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.


Students’ Learning and the Use of Gender-Responsive Pedagogy

Education Development Trust

Lack of quality teaching and learning is one of the main causes of the learning crisis for girls and boys alike, therefore there is a need for significant improvements in teaching to ensure that all students, both boys and girls,...

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...


What Makes Academics (In)active in Higher Education Internationalisation: Evidence from Cambodia

This study explores the international engagement of academics and the factors influencing their engagement in internationalisation efforts in Cambodian universities. Data were gathered through online semi-structured interviews with academics and university administrators and later coded and analysed using reflexive thematic approach. The findings revealed that academics predominantly participate i...


Addressing All Learners’ Needs Through Gender-Responsive Pedagogy: The Case Of Cambodia

This blog post summarises key findings from recent research conducted by the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) and Education Development Trust which investigates Cambodia’s journey toward gender-responsive education. Gender-Responsive Pedagogy, using FAWE’s (2018) framework, provides a lens for examining changes within Cambodian classrooms as reported in key informant interviews....


Assessing Technology Readiness of Students and Teachers in Cambodian Higher Education during COVID-19

The global COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented disruptions to the higher education landscape worldwide. Widespread school closures, driven by the imperative of social distancing to combat the virus's spread forced a rapid and dramatic shift from traditional face-to-face instruction to online learning and teaching environments in numerous countries. Recent research has highlighted the formidabl...


Technology integration of Cambodian higher education: emerging changes since COVID-19 and notable challenges

The second decade of the 21st century marks the time the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) officially directs the nation’s public sector, economy, and society to accelerate technology adoption and digital transformation. This present study aims to observe developments of such direction in Cambodian higher education (HE) sub-sector before and in response to Covid-19 by (1) examining policies and i...

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...

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

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