The Royal University of Phnom Penh

The Royal University of Phnom Penh first opened its doors as the Royal Khmer University on January 13, 1960, with a National Institute of Judicial and Economic Studies, a Royal School of Medicine, a National School of Commerce, a National Pedagogical Institute, a Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, and a Faculty of Science and Technology. The language of instruction during this period was French.

With the establishment of the Khmer Republic, the Royal Khmer University became the Phnom Penh University. Between 1965 and 1975 the university consisted of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, the Faculties of Letters and Humanities, Science, Pharmacy, Law and Economics, Medicine and Dentistry, Commerce, Pedagogy and the Language Institute.

   

In 1980, the Ecole Normale Supérieure reopened, again teaching predominantly in French. The following year saw the opening of the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), initially training students to become Vietnamese and Russian language teachers. The purpose of both colleges was to train students to become teachers, thus rebuilding the education system within Cambodia.

In 1988, the Ecole Normale Supérieure merged with the IFL to create Phnom Penh University. In 1996, the university underwent its final change of name, becoming the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) 

 

Natural beauty, fascinating history, and lively culture makes Phnom Penh one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. These qualities also make it an outstanding place for learning. Founded in 1960 and located five kilometers from downtown Phnom Penh, the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) is the oldest and most well-known institution of higher education in Cambodia. It has over 9200 students, both scholarship and private, across three campuses. RUPP offers a wide range of courses within the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) and Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC).

Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC)

During the past decade, the University has continued to grow and now includes the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Institute of Foreign Languages. New departments and degree programs are developed regularly, to keep up with the changing needs of Cambodian society. In keeping with its commitment to higher education, RUPP has begun to develop postgraduate degrees at a Masters level since 2001.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities