VOA慢速英语--Technology Leaders from Cambodia Leave US with Ideas

 

Five technology experts from Cambodia had never met each other until they made a three-week trip to the United States.

Recently, the five techies returned home to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. They are now excited about working together on creating a start-up company.

The Cambodians met through a State Department project called the International Visitor Leadership Program, or IVLP. During the U.S. visit, they visited technology companies and spoke¹ with tech industry leaders. They discussed how the two sides could work together on future projects.

“Before, when I thought about a million-dollar business, it was only a dream,” said Sopheakmonkol Sok, co-founder² of Codingate, a developer of computer software.

Exchanging with Americans and Learning from each other

The purpose of the State Department trip was to take the five Cambodians to small- and medium-sized businesses in the technology industry. They met with tech leaders in five U.S. cities: Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Ohio, Raleigh, North Carolina, and San Francisco and San Jose, in California. The group also went to California’s Silicon³ Valley, where Sok said they visited “successful technology companies, big and small.”

“…We saw how they operate and manage their business, and we learned from their success,” Sok said.

“We [told] them about the development in our country,” said Langda Chea, who founded and heads a service called BookMeBus. Its app helps users find Cambodian buses, boats and taxis.

Chea listed other changes taking place in Cambodia, such as a fast, low-cost internet infrastructure⁴, an improving business environment and the growth of an educated workforce⁵.

These developments, Chea said, “show potential because it’s an advantage for us if they invest in Cambodia.”

Nicholas Geisinger works as a program officer for the IVLP. He led the Cambodian group during its U.S. visit.

Geisinger says the program is successful when it provides support for an exchange of ideas among the visitors and Americans. It is effective when the visitors learn “and have new ideas by talking with each other in this new environment,” he said. “That’s a huge win for the program, a win for the people of Cambodia, and I can’t wait to see what they will do next.”

The Cambodians say they plan to work together to create a financial technology startup company.

“The advantage is that, when we succeed, it can help Cambodia, it helps the next generation,” Chea said.

Working with local governments

The five visitors said they were surprised how different levels of government in the United States provide support to startup companies.

In San Francisco, the five visited the Mayor’s Office of Civic⁶ Innovation. There, they and local technology representatives discussed how local businesses and the city government can support each other.

Siobhan Oat-Judge, who works in the office, says the San Francisco community profits when it supports start-ups.

“They are bringing new ideas, new technology that are helping⁷ us to improve the way we are doing things,” Oat-Judge said.

This kind of partnership⁸ is not as easy in Cambodia, said Visal In, co-founder of the first Cambodian technology startup supported by Silicon Valley investors⁹.

“Some companies outside Cambodia totally depend on getting grants, and in Cambodia it would be difficult if we did that,” In said. He added that other companies outside Cambodia might be able to support themselves for five or six years without a profit, if they have a good idea.

“In Cambodia, that’s impossible,” he said.

Kounila Keo, one of the two women in the group, said she would like to see the Cambodian government increase its support for startups.

“What I want to have in Cambodia in the future is a better and closer cooperation between the government and private companies in order to enhance the tech startup and tech entrepreneurship initiatives.”

I’m Phil Dierking.

Words in This Story

accelerate - v. to move faster?

entrepreneur - n. a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money?

founder - n. a person who creates or establishes something that is meant to last for a long time (such as a business or school)?

initiative - n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem?

start-up - n. a new business

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

6 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会