Cambodia aims to achieve high-income status by 2050 through a rapid shift from traditional to more inclusive and sustainable growth, using science and engineering.

This was mentioned in the recently launched ‘Mapping Research and Innovation in the Kingdom of Cambodia’, the 11th volume in UNESCO’s series of country profiles in science, technology and innovation policy.

The research was launched by the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI) and UNESCO.

This country profile follows the methodology developed by UNESCO through its Global Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Instruments (GO-SPIN).

The report was published after almost two years of collaboration between UNESCO and the ministry.

Cambodia created the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and the National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation in 2020. The county also adopted a National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy and accompanying roadmap to guide the implementation of the policy until 2030.

The report suggested key steps to reinforce science governance, empower existing institutions and enhance related coordination and funding mechanisms.

The study recommended collecting data on research expenditure and personnel on a more regular basis. For instance, the most recent statistics for gross domestic research expenditure date from 2015 when Cambodia was devoting just 0.12 percent of GDP to research and expenditure. The same year, there were 30 researchers per million inhabitants, well below the global average of 1 368 per million (2018), the report pointed out.

The study also suggested ways to remove the remaining barriers to gender equality in science and engineering. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, women made up 24 percent of researchers in 2015, up from 20 percent in 2011, demonstrating notable progress. Moreover, the outlook for the future is promising, since 43 percent of tertiary graduates were women in 2015, up from 38 percent seven years earlier.

The report observed that it will be indispensable for Cambodia to rigorously implement and carefully coordinate policies with the active involvement of all stakeholders, including government institutions, academia, the private sector and international development partners.

The study also suggested making the National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation the oversight body for the formulation and implementation of policies, for establishing multistakeholder dialogues, designing a coherent policy mix and integrating science, technology and innovation into other policy areas.

It recommended that MISTI coordinates the implementation of the new policy and its roadmap. It suggested the development of policy instruments, such as the establishment of innovation funds for high-impact projects, research grants, and a supportive intellectual policy framework.

Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister and Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, thanked UNESCO and national stakeholders for their fruitful collaboration on this study. “Together, we have produced this country profile which will serve as a platform for helping to direct us to develop adaptive and responsive science, technology and innovation policies in Cambodia’s context,” he said.

He urged “all ministries, academia, private sectors, development partners, and relevant stakeholders to make the best use of the GO-SPIN country profile for Cambodia, in order to materialize science, technology and innovation to further enhance socio-economic development and reach our vision for 2030 and 2050”.

Xing Qu, UNESCO Deputy Director-General and interim Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, expressed confidence that “this report will be beneficial for monitoring and benchmarking Cambodia’s progress in the future.”

UNESCO’s Representative to Cambodia, Sardar Umar Alam, said: “The launch is an important step as the GO-SPIN report will help leverage science, technology and innovation to foster social inclusion and green economic growth in Cambodia.”

• Tags: Cambodia, engineering, high income, science