On January 16, 2018 from 15:00 to 17.00 pm, The University of Cambodia, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States of America in Phnom Penh, jointly organized a public lecture on “U.S. Foreign Policy and Trends”, lectured by H.E. George Bruno, Former Ambassador of the United States of America to Belize, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania at the United States of America Room, the 9th floor, UC Building. There were around 70 students and staff attending the lecture with frank friendly atmosphere.

To start the event, Dean Keo Chhea, on behalf of the H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Houn, President and Founder of the University of Cambodia, warmly welcomed the delegation of the Embassy of the United States of America in Phnom Penh, led by H.E. George Bruno, Former Ambassador of the United States of America, U.S embassy staff, and officials from the MFA.IC for their kind cooperation with the UC and gave a brief remarks of lecture series including the aim to expose our university students, particularly those in the fields of international relations and public policy to different views and perspectives of distinguished speakers who are researchers and practitioners in Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, Government, and Public Policy. He also touched a little bit on the situation of Cambodia in the late 1990s emphasizing on the current development with infrastructure buildings which reflect a stability of economic growth at an average rate of 7.7% in the last two decades engendered by political stability, peace and security all these years. He further mentioned the freedom of speech, belief and media enjoyed by the Cambodian people at present.

H.E. Ambassador Bruno started his lecture with detailed presentations on the elements of the US' Foreign Policy and the issues with the Trump Administrative stressing that concreted foreign policy of the new Administration is yet to be concretely established and the State Department is in process of ‘Reconstruction’ not a reform. In addition, he mentioned the different foreign policies of the U.S. Presidents from the sixtieth decades un   till the president Donald Trump. He also frankly declared that he is the Democrat.

Ambassador Bruno further mentioned the U.S Foreign Policy during the Cold War when the World Order was under the competition of power between the U.S and the USSR especially the Eastern bloc and the Western bloc, and then the New World Order after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. He also mentioned the War in Middle east, terrorism network, and the 9/11 terrorism under the president G.W. Bush.

During the Q&A, there are students and lecturers raised the questions relating to the U.S Foreign Policy. Student from Indonesia raised the question on the Controversial Policy under the President Trump era especially the Travel Ban for some Muslim countries. SEATV crew raised the questions on the immigration issues such as sending the criminal back to their own counties.

Prof. Din Merican, gave a brief wrap-up on the lecture and thanked Ambassador Bruno for spending his value time during his short stay in Cambodia. Prof. Din also mentioned about his study life in the Washington D.C. where he had met Mr. Bruno. Finally, Prof. Din expressed his deep emotional feeling when he met Ambassador Bruno after a long leaving almost half of century.