Prak Sonnara

Born in 1971 in Phnom Penh, the Capital City of Cambodia, His Excellency Prak Sonnara has pursued his BA of Archaeology at Royal University of Fine Arts, Cambodia, and MA of Archaeology at Royal Academy of Cambodia. Besides studies, he has actively participated in many training programs, workshops, seminars and meetings conducted both in Cambodia and abroad. After graduation, he worked as Assistant to National and International Professors in Southeast Asian Archaeology, World Pre-history, Khmer Civilization in the Middle Period, Khmer Epigraphy, and History of Cambodia and Southeast Asia, at the Faculty of Archaeology, Royal University of Fine Arts, Cambodia, and used to be a Lecturer in Khmer Art History, History of Cambodia and Southeast Asia at the same university. So far, he has also supervised students’ theses in archaeology for their graduation.

Since 1998, he has been working in the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia. Before being promoted to the position as Secretary of State responsible for Cambodian cultural heritage nowadays, he used to hold various positions consecutively in his career life from Vice-Chief of Bureau Official and then Head of Bureau Official in Cultural Heritage Research, Deputy Director of Museums, Deputy Director-General of Cultural Heritage, and Director-General of Cultural Heritage. To the present, he has also served other two positions first as Head of the Secretariat of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Coordination, Evaluation and Examination of Khmer Artefacts for International Exhibitions and second as member of the Council Boards of APSARA National Authority and Preah Vihear National Authority, all of which are responsible for safeguarding World Cultural Heritages of Cambodia.