Project Document
"Strengthening the Research Capacity in the Buddhist Institute"
Note: The present version of
this project document was discussed and approved by the programfs Steering Committee
consisting of Dr. Neth Barom (Royal University of Phnom Penh), chairman; Mr. Iv
Chan, representing Dr. Sorn Samnang (Royal Academy of Cambodia); Ms. Yiv Seng
Vansay, representing Dr. Hor Lat (Royal University of Fine Arts); Mr. Nguon Van
Chanti, Buddhist Institute director; and Dr. Hean Sokhom (Center for Advanced
Study), project director. The meeting, at which Dr. Peter Gyallay-Pap, the
programfs technical advisor, also participated, was held on August 23, 2002 at
the Buddhist Institute. Decisions taken
at the meeting have been integrated into this document.
1.Background
Since its founding in 1930, the Buddhist
Institute was the leading research and publications institution in
Efforts to resume the research and publications
function for which the Institute was established have progressed with more
difficulty. The Institute’s two commissions, Mores & Customs (founded in
1934) and the Tripitaka (begun in 1929 and incorporated into the Institute in
1930), were formally re-instated in 1992. Both commissions, the Tripitaka in
particular, have been largely inactive for lack of qualified personnel and
material support. Nonetheless, the Institute began republishing its quarterly
journal, Kambuja Suriya [Light of Cambodia], in 1994 and since
2000 has published a handful of
translations and new works in book form. In 2001, the Institute opened a
printing house that seeks to operate on a for-profit basis. Since 2000, the
Mores & Customs Commission has, with the help of a few university
volunteers, begun to collect materials in the provinces. In 2001, the École
Française d'Extrémè Orient provided the commission with a microfiche of the
latter's rich pre-1975 collection and is discussing the transfer of extant palm
leaf manuscripts in its possession to the commission.
Following nearly a decade of rebuilding the
infrastructure, administration, and library, and in reprinting books, a
need exists to improve the in-house research capacity of the Institute,
enabling it to publish and disseminate original works and improve the quality
of its journal. The Institute may not be considered fully restored unless and
until it possesses this capacity.
Apart from restoring its original mission
and form, a need also exists for the Institute to rethink its purposes to
ensure its relevance in the 21st century. It may also be necessary
for a new generation of researchers to be equipped with the knowledge and
skills for the contemporary social, cultural, and moral issues facing not only
2.Goals and Objectives
The purpose of the program is to assist the
Buddhist Institute to develop its research capacity over a two-year period. The
objective is to train 12 recent Cambodian university graduates as
researchers/writers in the humanities and social sciences, including Buddhist
studies. Upon successful completion of the first year, they will be appointed
through the Ministry of Religious Affairs as Buddhist Institute staff with
civil servant status. As students engaged in post-graduate (master's level)
work, a possibility exists for them to fulfill requirements for a master’s
degree through the Royal University of Phnom Penh. With RUPP's formal
involvement, one objective of the project is for it to serve as a pilot program
for the RUPP to introduce post-graduate studies in its faculty of humanities
and social sciences.
Specific objectives are to provide
coursework in two foreign languages (French and English), qualitative research
methods, and three subject areas (see below for details) in the first year and
to supervise the writing of master's level essays in these subject areas during
the second and final year. (Some course work is envisaged for the third
semester in the second year). Other objectives include providing lectures and
seminars by visiting scholars in the three subject areas over the two-year
period, the second year in particular. A third set of objectives includes providing
basic skills training in the mechanics of individual, team, and institutional
research, including the use of electronic research tools, as well as in office
management.
3.Program of Study
Spread over two slightly
extended academic years, the program is designed as a research-oriented course
of post-graduate study for 12 students and 6 auditors who are existing BI
staff/volunteers in the two commissions. The first year is devoted primarily to
course work -- languages, research methods, subject areas -- followed, in the
second year, by a concentration on supervised independent research leading to a
master's level thesis. Based on the research needs of the Buddhist Institute on
the one hand, specifically the Mores & Customs and Tripitaka commissions, and
on the academic profiles of the selected participants (see below) on the other,
the program's objective is to provide, in addition to a research methods course
in semester 1, graduate-level research competencies in three subject areas
chaired by scholars/academics based in Cambodia:
§
Khmer Language and Literature (chair: Dr. Hean Sokhom);
§
Social and Cultural History (post-Angkorian) (chair: Dr. Peter
Gyallay-Pap);
§
Buddhist and Pali Studies (chair: Dr. Olivier de Bernon) (proposed).
