Rithiya graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Affairs and earned a minor in Law. He was a very active student during his time at AUPP as he was elected the President of AUPP Student Government and was also the editor-in-chief of the Eagle Times.
Currently, Rithiya is pursuing a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in Political Science at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in the United States while also working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Department of Political Science and Graduate Research Assistant for the Center for Southeast Asia Studies. Rithiya knew about this study opportunity through an associate professor at NIU that visited AUPP’s professors a few years ago. After completing his PhD, he plans to return to Cambodia and work in academia and for the government.
Rithiya also shares with us three fundamentals he gained from his time at AUPP that helped him with his graduate education. Firstly, he would like to point out how AUPP’s faculty members have helped him to explore and learn many varied topics. Secondly, it was the courses at AUPP that enabled him to communicate effectively and think like a scholar. Lastly, the assignments and class discussions provide a solid foundation for him to produce research articles at graduate school.
Rithiya advises all current students at AUPP to take control of both their education and career. He explains that students should explore many different topics and courses in order to identify their field of interest, career choices as well as possible graduate study plans while pursuing their bachelor’s degree because it is never too early. Last but not least, Rithiya also revealed that it is important for everyone to keep in mind that their perspectives toward their future careers and education will very likely change during the period they spend at university.