By 2023, the Faculty of Pharmacy has 23 full-time academic staff and 84 part-time lecturers (62 national lecturers and 22 international lecturers).
Asst. Prof. Chhea Sophearom, Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Puthisastra (UP), Cambodia
Asst. Prof. Chhea Sophearom is currently serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Puthisastra (UP). He has demonstrated exceptional leadership and academic excellence, earning the Employee of the Year – Academic (Exceptional Performance) Award in 2019. With 12 years of experience in education, he has been instrumental in enhancing academics, operations, and student rotations within the Faculty of Pharmacy.
He has played a key role in curriculum development, short-course design, and the establishment of new programs, including the Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Master of Medical Biology. Throughout his career, he has led 40 workshops and training sessions, both locally and internationally. His collaborations with international lecturers from France, India, the UK, Thailand, Pakistan, Nigeria, Australia, and New Zealand have enriched the academic experience at UP. He has also been invited as a keynote speaker and trainer on topics such as assessment design, problem-based learning, and learning outcome development.
Additionally, Asst. Prof. Chhea Sophearom has extensive expertise in laboratory design, having contributed to the development of facilities for Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Medical Biology, Pharmacognosy, and Pharmaceutical Technology. He has also built strong partnerships with hospitals and pharmaceutical industries to secure clerkship and internship opportunities for students.
With eight years of experience in health and research, he has made significant contributions to enhancing research quality at UP. As a researcher, he has published over 10 abstracts and full-text papers in conference proceedings and academic journals. He has also served as a committee member for research conferences for four years and has led 29 projects since 2015, including 14 research projects. His two most recent projects—Community Outreach in Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri Provinces, Cambodia were successfully implemented with budgets of USD 62,954.05 and USD 66,173.80, respectively. His leadership and commitment continue to drive advancements in research across Cambodia.
Beyond academia, Asst. Prof. Chhea Sophearom has over eight years of experience in retail pharmacy, having worked as a pharmacy manager, pharmacist, and pharmacy assistant in various retail pharmacies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he successfully established two retail pharmacies within three years.
Academically, he holds a Pharmacist Degree, a Bachelor of Education in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), and a Master of Science in Epidemiology. He has received multiple scholarships and awards, including a full scholarship for a Master of Pharmacy at Airlangga University, Indonesia, a full scholarship for his pharmacist degree, and the Samdech Techo Hun Sen – Dr. Haruhisa Handa National Scholarship. Additionally, he holds a DELF B1 certification in French.
Throughout his career, Asst. Prof. Chhea Sophearom has taken on multiple roles, including dean, assistant dean, researcher, educator, pharmacy manager, pharmacist, laboratory technician, trainer, translator, lecturer, and project leader. His diverse expertise, leadership skills, and dedication have significantly contributed to the advancement of pharmacy education and research in Cambodia.