このたび、2名のカンボジア人カンボジア人卒業生が栄えある「令和元年度外務大臣表彰」を受賞しました。
エク・ブンタ さん(現カンボジア王国文化芸術省無形文化遺産担当局次長/1999年大学院外国語学研究科地域研究専攻博士前期課程修了)とオム・ラヴィさん（現カンボジア王国王立プノンペン大学副学長/2002年大学院外国語学研究科地域研究専攻博士課程修了）です。表彰理由は「日本とカンボジアとの相互理解の促進」へ多大な貢献とその顕著な活動実績によるものです。
お二人は上智大学大学院の元留学生で、石澤良昭教授（アジア人材養成センター所長）が学位論文を指導し、同大学院でそれぞれ「修士」、「博士」の学位を取得後は、直ぐに母国へ帰国しました。以来、お二人はカンボジアと日本の懸け橋となるべく懸命に努力を重ね、今回の表彰に至りました。
石澤教授は、去る８月25日プノンペン市内でお二人と面会し、上智大学の曄道学長並びに佐久間理事長からの受賞祝意を伝えました。お二人は多感な青年期を振り返り次のように述べました。「ポル・ポト政権下では、父親が行方不明となり、毎食のお米に困るほど生活困窮を極めていたが、勉学を続ければ、いつか祖国のために尽くすことができると信じていた。苦労の末、国費留学生として日本の大学院に進学でき、在学中は多くの日本人に助けられた。今ある自分はそうした日本人の善意のおかげです」。
お二人は受賞の喜びとともに、お世話になった日本人の友人たちへの感謝に言及し、喜びを新たにしていました。
参考：令和元年度外務大臣表彰（令和元年7月16日報道発表）
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/release/press4_007608.html
Two Cambodian graduates were awarded the illustrious Commendation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the first year of the Reiwa era. They are Mr. Ek Bunta (current Deputy-Director General in the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom of Cambodia, who graduated in 1999 with a master’s degree from the Graduate Program in Area Studies of the Graduate Division of Foreign Studies of Sophia University), and Dr. Ms. Oum Ravy (current Vice President of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, who graduated in 2002 with a doctorate from the Graduate Program in Area Studies of the Graduate Division of Foreign Studies, of Sophia). The commendations were in recognition of the plentiful activities they had undertaken and remarkable contributions they had made, for the ‘promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and Cambodia.’
The two of them were international students in the Graduate School of Sophia, and Professor Dr. Yoshiaki Ishizawa (current director of the Sophia Asia Center for Research and Human Development) was the professor who directed their theses. On receiving their master’s and doctoral degrees the two returned to their homeland, and since then, their efforts to serve as bridges between Japan and Cambodia, has enabled them to attain this award.
On August 25th Professor Ishizawa met the two in Phnom Penh, and conveyed to them the felicitations of the President and Chancellor of Sophia University. On his doing so however, the two of them, reflecting back with deep emotion on their adolescent days, remarked, “During the the Pol Pot regime the whereabouts of our fathers was unknown, and with our having to eat rice for every meal, life for us was awfully hard. Yet, we believed that if we but studied, a time would arrive when we would be able to give our best for our nation. The result of our efforts was that we entered Graduate School in Japan as government-sponsored international students, and while we were in the university ever so many Japanese people lent us a helping hand. The credit for what we now are goes to the people of Japan, and we are grateful for their goodwill.”
Alongside the joy of having received the commendation the two voiced their deep gratitude to the Japanese who had been of service to them, and whose memories proved to be a renewed source of happiness for them.
Reference: Commendation of the Foreign Minister in the first year of the Reiwa era (Press release of July 16, Reiwa 1)
https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/press/release/press4_007608.html