Vision

The RUPP Department of Social Work will be the premier BSW, MSW and continuing social work education program in Cambodia that is highly regarded nationally and internationally.

Mission

RUPP faculty will be engaged in quality teaching, research, consultation and community service to support poor and vulnerable populations through the promotion of social justice and respect and compassion for all.


Historical Background

  • Between 1969 and 1973, the United States illegally dropped an estimated 550,000 tons of bombs on Cambodia and more than a million people were killed or wounded, as compared to 3,900 tons dropped during the infamous Dresden bombing in WWII.
  • April 17, 1975, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh and drove its population out of cities into the countryside with a plan for a utopian agrarian society.
  • Between 1975-1979, an estimated 1.5-2 million people or ¼ of the country’s population died due to starvation, disease, forced labor, torture and genocide. The film “The Killing Fields” highlighted this period.
  • At the end of 1979,
    • only about 300 people with a college education remained alive;
    • only 45 out of 450 doctors remained alive;
    • more than one million refugees camped on the Thai border; and,
    • there was no currency, no public transportation, infrastructure for communications, and virtually no electricity.