Zaman University

Zaman University was officially opened in Phnom Penh on February 21. 2011 by the Deputy Prime Ministers of Cambodia and Turkey signalling the significance of this event. This educational development was encouraged by the government of Cambodia and responded by the Turkish Muslim community who are inspired and guided by the Gulen movement. They have established educational institutions in Eastern Europe, Asia and even in the United States. These schools promote high standards of education in science and technology, inter-faith relations and moral and spiritual value regardless of race & religion, sex & gender preference as their contribution to the 21st century in this pluralistic world.

Business people in Turkey voluntary contributed to support this noble endeavour. For this occasion 60 businessmen flew in from Turkey to participate in the Opening Ceremony.

I was part of the delegation of friends of the Turkish Cultural Centre in Singapore. Dr Erkan Polatdemir who had earned his doctorate degree from National University of Singapore resigned from this teaching position at Republic Polytechnic to serve as the first President of the university.

Zaman International High School began in 1997 and moved to their city location in 2005. It prepares students for the Cambridge O and A levels. It seeks to instil internationalism and open inquiry and foster social interaction with mutual respect and cooperation. The enrolment today is 650.

Zaman International Primary School was established in 2007 and offers education in English and Khmer and Khmer culture. It has an enrolment of 550 students.

The Gala Dinner was held on the eve of the Opening Ceremony where 700 guests were present in the Grand Ballroom. This was well attended by the local civic and political leaders in the country. The function was held in Nagaworld, the finest integrated resort hotel in the country, which also houses the Casino where people walked freely in throughout the day and night to gamble on the rows of slot machines and numerous gaming tables.

Here is demonstrated for me the titanic battle between the forces of evil and good. Zaman University is committed to the formation of leaders of the country in inculcating the principles of honesty, integrity, goodness, love, and service. They are to teach care & compassion, peace & harmony. This great effort is contradicted glaringly by the evils that gambling encouraged. Will good prevail over evil in this struggle? What kind of human community are we structuring?

Recent history has shown the starkest evil in the genocide regime of Pol Pot about thirty years ago. This is a sad commentary of the country brought down literally to ground zero. I was personally involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts by the world-wide Christian community. Our Christian humanitarian team was allowed to enter the city even before the citizens were allowed to return after they were evacuated and sent to the countryside. They found five girls in the entire population then who speak English to serve as our interpreters and one of them later became the wife of the Ambassador to Singapore. We were among the earliest visitors to the killing fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

Cambodia history of the 12th century showed the fall of the Hindu Kingdom and the takeover by the Buddhist rulers. What can Angkor Wat the eighth ancient wonder of the world say to us today? The temple and capital city was erected by King Suryavarman II and dedicated to Vishnu in early 12th century. In the 14th century the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism. It is the largest religious structure in the world. Now these ancient ruins of their religious leaders lie silent. Some could never be restored fully again. They become monuments of the past and museums of the active faith which they represented. What is the nature of their faith in the uncertain future that lies ahead? Will brute force prevail economically and politically once again.

Hope springs eternal and Zaman University will light a candle in the darkness. The children of the leadership of the county are already enrolled in this obviously prestigious university of 100 students. They will enter into this place of learning with the best that is available for them in the form of the dedication of the teachers and sponsors. Zaman University caters to the demand for quality higher education and to train graduates to develop in the right direction in the development of their country. The motto is “Leading Your Way.”

This event was a rather sobering one for me. I saw how they fought in overcoming the colonial influence and how they sacrificed against the Pol Pot genocide regime. What does the modernization process mean for their country in the wide disparity prevailing between the new rich and the continuing poor. I bought in the Night Market an original acrylic painting of a house on stilt on the Mekong River. The painter was painting at his stall. It costs me five US dollars and that was what I paid for a cup of coffee at the Coffee Shop in the five star Nagaworld Hotel!

I congratulate the Turkish people of the Gulen movement for their commitment to bring to a poor Asian country quality education and wish them success in pointing abd leading the way to a brighter future for Cambodia and her people.