Training

A principal goal of APSARA Authority is the training of Khmer nationals in all domains of research, restoration, conservation and management involved in APSARA's operations.

There is a well-documented lack of qualified personnel in Cambodia, and such a training effort is utterly indispensable for any future of wise management of Angkor and of the diverse aspects of the Khmer heritage in general. This need can not be overemphasized, and APSARA Authority is thus committed to incorporating in each project phase of its various engagements, from elaboration to completion, provisions for training programs. Intensive international participation at Angkor is coordinated and directed toward this end, and the results are already promising. The department's working structures have been conceived and formulated so as to permit the gradual transfer of management skills to Khmer nationals. An intensive on-site training program aimed at specifically preparing a core unit of technical professionals is taking place since 1999.

Perhaps more than anything else, this commitment is a true innovation, for there has never been a concentrated long-term effort to train Khmer specialists in research, restoration, conservation and cultural heritage management. It is hoped that this commitment will help to prepare a generation of young Cambodian professionals capable of assuming all the specialized tasks implicated in the running of APSARA Authority, and ready to innovate creative solutions to tomorrow's problems.