In a landmark agreement aimed at advancing digital education across Cambodia, Smart Axiata and Educational Broadcasting Cambodia (EBC) have officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance educational access for students and citizens nationwide.
Supported by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Information, EBC is Cambodia’s premier educational broadcasting system. The platform serves as a valuable tool for promoting lifelong learning, skills development, and knowledge dissemination, ultimately contributing to the educational advancement and empowerment of the Cambodian population and facilitating learning opportunities for individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
The MoU ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, marked a significant step towards making education freely accessible to all Cambodians. The momentous event was presided over by the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, H.E. Sok Puthyvuth, Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, H.E. Kim Sethany, the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Axiata, Ziad Shatara, and the Director of EBC, Mrs. Cheng Sreytom.
From left to right: Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, H.E. Kim Sethany, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, H.E. Sok Puthyvuth, the Director of EBC, Mrs. Cheng Sreytom. and the Chief Executive Officer of Smart Axiata, Ziad Shatara.
As the nation’s leading technology and telecommunications company, Smart has actively contributed to the development of human resources across the country, ensuring no one is left behind in the transition towards a digital society.
This partnership aims to ensure that students have seamless access to high-quality educational videos and online resources when they study outside of school – without incurring additional costs. As the first step of this collaboration, Smart will provide different options for students and learners across the country with data allowances for students to access the EBC platform, starting with 5,000 students from the Hun Sen Serey Pheap High School.
“Driven by our commitment to advance the digital society in Cambodia, Smart is proud to support the development of this digital education platform. With our initial step of offering daily data allowances to students at the Hun Sen Serey Pheap High School, we are enabling them to access the EBC learning platform at no additional cost. Of course, for different needs and profiles of learners, we are supporting them with dedicated home internet packages, as well as all-in-one mobile plans that include worry-free usage of the EBC platform,” said Ziad Shatara, CEO of Smart Axiata.
Smart will actively contribute by building awareness and engagement with educational content too. Popularizing and motivating students to benefit consistently from the EBC platform and all the knowledge available there is a fundamental step in creating a young generation of skilled professionals.
“This MoU signifies just the initial step in our endeavors. We will continue collaborating with EBC to extend the reach of this project to more students and citizens across the country,” said Ziad Shatara added.
H.E. Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, said: “This initiative exemplifies our dedication to improving educational opportunities for all Cambodian students.”
Additionally, Smart will have special surprises for top learners on the platform, which will be announced together with the launch of the program. This is only to demonstrate that Smart Axiata is sharing common goals with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for making digital learning massively accepted among all learners.
This partnership is part of Smart Axiata's ongoing commitment to advancing digital education in Cambodia. By harnessing technology and innovative solutions, this collaboration aims to empower students and educators alike, providing them with the essential tools to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
