Centre for Educational Research and Innovation

CERI is dedicated to conducting high-quality research with a primary focus on education and training in Cambodia and the region to generate knowledge from qualitative and quantitative analyses rooted in data and evidence. Utilising the knowledge we generate, the centre actively facilitates policy discussions between both national and international researchers, policymakers, and practitioners through a series of workshops and policy dialogues held at both national and regional levels. In pursuit of our objectives, CERI maintain close collaborations with government agencies, educational and training institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other pertinent stakeholders. This collective effort is to foster innovation and implement effective solutions in education and training. CERI's core activities revolve around research, capacity development, and policy engagement. Currently, our key areas of focus for research encompass educational technology, skills development, the advancement of quality education, and the promotion of inclusive education, spanning from K12 to higher education.


Digital Transformation and Financial Inclusion in Asia and the Pacific

Overseas Development Institute

Access to formal financial services and technology across low-, middle- and high-income countries is far from universal. East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia together account for over 800 million unbanked people, and the regio...

Learning to Improve Book Resource Operational Systems (LIBROS)

United States Agency for International Development | University of Notre Dame

This is a part of the Supporting Holistic and Actionable Research in Education (SHARE), a five-year cooperative agreement with the University of Notre Dame (UND) supported by the USAID’s new Bureau for Development, Democracy, and...

Thnal Udom Chomnes: Reimagining Future Education of Cambodia

The Asia Foundation | The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Ponlok Chammes

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about educational disruptions from pre-school to higher education in Cambodia and around the world. Although the impact of the pandemic in Cambodia was relatively low in comparison to other countr...

Thnal Udom Chomnes: Promoting Cambodian Higher Education Innovation

The Asia Foundation | The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Ponlok Chammes

This three-year programme is supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through The Asia Foundation (TAF)’s Ponlok Chomnes Programme: Data and Dialogue for Development in Cambodia. In this programme...

Building Regional Partnership for Higher Education Innovation

Lancang-Mekong Cooperation

With a steady economic growth hovering between 7-8 percent over the past two decades, Cambodia achieved a lower-middle-income in 2015. Building on this progress, the government aspires to become an upper-middle-income country by 2...

Research, Policy Dialogue and Capacity Building Programme on TVET

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Swiss

Cambodia has achieved strong growth in the past two decades, and the country has graduated to lower-middle-income status with a per capita income of about USD1,215 (2015). A feat that neighbouring Vietnam achieved in 2010 and Laos...

Education Research for Effective Policy Reforms

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency

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 ac...

Higher Education Policy Research & Influencing in Cambodia

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The “Higher Education Policy Research & Influencing in Cambodia” was one of the major programmes implemented by the Education Unit of the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI). Receiving financial support from the Austral...

BUN Phoury   (2023)

Learning to Improve Book Resource Operational Systems (LIBROS)-Cambodia Book Brief

This Book Brief is a compilation of findings from studies in the LIBROS-Cambodia Project. It provides overall pictures of the primary-level book supply chain situation in Cambodia and Track and Trace (TnT) system, which is now the Core Textbook Supply Management System in Cambodia.


Entrepreneurial Intention and Preparation of University Students in Cambodia: Implications for Improving Entrepreneurship Education and Programmes in...

A recent survey study conducted by CDRI found that university students in Cambodia were keen to pursue an entrepreneurial career. The study also found that a simple provision of entrepreneurship education and support programmes at universities fell short of converting those interests into actions. This policy brief presents five recommendations that higher education institutes should consider ado...


Gender Gap Reversal in Learning and Gender-Responsive Teaching in Cambodia

In the past two decades, Cambodia has been committed to the global agenda of ensuring that all children from all walks of life have access to education and quality learning opportunities. The focus was not only on access to education but also on gender parity and learning quality. Three years after the adoption of the Dakar Framework for Action in 2003, Cambodia adopted the national plan for Educa...


The Effects of International Experience on Self-Perceived Employability among Cambodian Students in China

This paper investigates the correlation between international experience in China and the self-perceived employability of Cambodian students using an explanatory mixed-methods approach. The findings suggest a positive correlation between international experience and students’ self-perceived employability, with technical knowledge and skills acquisition, employability skills enhancement, and person...


