Hang Amatak is proud of his contribution to building his motherland after acquiring architectural knowledge at Chinese colleges and gaining work experience at Chinese enterprises.
Hang, 30, began to working on the new Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as a structural engineer in Feb 2020.
Born in Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia, Hang academic performance from primary school to high school was excellent. In 2009, he scored eighth place during a national examination and earned a Chinese government scholarship.
He came to China in 2010 and over the following eight years finished Chinese language studies at Tongji University in Shanghai, obtained a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and a master's degree in structural engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.
"My motherland is also a developing country with weak infrastructure, so I chose majors related to construction," he said. "I hoped to learn more about China's advanced technology and development model, which can be applied to the development of my country in the future."
After graduation in Harbin in 2018, he joined China State Construction Engineering Corp, a global investment and construction group, and became an engineer of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co, a subsidiary company located in Wuhan, Hubei province. For the first two years, he was dispatched to work on company projects in Vietnam.
A big moment came in early 2020, when he heard the news that the company would be involved in the airport project in Phnom Penh. Hang immediately signed up. His aspiration of building up his motherland with his own power was soon fulfilled.
Located about 20 kilometers south of Phnom Penh, the airport project covers 26 million square meters, including 214,000 sq m of construction area.
Upon completion, the four-level international airport, the highest class of airport and one capable of handling a variety of large aircraft, will become the first of its kind in Cambodia.
"It is a rare opportunity to participate in such a large-scale airport project that many engineers might have to wait 20 to 30 years to participate in," he said. "Working together with colleagues from different countries, such as China, Malaysia and the Philippines, I got the chance to improve my abilities in management and communication as I studied and talked with others."
His study experience in China helped him bridge the communication gap between Cambodian and Chinese employees and better solve difficulties they encountered.
"Talent training is a difficult and long process," he said. "I hope my experience will inspire more Cambodian students to study abroad, especially in China. Then they, too, can repay our motherland and society after mastering knowledge and improving skills."
"May both China and Cambodia become better and better," he added.
