OCIC and Alliance Française Siem Reap Partner to Promote French among Siem Reap youth

On the occasion of International Francophonie Day celebrated on March 20, Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) and the Alliance Française de Siem Reap signed a partnership agreement aimed at supporting an educational and cultural program dedicated to promoting the French language in public schools in Siem Reap province.

The agreement, signed by Thierry Tea, Vice-President of OCIC, and Xavier Caillaud, Director of the Alliance Française de Siem Reap, marks the start of a three-year collaboration designed to encourage French learning through artistic and pedagogical initiatives aimed at young students.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting educational initiatives that promote international openness and the development of youth in Cambodia, in echo of the momentum driven by the Francophonie Summit.” Thierry Tea, Vice-President of OCIC

The pilot project of this collaboration is the children's opera “L’Ami Fidèle,” which serves as a starting point for a program combining cultural creation, pedagogical training, and educational activities around the French language. Two partner schools are participating in this project: Wat Bo Primary School and the Lycée Français International Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, enabling cultural exchanges between Cambodian and French students.

“The ‘L’Ami Fidèle’ opera project perfectly illustrates our desire to make French learning come alive through a collective artistic experience for students.” Xavier Caillaud, Director of the Alliance Française de Siem Reap

Francophonie holds a special place within the OCIC Group ecosystem, which develops several Francophone initiatives in Cambodia. Among these is the École Française Internationale de Phnom Penh (EFI), as well as various cultural and educational collaborations with Francophone institutions. The group also employs around fifty French-speaking staff across different sectors.

Since 2018, the Alliance Française de Siem Reap has worked to promote the French language and Francophone cultures. Its pedagogical offerings, combined with a dynamic cultural program, foster intercultural dialogue.

Through this partnership with the Alliance Française de Siem Reap, OCIC reaffirms its attachment to Francophonie values—education, cultural diversity, and knowledge sharing—as well as its commitment to supporting initiatives that contribute to international openness and the development of Cambodian youth.