Cambodian University Students' Perspectives toward AEC

Cambodian Undergraduate Students and AEC 2015

Awareness and Perspectives of Cambodian Undergraduate Students on the ASEAN
Economic Community 2015

KEO Nimol
LIM Muyngim
PHORK Visal
SITHIKUN Vandavid
SUOR Leangsronn

IS303, Introduction to Research
THEAM Sokvibol
January 27, 2014

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Abstract
The upcoming ASEAN Economic Community, known as AEC, will significantly affect
Cambodia, particularly Cambodian undergraduate students who will be in the front line to face the opportunities and challenges of ASEAN Economic Community in 2015. With this concern, this research aims to study 540 Cambodian Undergraduate students from 8 well-known universities in Phnom Penh, by cross tabulating their level of awareness and attitude toward AEC according to their gender and major. The questionnaires distributed to the respondents are written in English and are divided into three major sections, namely awareness or understanding, perceptions, and channels they use to acquire knowledge related to AEC, as the three main objectives of this written report.
Overall, according to the study, more male respondents are aware of AEC than female respondents and IR respondents have more understandings about the issues than students of other majors. Furthermore, perspectives of the majority of respondents toward AEC are positive though many of them believe that Cambodia cannot compete with other senior member states in terms of human resources and English deficiency of Cambodians will be a challenge for
Cambodian undergraduate students to join AEC. Hence, as most respondents do not prefer reading books or newspapers as means to acquire information, increasing awareness and enhancing English proficiency of Cambodian undergraduate students via websites and social media are necessary for preparing them to join AEC.

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Acknowledgement
First of all, we would like to express sincere gratitude to our

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