Matthew Schenk, EdD, is President of the American University of Phnom Penh.
Dr. Schenk’s agenda as president centers on what determines the value of an AUPP degree: accreditation and quality assurance that satisfy Cambodian and American standards alike, a faculty supported by serious investment in teaching and scholarship, the support students need to persist and graduate on time, and international partnerships that deliver lasting opportunities for students and faculty.
He came to AUPP from Zhengzhou, China, where for five years he served as dean of one of the largest Sino-American dual degree programs in the country, enrolling more than 5,000 students pursuing Chinese and American degrees simultaneously. Under his leadership the program achieved full alignment across Chinese and American regulatory requirements, earned accreditation from the Chinese Ministry of Education for the first time in its history, and raised its on-time graduation rate from 63 to 95 percent.
Dr. Schenk began his career in American public education in Arizona, where he founded a highly sought-after Mandarin immersion program. He has taught in the graduate program in educational leadership at Arizona State University, working with career changers entering the teaching profession.
He holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. He has lived and worked in Asia since 2020 and makes his home in Phnom Penh.