University of Cambodia

This chapter critically examines the evolving landscape of higher education in Cambodia, focusing on the complex interplay between global aspirations and national relevance. It explores how the global race for academic prestige, driven by international rankings and the world-class university discourse, has shaped institutional strategies, policy reforms, and the ambitions of Cambodian universities. The analysis highlights Cambodia's rapid post-conflict expansion, the emergence of a vibrant private sector, and persistent challenges such as fragmented governance, underfunded research systems, and inequalities in access and quality. The chapter addresses the imperative of internationalization, finance constraints, infrastructure, and language, and the risks of dependency and homogenization. Drawing on Cambodia's experience, the chapter reflects on the tension between global prestige and local mission, the need for context-sensitive policy interventions, and the importance of decolonizing higher education.

This study investigates the written feedback practices of Cambodian university teachers of English, drawing on 390 student journals and interviews with 11 instructors at a public university. Teacher feedback was dominated by grammar-focused, direct correction, influenced by student expectations for comprehensive error marking, heavy teaching loads, and limited institutional guidance. At the same time, many teachers described feedback as encouragement and emphasized the emotional support they hoped to provide, revealing a tension between their relational intentions and the predominantly form-focused practices. This pattern reflected not only pedagogical beliefs but also the institutional, cultural, and evaluative conditions that made surface-level correction the most feasible and professionally legible option. While these dynamics echo findings from other exam-driven English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) settings, the Cambodian case illustrates how institutional ambiguity, workload constraints, and hierarchical classroom norms can intensify belief-practice tensions. The study offers context-sensitive empirical insight from a less-researched setting and suggests that improving feedback practice requires both teacher preparation and institutional frameworks that acknowledge workload demands, cultural expectations, and the emotional labor of feedback.

Background:Accurate assessment of thyroid gland size is essential for diagnosing and managing thyroid disorders. While ultrasonography is a non-invasive and cost-effective method for evaluating thyroid volume, no reference values currently exist for the adult Cambodian population. Objective:This study aimed to determine normative ultrasound-based thyroid volume values in euthyroid Cambodian adults, hypothesizing that thyroid volume varies significantly by sex and lobe side. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 513 adults (306 females, 207 males) aged 18–78 years at the xxxx between April and November 2020. Inclusion criteria included normal thyroid parenchyma and absence of nodules on ultrasound. Volumes of both lobes were calculated using the ellipsoid formula: Height × Width × Thickness × π/6. Data were analyzed using Excel and SPSS version 26, with significance set at p<0.05. Results:The mean thyroid volume was 7.51 ± 2.74 mL. Males had significantly larger thyroid volumes (8.05 ± 2.87 mL) than females (7.15 ± 2.60 mL) (p<0.05). The right lobe (4.27 ± 1.55 mL) was significantly larger than the left lobe (3.24 ± 1.33 mL) in both sexes (p<0.05). Conclusion:This is the first study to establish ultrasound-based reference values for thyroid volume in Cambodian adults. The findings confirm that thyroid volume is greater in males than females and that the right lobe is typically larger than the left. These values provide a valuable baseline for clinical assessment and future research in Cambodia.

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming labor markets worldwide, presenting both opportunities and challenges. This study examines the impact of AI adoption on Cambodia′s labor market, focusing on job displacement, new employment opportunities, and evolving skill requirements for workers. To explore the dynamics between AI adoption, job displacement, and changing skill demands, this study employed PLS‐SEM analysis on data from 351 respondents, revealing significant workforce reshaping. However, AI has also fostered employment growth in emerging industries. Findings indicate that AI‐driven job displacement disproportionately affects low‐skilled workers, underscoring the need for targeted policy interventions. This study further establishes that job displacement intensifies the demand for new skills, highlighting the need for reskilling and upskilling initiatives. In addition, investments in education and training are crucial for mitigating AI‐induced employment disruptions and enhancing workforce adaptability. These findings contribute to the literature by providing empirical insights from a developing economy, where unique socioeconomic and institutional factors shape the impact of AI. The results have significant implications for policymakers, educators, and business leaders as they formulate strategies to navigate the future of work in the AI era.

