Student Support

A variety of resources and support are available to students on the Masters of Science in Biodiversity Conservation programme. These include:

Tuition Scholarships and Research Grants

Four types of scholarships are available for students entering the first year of the MSc programme in February 2012:

1. Courtesy of the USAID ‘Helping Address Rural Vulnerabilities and Ecosystem Stability’ (HARVEST) Program, eight two-year scholarships providing tuition fees, thesis data collection costs and a monthly living allowance are available for male and female students;
2. Courtesy of the Lim Kannitha Fund, five one-year scholarships covering tuition fees and learning materials are available for female students;
3. Courtesy of the International Crane Foundation, two-year scholarships covering tuition fees and thesis data collection costs are available for male and female students; and,
4. Courtesy of the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, two scholarships for tuition fees are awarded to the highest scoring students in each semester of first year of the MSc programme.

In addition, financial support is available for all students for their thesis research, as is assistance for students wishing to present their work at conferences and other gatherings.

Professional Development

Through the programme’s extensive links to international scientific and conservation circles, students have access to a wide array of specialists and professionals who regularly deliver guest lectures and supervise student theses. In addition to introducing students to future employers in Cambodia and overseas, the programme also employs outstanding students in the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

Conservation Library

Students on the Masters programme have full access to a dedicated library containing a diverse range of recent texts on conservation biology and sustainable development. The conservation library is housed in the zoological collections (below) and students also have access to thousands of electronic titles through bibliographic databases available to the Masters programme.

I.T and Other Facilities

Dedicated I.T. facilities including five desktop and three laptop computers are available to students on the Masters programme, all equipped with internet access and latest software packages. Students also have access to a wide variety of equipment, including camping gear, and equipment for sampling water quality and freshwater and terrestrial biota, as well as a range of laboratory and curatorial activities.

Zoological & Botanical Collections

Established by the Masters programme in 2007, the reference collections have grown to include thousands of voucher specimens and remain only natural history museums in Cambodia. As a consequence, these have become an important national asset for cataloguing Cambodian biodiversity and are regularly used in teaching and by Masters students undertaking course assignments and thesis projects.

Cambodian Journal of Natural History

As part of their studies, students on the Masters programme receive a free hardcopy subscription for the Cambodian Journal of Natural History, the first peer-reviewed scientific journal in Cambodia. Aimed at helping Cambodian scientists to share their findings and improve their writing skills, the journal addresses the critical need for information on the conservation status and management requirements of Cambodian biodiversity.