015

The GIZ-ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN-SAS) project in Cambodia has brought people together to strengthen the capacity of farmers in organic production techniques, to help them establish linkages to international markets. To that end, the technical staff of GIZ ASEAN-SAS (Cambodia and Thailand), the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), and CEDAC Sahakreas Ltd. (SKC) undertook a study tour to Thailand, which took place 25-29 January 2015. The aims of the study tour were:

  • To share experiences with entities working in the organic food sector in Thailand,
  • To study agricultural best practices, including CO2 fumigating procedure for organic rice, and
  • To strengthen the network between practitioners in the organic agriculture sector.

 

Entities were selected according to the technical background and specific interest of the participants. In the beginning, participants presented their experiences with organic rice value chain development in Cambodia, where the demand for organic rice has been gradually growing. However, there is no established national regulation on the certification and declaration of organic agricultural products, meaning that anyone can claim that their products are organic without any certification. CEDAC has been working with small-scale farmers to promote organic rice production, resulting in the export of approximately 1,000 tons of organic and fair-trade certified rice in 2014. To comply with international organic standards, CO2 fumigation to eliminate insects before shipment is a requirement for export. Herba Bangkok Sl is a company experienced in CO2 fumigation and marketing strategies for organic rice. In order to tackle the lack of experience in the CO2 fumigation procedure, Herba showcased the treatment for the participants: 2kg of CO2 per ton of rice must be circulated consistently in a covered plastic bag. The share of oxygen must be lower than 13.7%, and the concentration of oxygen and CO2 has to be regularly monitored, or else insects will not be killed within 14 days. In its warehouses, Herba uses mechanical traps, daily cleaning and uniform packaging. Herba buys from organic rice farmer cooperatives and exports mainly to the US and the EU. They are very interested in importing premium organic fragrant and non-fragrant rice, as well as half broken rice, which is an opportunity for Cambodian farmers and CEDAC to enter the market. During the next rice season there will be a joint workshop between farmers, CEDAC and Herba to discuss the production plan.

Xungdur is another organic food company known for initiating market-linked organic food processing, working closely with organic farmer cooperatives that use their own resources to produce 10896967_1050110081682382_8509879728976198979_nfertilizer and bio-pesticides in compliance with organic standards. Xungdur used to apply conventional practices, which involve high chemical inputs, ultimately causing health problems and low profits. However, once the owner of Xungdur discovered that following organic principles is the most effective method in developing and improving health, she began to promote organic rice and vegetable production to farmers, providing weekly trainings on organic agricultural techniques. She altered Xungdur’s product lines to contain only organic rice, and developed food processing and packaging lines. Xungdur’s products are now well known and in high demand. Government agencies and organizations are assisting the cooperative with production techniques, marketing, and financial resources to strengthen the company’s sustainability.

 

The study tour was very useful and informative to the participants, who gained a better understanding of the concepts and principles of effective business practices and production techniques. Moreover, they benefited from lessons and experiences shared at the training workshop, not only to improve their own knowledge but also to develop ideas that will promote the sustainable development of organic agriculture in Cambodia.

 

new-facebook-like-button

Training Project: Support for Maritime Chains and Clusters in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Region

02 March 2015

Improving logistic performance in hinterland is considered to be the main factor for ports efficiency and fostering regional integration. Therefore, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports regional integration through the “Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration in Asia” Programme. In the light of the ongoing programme phase the Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has commissioned the Institute for Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) to develop training curricula for the Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (Kingdom of Cambodia) and implement trainings to support maritime chains and clusters in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Region. This training project started in September 2014 with a pre-assessment of training needs and an initial training and continued in January 2015 with one week-long training conducted in Phnom Penh.

In January 19-23, 2015, the second training under the topic “Support for Maritime Chains and Clusters in the Pan-Beibu Gulf Region” was conducted. During the week, the two lecturers – Prof Dr. Hans Dietrich Haasis and Dr. Irina Dovbischuk worked simultaneously with two groups. Each group consisting of about 20-25 participants. More>>>

Dr. Irina Dovbischuk (t.h.l) and Prof. Dr. Hans-Dietrich Haasis (t.h.r.) give an overview on cluster development and port marketing for group “Cloud” and “Mobility”

Dr. Irina Dovbischuk (t.h.l) and Prof. Dr. Hans-Dietrich Haasis (t.h.r.) give an overview on cluster development and port marketing for group “Cloud” and “Mobility”

Follow Us!

All activities are implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).