Characterized by a predominantly agricultural landscape, including rice paddy, agricultural land, and scattered forest, the Chrey Bak catchment of the Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, is experiencing challenges such as deforestation and land conversion, which negatively impact mineral alteration sources, land management, and ecosystems. The current study uses satellite data (Sentinel 2, Landsat-8 OLI, and ASTER) to detect changes in mineral alteration (i.e., iron oxide and clay) and in land use and land cover (LULC) and to examine their relationships with the catchment’s lithology. Sentinel-2 satellite imagery between 2015 and 2022 was used to classify LULC changes. The visible and near-infrared (VNIR) and the short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands were used to map the iron oxide and clay deposits, thereby reducing the time and cost associated with fieldwork. The results revealed significant LULC changes, with a decrease in vegetated areas and an increase in cropland and built-up areas, while remaining unchanged for forested areas and water bodies.These changes have direct implications for mineral alteration, as the areas with land conversion (i.e., agricultural areas) showed their exposure to mineral-rich areas, particularly those containing iron oxide and clay.This study contributes to a qualitative understanding of the relationships between LULC changes across litho-mineral substrates, offering insights that can inform sustainable land management practices and mineral exploration efforts in the catchment.

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Financial and Access Factors such as price, financing, personal economic conditions, public services and social stability and consumer purchase intention in Phnom Penh’s residential real estate market. Methodology: In this study, a quantitative survey method was conducted employing structured questionnaires via Google Forms. The date was analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 27, using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and reliability testing (Cronbach’s Alpha). Content validity was assessed via the Content Validity Index after expert review. Main Findings: The study found a significant positive relationship between Financial and Access Factors and purchase intention. Personal economic conditions (M = 4.06) and social stability (M = 4.04) scored highest, while price (r = .39), finance (r = .37), public services (r = .41), and social stability (r = .34) showed moderate correlations. The over-all correlation between financial and access factors and purchase intention was r=.42 (p <.001). Novelty/Originality of this study: This study is the only research that integrates multiple Financial and Access Factors in terms of price, finance, personal economic conditions, public services, and social stability into one model of purchase intention in Phnom Penh real estate market. By focusing on the context of an emerging economy, it contributes to current understanding and provides fresh insights to the relevant stakeholders including policy makers, developers, and consumer behaviour and housing affordability scholars. It also contributes to economic education by illustrating how financial literacy and access awareness shape consumer decision-making and can guide educational and policy initiatives for sustainable social development.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has introduced a range of educational and strategic policies to advance educational technology and strengthen digital literacy across the national education system. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into teaching and learning is among the most widely adopted innovations. While AI in mathematics education has gained increasing traction regionally and globally, its impact on Cambodian students' and teachers' experiences remains underexplored. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the perceptions of university students and mathematics teachers regarding AI-supported mathematics education, with particular attention to perceived benefits, challenges, and its potential to enhance learning outcomes. Using a qualitative research approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with 30 participants from various high schools, providing insights into the opportunities and constraints of AI integration in the Cambodian context.

This chapter examines the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to revolutionize Cambodian higher education by tackling existing issues and capitalizing on possibilities to develop a future-oriented curriculum. It analyzes the principles of AI technology, international trends in AI education, and the higher education framework in Cambodia, encompassing systemic constraints in funding, quality, and infrastructure. The chapter advocates for strategic initiatives like curriculum reform, faculty development, student participation via AI tools, and collaborations with international institutions and technology firms. This chapter underscores the significance of supportive policies and governance, advocating for the incorporation of AI to improve educational outcomes, foster innovation, and equip Cambodian students for a rapidly evolving, AI-centric future.

Phnom Penh is experiencing rapid urbanization, which has led to a proliferation of real estate development projects. However, at the same time, problems facing this market include both overproduction and desperate marketing attempts, as well as the continued mismatch between supply and demand in housing for local residents. Empirical evidence for Cambodia’s capital is scarce, although the influences of property features, marketing strategies, and economic conditions on buyer behavior have been addressed in earlier studies published from Southeast Asia. Drawing on responses from 410 Phnom Penh residents with stable monthly incomes who were diverse in terms of age, gender, education, occupation, and marital status. Both English and Khmer versions of a structured questionnaire were used to collect responses, followed by descriptive statistical analysis of the data to identify the factors that play a dominant role in influencing home purchase intentions and decisions among Phnom Penh residents from different backgrounds. Results indicate that property characteristics (M = 4.03, SD = 0.76) and financial and access factors (M = 3.95, SD = 0.74) were rated highest, while buyer perception and marketing influence (M = 3.72, SD = 0.79) also played a significant role. Among these domains, importance was placed on legal ownership paperwork (M = 4.38, SD = 0.74), safety and security (M = 4.30, SD = 0.71), and affordability and financing options (M = 3.87–4.06), which were revealed to be the key decision-making elements. The research aims to provide contextually relevant recommendations for developers, marketers, financial institutions, and policymakers in Cambodia. Its originality lies in being one of the first Phnom Penh–specific, factor-based empirical studies on homebuyer attitudes, and in contributing to the regional literature on urban housing processes in Southeast Asia, while confirming the main hypothesis that microeconomic and perceptual factors play a significant role in shaping real estate behavior among Generation Z homebuyers.