Cambodian students won awards from training in Thailand

Between the 12^th and 23^rd of September 2018, Chaing Mai University hosted a training program known as the Summer Camp on Mobile Marketing for participating students from various institutions in the region. At the camp, students from five countries including China, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia explored digital marketing and e-commerce. To reinforce students’ understanding about materials provided by the training, the organizers also required participants to form teams and compete for “the Best E-Commerce Business Plan” and “the Best E-Commerce Website.”

Mr. Sokhavirth SORN, a junior student majoring in computer science from Paragon International University and participant in the training program, won the best e-commerce business plan with his team. During the program, Sokhavirth had an opportunity to improve his social skills as he networked with students who came from strong academic backgrounds and and who were equiped with strong interpersonal skills. The ParagonIU student also observed that although Cambodian people have creative business ideas; Cambodia is still limited in mobile technology. Thailand, on the other hand, has comprehensively integrated its economy with technologies. As can be seen, technologies such as mobile payment, bike renting servce with QR code and mobile applications for tourists are available everywhere across this neighboring country.

Mr. Rathanak DUONG, a senior student majoring in economics from Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia was also a participant and member of the team who won the best e-commerce website award. In the Summer Camp, Ratthanak realized that e-commerce has a major influence on economy as it can connect businesses with local and international markets. Dr. Heng SOK, head of the management of information systems department at Paragon International University also shares similar views with Ratthanak about e-commerce and digital economy. He sees digital marketing as an effective mechanism to market products to large numbers of people because there are more and more online users nowadays. Now with the importance of digital technologies, the program provided a platform for students to learn how to integrate technologies with business ideas, according to Dr. Heng SOK.

It should be noted that Sokhavirth’s team won the best e-commerce idea because it was creative. The team initiaited an idea of designing a website for people to make money from items they do not often use such as cameras, musical instruments, consctruction equipment by putting them the site for people to rent. For Rathanak, his team won the best e-commerce website because the website provides convinience for users to order food delivery.