Training with international restoration and research teams

Each international research, restoration and conservation team working in the Angkor Park integrates a training component into its general structure.

Graduates of the Departments of Architecture and Archaeology of Phnom Penh's Royal University of Fine Arts are among the primary targets of these programs. Short-term training programs are frequently designed for students as part of their University training. Others, sometimes long-term, are offered to graduates who are subsequently taken on as employees of the team in question. Some opportunities are offered through these institutions for further study abroad, either for degree programs or shorter-term intensive training.

To date, Khmer nationals working at the Angkor site have benefited from archaeological, architectural and conservation study in Japan, China and Indonesia, cultural heritage management training in France, anthropological and archaeological training in the United States, and more. Through such training initiatives, one project, the restoration of Angkor Thom's Royal Palace Gates sponsored by the Indonesian government, has been entirely transferred to Khmer nationals. While the project operations are financed still by the Indonesian government, the professional staff is employed in part by APSARA Authority. Like reponsibility is progressively being handed over to Khmer nationals in teams across the Park. APSARA Authority will increase its own capacities by offering employment opportunities to these well-trained professionals over the coming years.