Education Research for Effective Policy Reforms

Project Objective

• To undertake policy-relevant research to inform, support and influence the reform of higher education in Cambodia;
• To produce high quality, accessible, user-friendly policy research products to fill knowledge gaps and provide evidence for sound policymaking on higher education reform;
• To establish collaborative partnerships for policy dialogue and research between CDRI, government agencies and higher education institutions, the private sector and other major stakeholders in higher education reform;
• To build the knowledge, skills and research capacity of CDRI and its Higher Learning Hub (HLH) as a centre of excellence in higher education policy research and capacity development for academic leaders.

Project Description

A five-year project called ‘Education Research for Effective Policy Reforms’ with a total funding of USD446,713 aims to produce independent, objective, high quality policy-relevant higher education research, and to maximise the accessibility of this knowledge to policymakers, influencers and stakeholders, and its policy impact. This project also works to make a significant contribution to Cambodia’s national development research culture, capacity and institutions and community awareness of development issues. CDRI through the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation does these through three interconnected approaches, which include: policy research, dialogue and capacity building. In collaboration with the existing actors in higher education system such as the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Institute of Technology of Cambodia and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the project works to deliver the outputs, including but not limited to:

• A series of high-quality research studies/reports/working papers/monographs on each of the issues covered published in Khmer and English;
• A carefully designed program of structured policy dialogues, consultative workshops, symposiums and dissemination events;
• Establishment of expert advice and peer review mechanism to ensure the relevance and quality of program activities and products;
• An integrated capacity building and gender awareness component to build the knowledge and skills of Cambodian researchers within and beyond CDRI;
• Effective evidence-based education, policy advocacy and influencing mechanisms owned and driven by Cambodian researchers, educators and officials;
• An effective CDRI-MOEYS institutional partnership;
• A strong foundation for an ongoing long-term CDRI higher education policy research program.