The Center for Khmer Studies (CKS; km, មជ្ឈមណ្ឌលខេមរសិក្សា) is a private American Overseas Research Center working to promote research, teaching and public service in the social sciences, arts and humanities, as they are related to Cambodia and the Mekong region. CKS also aims to connect Cambodian scholars, students and artists with their international colleagues for the purposes of fostering understanding of Cambodia and Southeast Asia.

History

CKS was founded in 1999 as an international non-governmental organization by a consortium of universities, organizations, scholars and individuals. Initially, CKS programs were developed in priority fields for Cambodians, like architecture, anthropology and archaeology. CKS has since taken a new approach to its research and training activities in recent years, collaborating directly with Cambodian and overseas universities.

Programs

CKS works to encourages foreign scholars working in Cambodian to collaborate with local scholars in order to develop the human resources of Cambodians and allow for the transfer of knowledge and expertise among Cambodian scholars and their international counterparts. Additionally, CKS offers a fellowship program, research and training programs, publishing and translation programs, and hosts a variety of conferences, lectures and workshops. CKS's three core objectives are to: • Facilitate research and international scholarly exchange through programs that increase understanding of Cambodia and its region;
• Help strengthen Cambodia's cultural and academic structures and integrate Cambodian scholars into their regional and international community;
• Promote a vigorous Cambodian civil society. Due to the lack of access to books and educational resources through libraries in most of Cambodia, CKS started building a library collection in 2001, specializing in Cambodian and Southeast Asian history and culture with over 18,500 volumes to date. An addition to the library was opened in January 2010 under the patronage of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni.

Partnerships

CKS is the only Southeast Asian member of the

Council of American Overseas Research Centers The Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) is a private not-for-profit association of centers that research, conserve and record cultural heritage and modern societies. CAORC, founded in 1981, helps arrange research projects that spa ...

. The Consortium of the CKS is a membership based network of committed institutions and individuals that include universities, libraries, academic societies and museums. Some of the Consortium of the CKS’s numerous international partners and affiliates include:

Association for Asian American Studies The Association for Asian American Studies was founded in 1979 as the Association for Asian/Pacific American Studies. The name was changed in 1982. The organization was established to promote teaching and research in Asian American studies. Its o ...

Asian Cultural Council The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing international cultural exchange between Asia and the U.S. and between the countries of Asia through the arts. Founded by John D. Rockefeller III in 1963, AC ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

Paris Institute of Political Studies , motto_lang = fr , mottoeng = Roots of the Future , type = Public research university''Grande école'' , established = , founder = Émile Boutmy , accreditation ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

and the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

. CKS receives its funding through foundation grants, corporate support and generous private individuals and groups.

Governance

CKS is led by its board of directors: * Lois de Menil, Ph.D., President * Anne H. Bass, Vice President * Olivier Bernier, Vie President * Dean Berry, Esq., Secretary and General Counsel * Gaye Fugate, Treasurer

Locations

CKS is based in Siem Reap, Cambodia with an office in Phnom Penh and administrative and support offices in the United States.

References

External links

Center for Khmer Studies
{{Authority control Research institutes in Cambodia