Ly Sreyneang: Internship experience and impressions at ODC

I am currently a fourth-year student in the Department of Natural Resource Management and Development, Faculty of Development Studies, at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.​ My field of study broadly covers natural resources, such as sustainable natural resource management, conservation, land use, environmental impact assessment (EIA), environmental laws and regulations, protected areas, mineral resources, fisheries resources, coastal zone management, GIS data, research methodology, and ecosystem restoration and improvement. Most of the data I used to research and complete my additional coursework was downloaded directly from Open Development Cambodia Organization (ODC) website.

I began my first internship experience at ODC on July 6, 2026, in the Editorial and Research Unit. I am truly delighted and grateful for this valuable opportunity that ODC has provided me. During my time here, I have learned a great deal and gained new knowledge beyond the classroom, and it has truly been a valuable opportunity for me to learn more about natural resources and further develop my research skills.​

The three months I spent working at ODC have been a truly valuable opportunity and experience, where I gained much more than just knowledge about natural resources. Through my role and daily tasks of reading and staying up to date with current news to publish on the ODC’s website, I acquired new insights every single day. Even though this was a daily routine, I never felt bored or fatigued, driven by my passion, curiosity about social issues and development, and a strong desire to​​ learn. Continuous daily learning is my personal aspiration to continuously develop myself and contribute to the ongoing progress of society.

Along with this, I wrote a topic page on “Ecosystems”. Through this topic, I gained a deeper understanding of what an ecosystem is and the benefits it provides to our planet. Since I had to draft this topic page in both Khmer and English, it served as an opportunity to improve my writing skills as well as my English proficiency. Furthermore, I acquired additional knowledge and practical skills, such as conducting research, data collection methods, data citation, and preserving the original meaning of source materials. In addition to the article, I wrote 10 pieces of content focusing on forests. One part highlighted short statements about scientifically inaccurate beliefs and common misconceptions that people have held over time, while the other part debunked those myths by providing correct, evidence-based explanations grounded in science and reality. Writing these pieces helped correct my own prior misconceptions, deepened my knowledge about forests, and allowed me to share meaningful insights with the public.

Furthermore, ODC provided me with the opportunity to participate in the Cambodia ICT Camp 2026, where I successfully contributed to organizing the event as a volunteer. I supported the logistics team, managing transportation and materials setup. My team and I focused on distributing materials to all participants, managing daily check-in attendance sheets, handling lunch and dinner coupons, and remaining on standby to support external contributions from attendees. Additionally, I assisted in overseeing and setting up the various breakout discussion rooms. I didn’t just contribute to organizing the event, but I also learned a great deal from every session where national and international speakers shared insights on artificial intelligence (AI), digital security, rights, and access to information, among other topics. Beyond logistical support, I also authored a blog post on “Highlights from Day Two of Cambodia ICT Camp 2026“, which was published on the website.

Read more about Sreyneang here

During this three-month internship at ODC, I gained far more than just knowledge and work experience. I was also embraced with a warm welcome, insightful guidance, and mutual respect from the team. I consistently received helpful advice and attentive support from the team toward all the other interns and me, ensuring we never felt pressured at work. I have firmly resolved to look up to the ODC team as my role models, aspiring to embody their professional conduct, knowledge, dedicated work ethic, and spirit of teamwork. I am deeply grateful to ODC for providing me with this exceptional opportunity during these three months. The experience and knowledge I gained at ODC will serve as a vital foundation for my future studies and career path. I wish ODC continued success and even greater growth ahead. ODC is truly a wonderful institution that plays a meaningful role in empowering young people to contribute to the development of society.​ Thank You!