News

With the third Audi International Jazz Festival of Phnom Penh, the organizers continue their contribution to the resurrection of Cambodia’s artistic Golden Age of the 60s. The festival directly interrelates to the capacity of musical laboratory that made the reputation of Cambodia in these times. On December 13th, Raffles Hotel Le Royal welcomes the internationally renowned Christian Brenner Quartet. One day later, they perform together with famous trumpeter Damon Brown at Topaz Restaurant.

According to a study published on November 16th, Germany is the most popular country among 50 nations. France ranks on second position, followed by the United Kingdom while Canada and Japan share position four. The United States – last year on top position – fall on rank six, suffering from a substantial drop in global perception.

With the opening of the German Embassy in Phnom Penh on November 15th, 1967 the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Federal Republic of Germany officially established diplomatic relations. Despite an interruption between 1969 and 1992, both countries remember the 50th anniversary this year.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between Germany and Cambodia, Dr. Ingo Karsten, German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, underlines the significance of the commercial and economic ties.

Fired up by an original, 5-piece Bavarian Band flown in from Munich, thousands of Cambodians, Germans and many guests form dozens of other countries enjoyed the German interpretation of cosiness at the 2017 Oktoberfest in Cambodia. Over 2,500 visitors attended the festival during two days on Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island.

Since its creation in 2008, Oktoberfest Cambodia has become an established and anticipated annual party, known as a ‘must-do’ for an eclectic mix of locals, expats and visitors of the country’s capital. By now a highlight of the social calendar, the festival brings a unique cultural event to the Kingdom: Every year, more than 3000 people gather during 2 days to enjoy a taste of German culture in Phnom Penh.

Published in the end of September, the annual EuroCham Business Confidence Survey – compiled from the responses of 115 member companies of the European Chamber of Commerce – found that while Cambodia remains an attractive destination for investment due its cheap labor, businesses were increasingly pessimistic in their outlook. Last week, EuroCham also published its updated White Book, an accumulation of 76 trade and investment policy recommendations, which could facilitate doing business in Cambodia.

In the Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018, Germany ranks fifth among 137 states worldwide, the Swiss-based World Economic Forum announced on September 27th. Annually published since 2004, the report integrates the macroeconomic and the micro/business aspects of competitiveness into a single index.

In its annual study “Education at a Glance”, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points out the strength of Germany’s vocational education and training system. With upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary vocational qualification, employment rates of individuals aged 25 to 34 are as high as for individuals with a tertiary one (86% and 87% respectively).

The next industrial revolution will introduce “smart factories” in which computers and robotics communicating wirelessly will handle physical processes with very little input from human operators, leaving few job opportunities for unskilled workers, executives of German industrial giants said during a briefing in Phnom Penh on August 25th organized by the German Business Group Cambodia (ADW). The event, titled “Industry 4.0, the Next Level of Manufacturing”, focused on the future of the internet and advanced technologies in the manufacturing sector, including its impact on human labour.