AUTHOR
*Mr. Heng Kimkong is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at Cambodia Development Center. He is also a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia, and a Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Cambodian Education Forum.
ABOUT Article
Given the limited quality of PhD programs in Cambodia, this article aims to discuss key strategies to enhance the quality of PhD training as a means to strengthen the country’s human capital. It begins by providing a brief background of Cambodia’s development vision and highlighting new developments as well as persistent challenges in the education sector. The article then provides an overview of the current state of PhD training in the country before elaborating on issues concerning the limited quality. To address the issues, three key strategies are proposed: (a) improving the quality of PhD supervision, (b) strengthening the research ecosystem and funding mechanisms, and (c) enhancing support systems for PhD students. The article argues that improving the quality of PhD education in Cambodia requires coordinated action and effort from all stakeholders, including the government, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, development partners, higher education institutions, and the private sector. Moreover, promoting the quality of PhD programs should be treated as a national priority to support Cambodia’s long-term development goals. The article concludes by offering suggestions for future research on this critical topic.
