The Royal University of Phnom Penh

The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) is Cambodia’s oldest and one of the largest public universities.

The Department of Social Work, established in 2008, provides the first Social Work Bachelor’s degree program in country. It is the first Cambodian higher education department to be awarded a certificate of accreditation.  This external​accreditation status is in effect for a three years period from 2017 by the Philippines Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities.  In addition to its BSW degree program, the DSW operates a Continuing Education program building capacity around care management and coordination in different sectors.

The DSW is a member of the Technical Sub-Group 2 (social work workforce). It has been involved in the Knowledge Sharing Group and Social Work Glossary Team and an active participant in the Learning Summit and other FCF related meetings.

Action in Family Care First (FCF) | REACT

Holt International partnering with the Department of Social Work at the Royal University of Phnom Penh produced a research piece on “Emerging Practice of Alternative Care for Children in Cambodia” under Family Care First |REACT funding.

The objectives of the research were to:

1. Enhance understanding of best approaches to reintegrating and placing children in alternative care programs and how to effectively scale and strengthen them in the future
2. Establish and enhance the understanding of scalable standard operating procedures to reintegrating and placing children in alternative care programs

This research were conducted with Family Care First implementing partners: Cambodian Children’s Trust, Children in Families, First Step, Friends International, Hagar, M’lup Russey and M’Lop Tapang.

The key findings included common elements in good practices, approaches to care, services and support and case management.