The instruction is preceded by a
two-month course on:
§
Qualitative Social and Cultural Research Methods Seminar (chair. Dr.
Neth Barom).
Khmer language and
literature meets needs in both the Customs & Mores and, to a lesser extent,
the Tripitaka commissions. Plausible research concentrations are Buddhist
literature, classical Khmer literature, modern/contemporary literature, and
Khmer language studies (including linguistics). Post-Angkorian social and
cultural history meets a need primarily within the Customs & Mores
Commission. Post-Angkorian history, pre-colonial and colonial in particular
(1432-1953), a period coinciding with the dominance of Theravada Buddhism, is
less well known and researched than the Angkor and even pre-Angkor periods.
There is also a need to transcend some contemporary historical accounts of an
ethno-centrist nature in favor of a more comparative and regional historical
approach. The curriculum will strike a balance between courses of a
general/comparative/regional nature and Khmer-specific courses. The most
problematical of the subject areas in terms of students' basic competencies is
Buddhist and Pali studies, which meets a need of the Tripitaka Commission.[1]
The program will draw on
qualified faculty and scholars, Khmer and non-Khmer, from Cambodian
institutions of higher learning and research – Royal Academy of Cambodia, Royal
University of Phnom Penh, Royal University of Fine Arts, Preah Sihanouk Raj
Buddhist University, and the Center for Advanced Study –, as well as the
international Center for Khmer Studies in Siemreap, to provide the needed
specialty instruction. Scholars based in
The instruction will take
place at the Buddhist Institute, which has set aside a seminar room and program
office for the project. In addition to the Institute’s library, the seminar
room doubles as a workroom for students when instruction is not taking place.
The seminar/work room is equipped with four computers connected to the
internet.
Profile of students.
The twelve students in the program were selected through an open
recruitment process. Thirty-eight applicants met the
Up to six additional participants working
for the Mores & Customs or Tripitaka commissions as paid or unpaid
volunteers, including two university graduates who had applied to the program,
will participate as auditors.[2]
To promote team-based learning and research, the 18 maximum total participants
will be organized into five teams consisting of: a team leader (from among the
most qualified of the 12 students), one or two team members, and one or two
auditors/assistants. Although all participants follow the same course of study,
the teams will be organized along the three thematic areas of study, with two
teams each assigned to Khmer Language & Literature and Social and Cultural
History, and one to Buddhist and Pali Studies.
3.1
Curriculum Outline
The course of study comprises four
five-month semesters over two academic years, September to June inclusive. Each
semester comprises 18 weeks of instruction (excluding official holidays and an
exam week). [3]
The first semester of year 1 is devoted to intensive (25 hours per week) French
and English language instruction for the first three months followed by a two
months' course on qualitative socio-cultural research methods. The second, and
to a some extent, third semester, focuses on coursework in the three subject
areas, with three courses offered in each area. Throughout the two-year course
of study, and in particular in year 2, occasional complementary lectures and
seminars by visiting scholars will be organized around the three subject areas.
Also running concurrently with the courses, lectures, and seminars will ongoing
English and French language instruction at 3 hours per week each. Year 2 is
devoted primarily to independent supervised research, leading to a master's
level thesis. In the third semester, one course each in the three subject areas
will be offered, with no courses offered in the fourth semester apart from
language instruction and guest lectures and seminars. In part because of the
heavy coursework during year 1, the frequency of the lectures and seminars will
be greater in year 2, when students will also be better prepared to
participate. In year 1, visiting scholars/academics will be encouraged where
appropriate to participate as guests in the courses.
