Developing young minds

August 2009

Alumnus Phalmean Tim (MEd 2005) has returned to Australia after playing a leading role with UNICEF to help reform education in his home country.

For the past three years, Mr Tim has been an education officer with UNICEF in Cambodia. He worked with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to plan, implement and review a five-year project to improve the quality and accessibility of education for children in Cambodia.

“I have a great pride in helping to develop the first ever comprehensive education sector operational plan in Cambodia. This has paved the way to strengthen our education system,” Mr Tim said.

“I found my job at UNICEF extremely stimulating and inspiring as I could contribute to improving the quality of education for all children in Cambodia. This is unlike working at school where I could only see a small part of the whole picture.”

Born in the small village of Prey Ron in southern Cambodia, Mr Tim began his career as a high school English teacher after graduating from the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He went on to train other teachers at a local college and then worked in various project management and consultancy roles at CARE International.

Mr Tim completed a Master of Education at Monash, specialising in leadership, policy and change.

“Monash helped me gain a quality degree and build up a high reputation before I returned to Cambodia. I found the course far more innovative than any other because it focuses on the core competencies needed for Cambodia in the 21st century,” he said.

Mr Tim and his family migrated to Australia in April this year. He plans to work in international development and return to Monash to pursue his PhD.