PHNOM PENH — At just 25, Kao Socheata has become the only Cambodian to win the prestigious Talents4UniTO Scholarship 2025, earning a place in one of Italy’s oldest universities to study how countries cooperate, develop, and solve global problems. She hopes the experience will equip her with the tools to support Cambodia’s social and economic development in the years ahead.

Born in Kandal province and later raised in Phnom Penh, Socheata grew up devouring books and nurturing an early fascination with history, world affairs, and how nations engage with one another. That curiosity eventually guided her toward international relations.

Her undergraduate journey took her across borders. Through a 2+2 scholarship program, she studied first at Paragon University from 2018 to 2020 before completing her degree in International Relations and Global Affairs at Mahidol University International College in Thailand in 2022.

Her academic training opened the door to a range of professional roles. In 2022, she interned in policy and communication at the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce. The following year, she coordinated events for the International Business Chamber of Cambodia.

By 2024, she was serving as an assistant to the CEO at the Skills Development Fund, gaining hands-on experience in project implementation and administration.

By the time she applied for graduate school, she had more than two years of work experience and an internship behind her. Those early roles made her realize how much more she wanted to learn.

“Once I started working, I saw how wide the field is and how much I still didn’t know,” she said. “I want to understand things more deeply so I can work better and contribute more to society.”

Among Italy’s Oldest Institutions

Her first attempt at the Talents4UniTO Scholarship was a success. She earned a place in the University of Turin’s two-year master’s program in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation (AGIC), running from September 2025 to September 2027.

Founded in 1404, the University of Turin ranks among Italy’s oldest and most respected institutions. The scholarship provides a monthly stipend and full tuition waiver. Only a small number of applicants are selected, based on strong academic performance and a demonstrated commitment to global cooperation and development.

Socheata is now studying full-time, attending classes taught by international lecturers whose perspectives often differ from what she previously encountered in South Asia — a difference she finds energizing.

The AGIC curriculum is demanding, with heavy reading loads and extensive research requirements. Her background in international relations provides a solid foundation, though she admits the coursework is far deeper and more rigorous than anything she has done before.

Outside the classroom, she faces new challenges. Italian is widely used in daily life, and navigating everyday tasks can be isolating. To adjust, she has started taking Italian lessons, connecting with other international students, and working on skills such as adaptability, communication, and resilience.

Developing Cooperation Skills

The AGIC program focuses on international cooperation, policy analysis, project design, global issues, legal frameworks, and regional studies — areas Socheata believes are essential for effective development work.

She emphasized that strong cooperation between governments and development partners ensures that reforms and projects are well-coordinated, aligned with global standards, and supported by the right expertise.

“Good cooperation skills help avoid duplication, strengthen accountability, and create long-lasting, meaningful impact,” she said.

Socheata hopes the program will prepare her for roles that involve working closely with development agencies, particularly those supporting Cambodia in tackling social and economic challenges.

“This major is perfect for me because I want to work in project implementation with development partners,” she said. “I hope to join teams that design programs responding to Cambodia’s most important needs.”

Her early experience in project management showed her where her knowledge gaps were, and she believes the program will help close them. Development partners, she noted, play a vital role in providing financial and technical support across key sectors such as health, education, and infrastructure while helping advance national reforms.

“Strong collaboration has allowed Cambodia to use resources more effectively, strengthen institutions, and pursue long-term development goals,” she said.

Encouraging Students to Pursue More Scholarships

Socheata has noticed that international cooperation roles in Cambodia are often filled by foreigners — something she believes is related to disparities in exposure and experience. At her university in Italy, she suspects she may be the only Cambodian student, which underscores how few Cambodians pursue opportunities there.

She also observed that Vietnamese students are more numerous on campus, likely due to smoother academic ties and more active exchange programs between Vietnam and Italy. Cambodian students, she said, tend to focus their scholarship search on only a handful of countries.

“Information about this scholarship is limited because it’s not as well-known. That reduces the number of Cambodian applicants since many apply in only one direction,” she said.

She discovered the Talents4UniTO Scholarship by chance after seeing a post online, then researched the program further and sought guidance from an Italian professor.

Having faced several rejections in earlier scholarship attempts, she encourages students not to be discouraged and to look beyond the most popular destinations.

“What you want is not always what you need,” she said. “Follow your passion, even if it’s not the most common path. You don’t have to go where everyone else is going — there are so many scholarships out there.”

She hopes more Cambodian students will consider Italy, especially for programs like AGIC that complement backgrounds in international relations.

Socheata also advises students to broaden where they search for information. Relying only on widely circulated scholarships on social media, she said, can cause students to overlook excellent opportunities that may be less publicized but equally — or even more — beneficial.

“The popular scholarships you know are the ones everyone else knows too,” she said. “That makes them extremely competitive, and rejection can really shake your confidence when you don’t get the one you were aiming for.”