For a semester-by-semester breakdown of the
curriculum, including course listings, instructors (incomplete), and credit
hours, see Annex A. Students fulfilling the requirements for the degree will
receive an M.A. in Cultural Studies. Those not fulfilling all requirements will
receive a diploma or certificate with which they may receive advance standing
for an M.A. degree at a later date.
3.2 Courses (Year 1).
Semester 1. The first semester concentrates on the
rapid improvement of foreign language competencies and a course in social and cultural
research methods. Intensive French and English language courses – 15 hours per
week for French, 10 hours for English – will be directed at improving reading
comprehension, text analysis, and translation/writing skills. The language
courses are credit-bearing (64 hours of instruction for one credit) but these
credits not applied towards the M.A. degree. The objective of the language
intensives is for students to be able to follow/participate in subsequent
lectures, seminars, and courses offered in French or English; to read
introductory or intermediate-level scholarly materials; and to be able to
adequately write class assignments in those languages. Following the
three-month language intensives, language study continues at 3 hours per week
each for English and French for the remainder of the two-year course.[4]
A basic qualitative research methods course
of two months at 12 hours per week (3 hours per day of instruction) commences
following the language intensives. The instruction concentrates on qualitative
socio-cultural research approaches, including fieldwork methods. The units (to
be finalized) to be covered are:[5]
§
Activities of the Research Process
§
Qualitative Research Design
§
Comparative Historical Research
§
Ethnographic/Anthropological Research
§
Qualitative Field Research
§
Folklore Collection, Analysis, Archiving
§
Qualitative Research Communications (reports, articles, theses)
§
Evaluating Research Reports
§
Ethical/Legal Considerations in Conducting Research
During the first semester, instruction takes
place on Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday. Wednesdays are reserved for
homework assignments and skills training (see below). Reading assignments will
be given as homework for the week-end. During the week, students receive
instruction or work on assignments at the Buddhist Institute from
Semester 2. The second semester of year 1 is devoted to
two courses each in the three subject areas cited above. One course in each
area is general/comparative in nature, the other specific to Khmer studies. The
six planned courses are:
·
In Khmer language & literature: Modern Khmer; Comparative
Folk Literature (Khmer, Lao, Thai, Vietnamese);
·
In social and cultural history (post-Angkorian):
·
In Buddhism & Pali Studies: Buddhist Philosophy; Pali Language &
Scriptures I;
A subject area course requires the writing
and evaluation by the teacher of a book review, essay, and a research (term)
paper in addition to mid-term and final exams.[6] Each course (including in semester 1) is
conducted as a seminar using, where appropriate, a problem-based learning (PBL)
approach that combines lectures with discussion and individual or team
presentations. Problem-based learning is student centered and embraces the
principle of learning through practice, or practicums, for which the seminar
size/format is conducive. The courses may be team taught with one instructor
assuming responsibility for a course.
3.3 Independent supervised research (Year
2)
Semesters 3 and 4. Year 2 is devoted primarily to writing a master's
level thesis under the supervision of an academic advisory council member, who
as a rule will be a Ph.D with knowledge and experience in the subject area
concerned. The third semester will include one course in each of the subject
areas:
·
In Khmer language & literature: Buddhist Literature or
Khmer Classical Literature;
·
In social and cultural history (post-Angkorian): The History and Practice
of Buddhism in
·
In Buddhism & Pali Studies: Pali Language & Scriptures II.
Both semesters will continue with ongoing French and English language instruction. Lectures and seminars by visiting scholars will be emphasized in year 2.
For the thesis, each student submits a draft
research proposal for review to a prospective thesis supervisor serving on the
program’s academic advisory council at the end of year 1. A final research
proposal defining a research topic, approach, outline, and working bibliography
will be due for approval at the beginning of year 2.[7]
With assistance from the program's teaching assistant, the thesis supervisor
works directly with the student in person and via electronic communication
(email, telephone). Each thesis is defended in front of a committee consisting
of the supervisor, a member of RUPP’s faculty of humanities and social
sciences, a second member of the program's academic advisory council, and an
external examiner.
