The annual J. Earl Moreland Lecture on Asia will be held at Randolph-Macon College on April 4, 2016 at 7 p.m. in Birdsong Hall (106 E. Patrick St.). Chum Bun Rong, Cambodian Ambassador to the United States and Mexico, will present “Cambodia and the State of Cambodian-American Relations.” This event is free and open to the public. Map and Directions

“We are honored to have the Ambassador take time from his busy schedule to visit our campus, and we hope this marks the beginning of a fruitful relationship between the people of Cambodia and Randolph-Macon College,” says Todd Munson, professor of Asian Studies and director of the Asian Studies program.

Ambassador Chum Bun Rong
His Excellency Bun Rong was appointed the Kingdom of Cambodia’s ambassador to the United States on August 3, 2015. The Ambassador also serves as ambassador to Mexico.

The Ambassador earned a bachelor’s degree in law and human sciences at Potsdam Academy in Germany. He served as a second lieutenant in Cambodia’s army from 1972 to 1975. When the Khmer Rouge took over the country in 1975, he initially went into hiding, then was imprisoned by the regime.

In 1979, after Vietnamese troops invaded Cambodia to overthrow the Khmer Rouge government, The Ambassador was a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation under Foreign Minister Hun Sen. Beginning in 1991, The Ambassador was a member of the ruling Supreme National Council that existed in the run-up to UN-sponsored elections.

In 1994, His Excellency Bun Rong was named director general of the Social Fund of the Kingdom of Cambodia. In 2006, he was made deputy secretary general for the National Authority for Land Dispute Resolution. In 2008, The Ambassador was named an advisor to Prime Minister Hun Sen and secretary general of Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority, where he served until 2014.

The J. Earl Moreland Lecture on Asia
Each spring, the J. Earl Moreland Lecture on Asia brings a distinguished expert to the Randolph-Macon campus for a public lecture. The purpose of the lecture is to create greater student understanding and interest in Asian affairs through direct contact with distinguished scholars and prominent professionals.

The lecture series was established through a generous donation from the late Dr. Lik Kiu Ding ’49 to commemorate Dr. J. Earl Moreland, who served as president of Randolph-Macon from 1939-1967.

Previous Moreland Lecture guests include writer Evan Osnos; director Jia Zhangke, actress Zhao Tao, and Tom Vick, curator of Asian film, Smithsonian Institution; Yunsheng Huang, associate professor of Asian architecture, University of Virginia; and author Raj Patel.