Assessing Social Sciences and Humanities Research Capacity in Cambodia

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Abstract

Although social sciences and humanities were initially prioritized in Cambodia’s post-war reconstruction efforts, the government has since shifted focus toward STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. This shift could inadvertently hinder progress as research in social sciences and humanities is critical for informing policy decisions on human and societal issues. Within this context, this study focuses on two key factors affecting research performance in social sciences and humanities in Cambodia: (a) the research skills of social sciences and humanities researchers and (b) the institutional capability to support research. A voluntary response to an online survey to assess research skills found that only English language proficiency was rated at a good level, though this needs to be carefully interpreted, while the other five sub-skills of the research process – searching, planning, and organization, data collection, data analysis, and reporting and communication – were at basic levels. Interviews with representatives from universities and research institutions revealed insights into the capabilities to support research through financial backing, skill development opportunities, and infrastructure. A common theme was the inadequacy of financial and infrastructural resources. The study recommends targeted training across all six research sub-skills, establishing an endowment fund, especially for disadvantaged researchers, setting milestone requirements for graduate students to write a thesis, creating formal research career paths, and offering incentives to attract and retain researchers.

Bio

Speaker: Dr. Leang Un is the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He graduated in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He served as the Chief of the World Bank’s Innovative and Development Grants under the HEQCIP program. He was a research fellow and visiting scholar at Makerere University (Uganda) in 2009, Northern Illinois University (USA) in 2011, a research fellow at Kyoto University (Japan) and University Sains Malaysia (Malaysia) in 2019, a visiting professor at Nagoya University (Japan) in 2022, and a senior research fellow at the Center for Khmer Studies in 2014. Dr. UN Leang’s academic reputation is evident in his invitations to speak at prominent academic institutions and development forums, both in Cambodia and internationally, including Education University of Hong Kong, Kyoto University, Nagoya University, Comparative Education Society of Asia, Swedish International Development Agency, Centre for Khmer Studies, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia, Cambodia Development Centre and Association of Asian Studies. He has led research teams for various projects related to education, social sciences, and humanities. His research focuses on comparative education, education policy, and the role of education in post-conflict development, with a recent shift towards social sciences and humanities.

Moderator: Prof. George Chigas is an Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus in Cambodian Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he taught courses in Cambodian literature and cultural history. He earned his doctorate in Southeast Asian Languages and Cultures from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London and his masters in Asian Studies from Cornell University. He is the author of Tum Teav, A Translation and Literary Analysis of a Cambodian Classic. He currently lives in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

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