By : Ng Yong Yee
Program : Mobiliti Program MEHSSA X Cambodia

Exco Perhubungan, Alumni dan Pengantarabangsaan from Medicine and Health Sciences
Student Association (MEHSSA) had successfully organised a mobility program to Cambodia.
This was the 7th mobility program by MEHSSA and was held for six days and five nights
from 17 July to 22 July 2023. This mobility program was joined by a total of four participants
and one program advisor. The four students are from various programs in the Faculty of
Medicine and Health Sciences. The participants visited three main places in Cambodia,
namely Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham and Siem Reap. The program has collaborated with
the Faculty of Health Sciences and Biotechnology at the University of Puthisastra which is
located in Phnom Penh for the first time. The aims for the collaboration are to foster a
connection between the two universities and provide participants with exposure to
Cambodia’s cultural heritage as well as history. There was an honour for the participants to
meet the president of the university and the staff from that particular faculty during the
opening ceremony. The participants had the opportunity to have a campus site visit and
cultural and academics exchange session with the staff and students of the faculty. During
the cultural exchange session, the students from both universities shared the view of their
own faculty and cultures of each country by presenting the slides. In addition, there was
also an ice breaking session and some fun group activities conducted to build rapport and
improve engagement. This was a great way for the participants to gain new knowledge by
getting in touch with the students from there. Thus, the collaboration with this university
indicates the initial step in establishing a connection between Universiti Putra Malaysia and
the university in Cambodia and create an opportunity to widen the connection in the future.
On the other hand, the program also worked together with a non-governmental organisation
named Viva La Vida Family to organise a volunteering activity in Kampong Cham. The
founder of Viva La Vida Family had assisted in contacting an international school for us to
carry out the activity. The participants designed a nutrition program titled ‘Eat Right, Live
Good’ for children from that school to convey knowledge about healthy diets to these
children. The participants shared about the food pyramid and major groups of nutrients in
food so that the children understand the importance of a healthy eating plan to protect
against malnutrition or noncommunicable diseases. There were some fun activities prepared
for the children to enhance their understanding about the healthy diet. It was pleasing to
observe that the children were enjoying themselves in the program and learning new
knowledge from the participants. Therefore, volunteering is not only crucial to promote
personal growth but also make individuals more globally aware about education in rural
areas as in this program.

In addition, the participants had visited to some historical sites such as Angkor Wat and Tuol
Sleng Genocide Musuem. These visits provide insight into the past, exposing the history and
culture in Cambodia. These also give a visual and interactive learning experience that can
be more engaging than textbooks. Moreover, the participants also visited Artisans d’Angkor
which allowed the tourist to learn the arts and crafts such as wood carving, painting on
statues and silver plating that normally found in Cambodia. Thus, visiting historical sites in
Cambodia can be a rich and rewarding experience with a variety of benefits.

In conclusion, this mobility has proven to be a remarkable and transformative initiative, both
for the participants and host country. Through this program, participants have gained
invaluable insights into Cambodian culture, society and the unique places in the nation.
Moreover, the program has provided the chance for personal and professional growth, as
participants have honed their skills and broadened their perspectives, which will undoubtedly
benefit their future endeavours. Besides that, it is clear that such international initiatives are
vital in fostering global cooperation, understanding and progressing. Therefore, it is hoped
that mobility programs like this will continue in the future, providing opportunities for other
students to interact with international students and learn about the culture of each other
which indirectly enhance the reputation of our university.

Tarikh Input: 31/08/2024 | Kemaskini: 31/08/2024 | sh_najiyah