Cambodia's Ministry of Rural Development Concludes Training on Buddhist Ethics

The Ministry of Rural Development of Cambodia held a closing ceremony for a training course on the "Noble Eightfold Path" at its headquarters on the afternoon of Friday, September 11, 2026. The auspicious event was attended by the Secretary of State, Secretaries of State, Excellencies, Ladies, and Gentlemen, leaders and civil servants under the Ministry of Rural Development, as well as officials from the Departments of Rural Development in all 25 provinces and cities. Mr. Touch Siphat, Secretary General of the General Secretariat, presented a summary report of the training course's results. He stated that the training course on the "Noble Eightfold Path" had a total of 70 participants, including leaders and civil servants from the Ministry of Rural Development, with 10 females. The course was held every Thursday for 2 hours via Zoom over 8 weeks, from July 23 to September 10, 2026. Mr. Khuch Linny, representing the trainees, shared his impressions, stating that the training course has provided invaluable knowledge that has awakened the consciousness and guided all trainees to become officials with virtues, integrity, and high professional ethics. His Excellency Chhay Rithisen, Minister of Rural Development, praised and thanked Maha Upasaka Buddhist supporter Ieng Sothara, an advisor to the Supreme Sangha Council of the Great Nikaya of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Director of Sammak-Karm Business School, for dedicating his time and intellect to personally instruct and share Buddhist wisdom, virtues, and philosophy with the leaders and civil servants of the Ministry of Rural Development. His Excellency the Minister continued that human capital development is a crucial pillar among the five pillars of the "Pentagon Strategy Phase 1" of the government of the 7th legislature of the National Assembly, under the wise leadership of Samdech Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, to achieve Cambodia's vision by 2050. In accordance with this strategic framework, the Ministry of Rural Development not only needs officials with technical skills and expertise but most importantly, civil servants with capacity, virtues, morality, and a high sense of responsibility. In this regard, the successfully concluded training course has precisely met the direction the Ministry needs, by integrating mental education in the style of Buddhist philosophy into the personality building and work culture of the civil servants of the Ministry of Rural Development. His Excellency the Minister also provided recommendations to the attendees to diligently apply the wisdom gained from this training course in their real lives and work to fully realize its value, and to further strengthen "leadership, virtues, morality, and solidarity" within each unit of the Ministry of Rural Development. By Pich Samoun (Source: Ministry of Rural Development)