PROG2017-2021_SO6_Cambodia

Cambodia has regained its place on the partner country list of VLIR-UOS as of June 2016, because of the growing interest for academic cooperation with Cambodia. Currently, there are no ongoing or selected interventions, as Cambodia was not on the VLIR-UOS partner country list and hasn’t been included in calls for proposals since 2013. During the 2017-2021 period, a VLIR-UOS country strategy for Cambodia will be elaborated as to have a reference framework for future interventions. This will be done through consultations in both Belgium and Cambodia which will lead to the identification of priority themes, partners and regions. VLIR-UOS supports interventions that empower higher education institutes in their role as drivers of change by strengthening their threefold mission of research, education and extension to society. For now, the Joint Context Analysis and the Joint Strategic Framework of Cambodia will serve as the guiding framework, so the themes of the interventions will be in line with the domains of the JSF: agriculture/water/food security/rural development, health/access to health, justice and human rights, education/training/research, environment and social economy. The VLIR-UOS programme for Cambodia will be limited to short-term interventions on the individual (scholarships) and departmental level (theme-based capacity building for 2-5 years: TEAM/SI), as a kind of exploratory phase for further broader interventions in the long term after building up experience.