3.3 Lectures
and seminars (Year 1 and 2).
The lectures and seminars are designed to
fit thematically into the three major subject areas during the two-year course
of study. A visiting scholar may provide a single lecture for the research
seminar or may give a public lecture at the BI in the late afternoon with a
follow-up discussion session with the students the next morning. A seminar is
at least a half-day (three- or four-hour) commitment involving student
participation, such as a preparatory reading, individual or team assignments
(for longer seminars), or small group/plenary discussions. The lecture/seminar
series bear partial credit, with students required to write a one-page review
of a lecture or seminar in the language used (Khmer, French, English). Apart
from their thematic relevance, an objective in these offerings is to have guest
lecturers and seminar leaders talk about their research or an aspect of their
research on Cambodia/the region/Buddhism from a perspective that includes or
concentrates on how they went about their work (viz., approach, method). The
visiting scholars, together with the course instructors, also provide students
with a network of potential future professional contacts in their respective
research concentrations.
Because of the heavy coursework in year 1,
the lectures and seminars will be more frequent in year 2 than in year 1.
During year 2, students will also be better prepared to absorb and participate
in the series. The goal will be to schedule at least one lecture or seminar per
month after the language intensives, for a total of seven in year 1. In year 2,
the goal will be to schedule two lectures or seminars per month for a total of
20 over 10 months. In year 1, visiting scholars and academics will be encouraged
to take part as resource persons in the courses.
Some 40
academics/scholars on
3.4
Skills training (Year 1)
The language and research methods courses
in the first semester are supplemented by three hours per week devoted to basic
research skills training. This practical training includes exposure trips to
libraries, documentation centers, and archives in
4.
Organizational Structure and Program Management
. With a modest grant from the Soros
Foundation's Open Society Institute (OSI), the project is administered jointly
with RUPP through the Center for Advanced Study (CAS), an independent Cambodian
research institute founded in 1994 and registered in 1996.[8]
There are two project staff and a consultant hired through the Center for
Advanced Study. The president of CAS serves as part-time project director. The
project director is assisted by a part-time expatriate technical advisor and a
full-time Khmer teaching assistant with subject area knowledge and teaching and/or
research experience in the humanities and social sciences. The teaching
assistant is responsible for assisting with program coordination, day-to-day
interaction with the students, maintaining student records, and facilitating
the teaching/advising effort. Project staff and the technical advisor work
through a joint CAS-OSI/RUPP(pending) program office at the Buddhist Institute.
Program implementation is the responsibility of two project-specific
organs that will disband when the project period ends. The program is managed
by a Steering Committee of representatives of the five Cambodian participating
institutions: the Buddhist Institute, as project beneficiary; Center for
Advanced Study (CAS), grant administrator and program coordinator; the Royal University
of Phnom Penh (RUPP), project partner and monitor/facilitator of the M.A.
degree program; the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC), project partner with
experience in M.A.-level teaching/studies in the humanities and social
sciences; and the Royal University of Fine Arts, project partner with knowledge
and experience in archeology/anthropology, history, and cultural preservation.
The steering committee is responsible for program decision-making including
academic policy. The chairman of the steering committee, elected at its
inaugural meeting on
The steering committee is advised by an
Academic Advisory Council comprised of the program’s faculty and other selected
scholars and academics. Council members also serve as academic advisors to the
students and research teams in year 1 and as thesis supervisors to individual
students in year 2. The international Center for Khmer Studies (CKS), based in
Siemreap, serves as an international project partner to the program. CKS's
director, Dr. Philippe Peycam, who has advised the Ministry of Education on
accreditation policy in Cambodian higher education, was elected chairman
(pending confirmation) of the council on August 23. Dr. Sorn Samnang, director
of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, was elected co-chairman (pending
confirmation).
The Steering Committee, also at its August
23 meeting, decided that it would meet as a body once per semester as well as
on an ad hoc basis if there was a need. It also decided that the Academic
Advisory Council should also meet once per semester, perhaps prior to a
regularly scheduled Steering Committee meeting. Likely dates for these meetings
would be soon after the completion of a semester (at the end of January and
June). For a diagram on the project's organizational structure, see Annex C.
