Named after the endangered Sarus Crane which migrates annually between the wetlands of Cambodia and Vietnam, the Sarus Exchange Program is the first student exchange program for Cambodian and Vietnamese university students. Sarus aims to promote greater understanding and friendship between the youth of Vietnam and Cambodia through community service, research projects, group communication and travel. In July, twelve Cambodian students and twelve Vietnamese students live, work, and learn together for one month, spending two weeks in each country. The exchange is held entirely in English.
Two weeks take place in Kampong Speu, Cambodia, volunteering at the Orphans and Care Training Center (OCTO), a center for disadvantaged children. At OCTO, students complete various construction projects as well as organize educational activities for children. During their time in Cambodia, students visit Phnom Penh for orientation and travel to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap in order to learn about the history and culture of Cambodia.
After two weeks in Cambodia, participants travel together to Vietnam to do similar construction projects at the Vinh Son Center, a center for disadvantaged children in Ho Chi Minh City. In Vietnam, students travel to Da Lat to learn about the unique minority cultures and ecology of Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
The Sarus Exchange Program also includes four months of orientation and training from March to July. During this period, students learn about the Sarus mission, values, and educational philosophy. Students actively learn about the culture of their neighbor by conducting individual research on a topic relating to the other country. Sarus takes much pride in this aspect of the program, as Cambodian and Vietnamese students do not have the opportunity to carry out meaningful research and write academic papers otherwise. Also during this preparation period, students participate in a course that trains them to teach children, and take an overnight field trip to a center for disadvantaged children where they practice teaching, cooking, construction, and living as a group. Finally, students take part in a pre-departure orientation shortly before July where they learn about culture shock, cross-cultural communication skills, and basic language skills.
In August, upon returning to their home countries, students are responsible for completing a community-based learning initiative where they share their experiences and research findings with the community. This education project can range anywhere from holding a seminar, organizing an educational field trip, or completing local community service projects.
