Cambodian Ambassador requests scholarships for medicine, pharmacy, and engineering at Al-Azhar University.

Al-Azhar enjoys wide respect in Cambodia and is a destination for Muslim students of knowledge.

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad al-Tayyeb received today, Sunday, at Al-Azhar, His Excellency UK Sarun, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia to Egypt, to discuss ways to enhance scientific and religious cooperation.

The Grand Imam stated that Al-Azhar is proud of its scientific and religious relations with the Kingdom of Cambodia, noting that Cambodian students have played an important role in strengthening and advancing this relationship. Currently, 122 Cambodian students, male and female, study at Al-Azhar, 97 of whom are on Al-Azhar scholarships. Al-Azhar provides 22 scholarships annually for Cambodian students to enroll at Al-Azhar University.

His Eminence affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to host Cambodian imams for training at Al-Azhar Academy for the Training of Imams and Preachers, to hone their skills in addressing contemporary issues such as refuting extremist ideas, issues of coexistence and positive integration, and responding to misconceptions surrounding the status of women in Islam. He also affirmed Al-Azhar's readiness to establish an Arabic language teaching center in Cambodia to meet the needs of Cambodian Muslims and the Muslim community there to learn the language of the Holy Quran.

The Cambodian Ambassador, for his part, affirmed his country's appreciation for the significant role played by the Grand Imam in spreading the culture of brotherhood and the values of positive coexistence globally, emphasizing that Al-Azhar is highly respected by the Cambodian people and is a destination for Muslim scholars.

Mr. Sarun asked His Eminence to allocate a number of scholarships to study medicine, pharmacy, and engineering at Al-Azhar University, as the Cambodian people are in dire need of such fields, along with scholarships in Islamic studies and the Arabic language. His Eminence welcomed this proposal, affirming Al-Azhar's readiness to respond to it as soon as possible.