For a list of members of the project staff, steering committee, and academic
advisory council (in formation), see Annex D.
Project evaluation.
The program's second year of funding is
contingent on the success of the first year. Renewal is determined in part by
project staff reports drawing on student evaluation questionnaires and written
evaluations by non-project personnel serving on the steering committee and
academic advisory council. Course instructors, lecturers, and seminar leaders
will be asked to write evaluations based on their visits and knowledge of the
program. OSI's
6. Notes.
a. Master's degree. This program has been designed in part to serve as
vehicle through which the Royal University of Phnom Penh may introduce, or
pilot, post-graduate (M.A.) level studies in its Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences. Awarding an M.A degree in Cultural Studies for students
fulfilling the requirements was the subject of a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) signed by the RUPP and the Buddhist Institute by the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (for the Buddhist Institute).
The detailed curriculum and list of students remain to be approved by the MoE's
department of higher education. The academic program adheres to guidelines in
the Student Assessment Regulations for Master Degree of Arts Programs issued by
the RUPP through the Ministry of Education and Sport in August 2001 (See Annex
E.). Following approval of the MoU, a list of the students; a listing of course
offerings per semester with instructors’ names; and a list of brief course
descriptions will be submitted to the Ministry of Education’s Department for
Scientific Research.
b. Buddhist and Pali Studies. In the absence of a qualified
monk graduate from a Buddhist university in
c. Language studies. The group's basic competency
in the French language is weaker than in English. Only one student can be
considered a francophone with relatively good working command of the language.
All but two student participants attempted the French language translation exam
but did not perform well. The group as a whole attained a grade of four on a
scale 0 to 10, with only three students achieving 6-7. Hence the greater number
of hours in the first thee months devoted to French instruction.[10]
It may be necessary for the first two months of French instruction to be
devoted to intensive general language instruction based on grammar,
conjugation, tense, and other drills. Language proficiency exams were
administered by the English teacher and the Centre Culturel Français to the
participants on
d. Research management in the
Buddhist Institute. While the grant from the Open Society Institute (OSI) was provided to
train researchers for the Buddhist Institute to strengthen its research
capacity, a commensurate need exists to strengthen the Buddhist Institute’s
institutional framework for managing research. The Mores & Customs and
Tripitika commissions lack qualified personnel and procedures to effectively
manage research and translate research into scholarly publications. Under the
original program design (as submitted to the OSI), which did not include the
M.A. degree component, it was thought possible to accomplish this
institution-building function informally, as a side benefit of the grant during
the project period. Given the increased administrative demands of the M.A.
degree program, this function cannot be met with existing resources. Additional
means for a supplementary project component thus need to be found to strengthen
the institutional capacity for research during the project period.
e. The Buddhist Institute’s
relevance in the 21st century. The issue of the Buddhist Institute’s future
relevance was cited in the introductory section of this project document. In
brief, this two-year M.A. research degree program in cultural studies is designed
to provide students with a foundation, in terms of knowledge and skills,
including critical thinking abilities, with which to be able to better address
contemporary issues upon graduation. In addition to their formal studies,
students’ interactions with project staff, faculty, and visiting scholars
during the project period will serve to expose, sensitize, and better equip
them to deal with moral and intellectual challenges facing their country, the
region, and global society. In institutional development terms relating to d.
(above), it may be possible to develop a third research track dealing with
contemporary social and cultural issues within the Mores & Customs
Commission with the view of formalizing this track into a separate research
organ or program at a later date. At this time, the only two official
research-based organs in the Buddhist Institute are the two commissions cited
in this project document.
Curriculum Structure
M.A.
in Cultural Studies
in cooperation with the
Buddhist Institute
Semester 1:
11 credits
Intensive English for
Research (3
credits)
Intensive French for
Research (2
credits)
Qualitative Research Methods
– Dr. Neth Barom (6
credits)
Description: The course, taught
by specialists, will train graduate students in general and socio-cultural
research methods. The units covered include: Activities of the Research
Process; Qualitative Research Design; Comparative Historical Research;
Ethnographic/Anthropological Research; Qualitative Field Research; Folklore
Collection, Analysis, Archiving; Qualitative Research Communications (reports,
articles, theses); Evaluating Research Reports; and Ethical/Legal
Considerations in Conducting Research.
