Friday, 31 January 2025
The School of Education at the University of Nottingham and the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) have celebrated eight years of education collaboration, with a fitting tribute.
Since 2017, the university has provided educational expertise, planning and research, teacher training and professional development to develop CCF’s Education Program – and it continues to create a generation of teachers capable of delivering a world-class education to some of the most disadvantaged children in Cambodia.
To mark the eight-year long partnership, CCF (a non-profit organisation) presented the university with a stunning stone carving – a smaller replica of one in the traditional Angkor-Wat-style, hanging in the entrance of CCF’s high school, the Neeson Cripps Academy (NCA) in Phnom Penh.
Replica frieze in Monica Partridge Building
The ongoing collaboration, which offers teaching and education staff the opportunity to study for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education International (PGCEi), began with an introduction from Robert Cripps, Vice-President Philanthropy and Art of the Cripps Foundation and long-term CCF supporter. The Cripps Foundation and its affiliates have had an extraordinary impact on the university over many years and are one of the institution’s most generous donors.
What began as a visit in 2017 from the university’s School of Education to the NCA grew into the long-term partnership to develop CCF’s Education Program. And in 2021, the organisation launched its first PGCEi cohort, marking a significant milestone in the professional development of its staff and teachers.
Lucy Cooker, Professor of International Education and Faculty Director of Global Engagement for Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham, who enrolled CCF teachers on the PGCEi course, said:
I put together what has now become a 10-year project in terms of a teacher education plan (for CCF), developing teachers, knowledge and understanding, and building this very rich focus of expertise within the school, which included the PGCEi.”
The Cripps Foundation gifted the carving – which depicts Cambodia’s rich cultural history and a vision of the future, to thank them for their work, expertise, and support of CCF to ensure that all children can achieve their true potential, irrespective of background.
Celebrating 8 years of partnership, from 2017 to 2025.
L-R: Professor Andrew Noyes, Jane Norman, Scott Neeson (Founder of Cambodian Children’s Fund), Robert Cripps, Emeritus Professor Christine Hall.
Robert Cripps officially unveiled the replica carving in Nottingham on 27 November last year, along with CCF founder Scott Neeson, at a ceremony attended by university President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane Norman.
“The Cripps Foundation constructs education buildings around the world, but it is what happens inside them that matters,” said Robert Cripps. “Without teachers, pupils can’t learn. That’s why we need to give children the best quality education and the best-trained teachers we can - and that’s why the collaboration with the University of Nottingham is so important.”
Scott Neeson, Founder and Executive Director of CCF, added: "At Cambodian Children's Fund, we believe that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Our partnership with the University of Nottingham is empowering countless teachers and transforming the lives of disadvantaged children in Cambodia. Together, we are creating a brighter future where every child has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.”
The carving will grace the entrance to the Monica Patridge Building, the university’s brand-new Learning and Study space for all students.
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Lucy Cooker, Professor of International Education and Faculty Director of Global Engagement for Social Sciences
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 24 in Europe and 15th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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