October 11th, 2007
An Evening in Cambodia
How much do you know about Cambodia?
Many people associate Cambodia with the divine relic of Angkor Wat; however there is much more to the country of Cambodia. This is the message that the three guest Cambodian researchers to "An Evening in Cambodia" wanted to get across to participants.
Working in collaboration with Waseda University, and currently at the forefront of research in archeological preservation, the three guest Cambodian researchers took time out of their busy schedules during their visit to Japan to share with participants of "An Evening in Cambodia" their knowledge and expertise on lesser known Cambodian historic ruins. This included a fascinating introduction of "Sambor Prei Kuk" (currently being examined by the three researchers), which has a history older than Angkor Wat that dates back to around the 7th century.
Many of the participants had in fact visited Cambodia, and had many stories to share over the Lemon Grass and Lotus tea that was on offer. The guest researchers also discussed a variety of topics including popular Cambodian cuisine, and the everyday life of Cambodian university students, as well as of course historic ruins. This resulted in student participants being able to gain a wider perspective on Cambodia.
The evening ended with an introduction from Mr. Ichita Shimoda about supporting Cambodia through heritage preservation, which included discussion on such issues as national technological support and funding. Mr. Shimoda is currently serving as field overseer for Waseda University and the Cambodian Government's collaborative project (now in its 10th year) in the field of heritage preservation.
Reported by Mai YOSHIKAWA (Event Supporter)
