Interning with the Center of Khmer Studies (CKS) for the summer of 2024 deepened my understanding of Cambodian culture and history while expanding my interest in global studies and storytelling. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only did it introduce me to Cambodian culture and history, but it also allowed me to explore my career interests in an incredibly supportive environment. My internship with CKS opened a world of possibilities in global studies, one that I will bring back to my own work in film and storytelling. 

Upon accepting the internship position, I had no idea what to expect. Not only had I never been to Cambodia, but I had never been to Southeast Asia at all. The fear and trepidation were immense, and I was unsure how I would adapt to the language and culture, or whether I would find a sense of community so far from home. 

My work with CKS focused on their large and ever-expanding library. As the library intern for the summer, I was taught about the ins and outs of managing a library, specifically one dedicated to academic research and preserving Cambodian scholarly work for a global audience. In total, I catalogued close to a thousand entries in the library system, including hundreds of newspapers and academic texts. 

Credit: Provided/Emma Alexander

My supervisors Bong Sivleng and Bong Mey were incredibly supportive in teaching me how to catalog these texts and use the library’s system, and also in helping to ease the transition into Cambodian life. For example, on my first day there, the women in the office hosted a welcome dinner for me and the other Global Intern, Effi Acquaah. It was such a wonderful surprise and immediately made me feel at ease. This dinner taught me something that would remain at the forefront of my mind the entire time I was in the country and when I arrived back home: that CKS and the people who work there are truly some of the kindest people I have ever met.

I was lucky enough to be in the office at the same time as CKS was running another one of their programs: the Junior Resident Fellows Program (JRFP). This program brings together college student scholars from France, the United States, and Cambodia to conduct independent research focused on Cambodia and to immerse them in Cambodian culture, history, and the Khmer language. The JRFP program lasts for six weeks and culminates in a public presentation of each student’s research. Topics ranged in everything from architecture to agriculture and public health, and attending the conference was a fantastic opportunity to learn about the many possibilities for research in Siem Reap.   

Credit: Provided/Emma Alexander

Because of the JRFP, I joined the students for Khmer language classes, visited Angkor Wat multiple times and toured the Angkor National Museum. Meeting college students from all over the world, focused on increasing academia in Cambodia across a variety of fields, was incredibly inspiring. It emphasized to me that CKS’s mission of global knowledge about Cambodia is applicable and needed in every field of study.  The dedication of these scholars inspired me to consider how Cambodian narratives might be incorporated in my own creative work in film. 

Outside of the workday, I was able to explore the beautiful city of Siem Reap on the weekends. As a film student, I had to go to the movies, but I also took a pottery class, a cooking class and visited both Phnom Kulen and Battambang.

I was continuously struck by the warmth and generosity of the people I met throughout the summer. In my travels, I was lucky enough to meet Bong Aki Ra, one of the founders of the Cambodian Landmine Museum. After being taken by the Khmer Rouge and forced to fight with them as a child, Bong Aki Ra dedicated his life to making a safer Cambodia by dismantling landmines and teaching the public about their dangers. The museum served as a powerful reminder of the importance of historical awareness, and the impact an individual can have to shape a better future.

Working with an NGO like CKS, which is committed to education and cultural preservation, reminded me of the impact that individuals and institutions can have. CKS sat on the grounds of Wat Damnak, which also housed a primary school and a temple. Seeing the impact of the work I was doing by shelving hundreds of texts and knowing that I was helping the students I saw every day was incredibly valuable. In addition to working on the day-to-day tasks of running a library, I was also in charge of writing up reports on user feedback from the library, so I got to hear firsthand how much CKS and the library played a positive role in the lives of students and researchers. 

This internship solidified my interest in global academic work and deepened my commitment to cross-cultural storytelling. I would love to one day return to Cambodia and CKS. I want to thank Bong Sivleng, Bong Mey and everyone at CKS for their guidance, support, kindness and friendship throughout the time I spent in Cambodia. It is because of them that I have grown as a scholar, student and person, and was able to find a global community that I will cherish forever.

Emma Alexander '26 studies communication and film at Cornell. She was a Global Intern in summer 2024.