Semester
English for Research (1
credit)
French for Research (1
credit)
Khmer Language &
Literature:
·
Modern Khmer – Dr. Hean Sokhom (3
credits)
Description:
·
Comparative Folk Literature – Dr. Klairung Amratisha (3
credits)
Description:
Burma. Taught in part through folk songs, dances, games, poems, customs, the
course will highlight the commonalities and differences among the five
countries.
Comparative study of myths,
legends, and folktales of
Social and Cultural History
(Post-Angkor):
·
Description: A comparative socio-cultural
history of Southeast Asia in the 18th-20th centuries,
with emphasis on how the local societies, cultures, and polities adapted and
changed according to western colonial
influence.
·
Khmer Cultural History – Dr. Om Ravy (pending) (3 credits)
Description:
Buddhist & Pali Studies:
·
Buddhist Philosophy – Dr. Hema Goonatilake (pending) (3
credits)
Description:
·
Pali Language & Scriptures I –
Kangvol Sachima,
Description:
Semester
English for Research (1
credit)
French for Research (1
credit)
Independent supervised
research (M.A. thesis) (4
credits)
Khmer Language &
Literature:
·
Buddhist Literature - Dr. Teri S. Yamada, Calif State Univ. (pending) (3 credits)
Description:
·
Special Lectures/Seminars* (1
credit)
Social and Cultural History
(Post-Angkor):
·
History & Practice of Buddhism in
Description:
·
Special Lectures/Seminars* (1
credit)
Buddhist & Pali Studies:
·
Pali Language & Scriptures II – Kangvol Sachima,
Description:
·
Special Lectures/Seminars* (1
credit)
Semester
English for Research (1
credit)
French for Research (1
credit)
Independent supervised
research (M.A. thesis) (8
credits)
Khmer Language &
Literature:
·
Special Lectures/Seminars * (1
credit)
Social and Cultural History
(Post-Angkor):
·
Special Lectures/Seminars* (1
credit)
Buddhist & Pali Studies:
·
Special Lectures/Seminars* (1
credit)
* Lectures and seminars are given by visiting scholars
& academics and are organized to fit into the three thematic areas.
Resource
persons for lectures, seminars, courses 2002-04
(partial listing)
Khmer Language
& Literature:
Alain Daniel,
Gerard Difflot. Siemreap, EFEO
Jean-Michel Filippi,
HEAN Sokhom, Phom Penh, CAS
KHING Hoc Dy,
LONG Seam,
POU
PRUM Moal,
Silvain Vogel,
SOM Somony,
Teri Shaffer Yamada,
Social and Cultural History (post-Angkorian):
Ang Choulean, Siemreap, APSARA
David Chandler,
William Collins (anthropology), Berkeley, UCB
Stéphane Dovert, Paris?
May
Alain Forrest, Paris?
Anne Hansen,
Caroline Hughes,
IV Chan,
KHIN Sok,
KIM Sedara (anthropology),
Judy Ledgerwood (anthropology),
John Marston (anthropology), Univ.
NOUTH Narang,
Jacques Népote (sociologue), France
Philippe Peycam, Siemreap, CKS
ROS Chantrabot,
SORN Samnang,
Christine Su,
François Tainturier, Siemreap, CKS [also: Khmer
Buddhism]
Ashley Thompson, Paris?
Buddhist and Pali Studies:
Olivier de Bernon, Phnom
Penh EFEO
Jacqueline Filliozat, Paris
François Bizot, Chiang Mai EFEO
Hema Goonatilake,
Ian Harris,
Heike Loeschmann, Chiengmai
Peter Skilling,
David Snellgrove, Siemreap(?)
Donald K. Swearer, Swarthmore (
Organigram
Strengthening the research capacity in the Buddhist
Institute