Upper Secondary School Tracking and Major Choices in Higher Education: To Switch or Not to Switch

This study aims to investigate the characteristics of students who switch versus those who do not switch when they transition from upper secondary to higher education. The data from 1338 students randomly selected from 21 HEIs in Cambodia in 2020 found that upper secondary school students are more likely than not to switch academic majors when they enter higher education. The tendency to switch is...

HENG Kimkong   (2023)

Cambodia’s Aspirations to Become a Knowledge-Based Society: Perspectives of Cambodian University Students

Background Cambodia envisages to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050. The country also aspires to develop into a knowledge-based society (MoEYS 2014). To support these goals, it is crucial to consider the role of higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly universities, in training, research and service. However, research has shown that Cambodia...


Cambodian Upper Secondary School Education amid COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020. Its presence has created significant disturbances across society and particularly within education. On 16 March 2020, as a preventative measure against the spread of COVID-19, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) decided to close all educational institutions. H...


Vocational Education and Training in Cambodia

The Royal Government of Cambodia acknowledges the vital role of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in developing a high-quality workforce to better respond to labor market demand and contribute to the national development agenda. In the past decade, with support from and collaboration with development partners, the Government has put effort into expanding access to and improvin...


The Influence of Individual, Social and Educational Factors on Entrepreneurial Intention of University Students in Cambodia

This study explored students’ entrepreneurial intention (EI) and identified the factors influencing EI under individual, social and educational dimensions. Using a nationally representative survey conducted in 2021 with 834 university students, we found that many students had a strong EI. From the regression analysis, we can confirm that the development of personal positive attributes, namely, inn...


A Quantitative Study on Entrepreneurial Intention of University Students in Cambodia

Entrepreneurship is crucial to advancing the economy of Cambodia and fostering the development of society. The Royal Government of Cambodia has recognised the importance of entrepreneurship and included the promotion and entrepreneurship education in multiple policies and strategy. Universities and higher education institutes have been more active in providing entrepreneurship education (EE) as we...

CDRI Signs MoU with MoEYS

11 August 2020

In the morning, 11 August 2020, at the MoEYS, HE Dr. Hang Chhuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and Dr. Pech Sokhem, CDRI executive director, signed an MOU on cooperation and partnership for education and youth sector policy research and development. The objectives of the collaboration are to support the efforts of MoEYS in pursuing inclusive and quality education for all by ensuring the accomplishment of the goals set out...

H.E Dr. Hang Choun Naron, Minister of MOEYS met with CDRI Executive Director

28 July 2020

Tuesday, July 28, 2020, at 14.30-15.20, H.E Dr. Hang Choun Naron, Minister of MOEYS met with CDRI Executive Director, Research Director, Education Research and Innovation Center Director, and Senior Communication Officer to discuss the cooperation plan between MoEYS and CDRI in the education and youth research for development. H.E Minister shared his views and strategic focus on the innovative education and curriculum, e-learning, and skill asset...

Director of the Institute of Technology of Cambodia

09 July 2020

July 9, 2020 morning, the Director of the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, and senior ITC management met with CDRI ED and CDRI Director of Center for Educational Research and Innovation. The two institutes discussed the potentials for deepening the collaboration in skilled workforce development, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Skill Needs and Labour Market.

Engagement in Higher Education Research

20 March 2019

Engagement in Higher Education Research was held on 28th February 2019 at the Great Duke Phnom Penh. The workshop concluded a three-year research programme on Higher Education Policy Research and Influencing in Cambodia (2016-2018) – the first development project cycle funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government. It highlighted the higher education research findings on five key themes, namely (1) STEM...

The March towards Industry 4.0: Skills for Industrial Growth

25 October 2018

A high level meeting on “The March towards Industry 4.0: Skills for Industrial Growth” was organised to provide a platform to discuss future business development in some key sectors and skills demand and workforce training to support business growth and industrial transformation.Senior leaders of TVET providers and CEOs/HR directors from private sector had productive discussion on building partnerships and matching skills training with market nee...

CDRI coordinates a field trip to Shenzhen in context of TVET policy research programme funded by SDC

29 March 2018

Tour visit to the Southern University of Science and Technology of China. The Cambodian delegation is made of government officials, CDRI researchers, SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) program coordinator and private sector representative. 29 March 2018

There is no data list!