Policy Talk

This Policy Talk explores the concept of STEM education, challenges in teaching STEM at higher institutions in Cambodia, and practical recommendations. The talk anticipates to share with the audience the views from researcher, implementer, and policy maker.

[STEM – the acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics – has become a dominant education discourse, and already a buzz word for many, around the globe. Policymakers view STEM skills as a means for a country to build a truly competitive economy. Similarly, STEM-qualified workers hold a comparative advantage in the job market. This importance has resulted in the promotion of students’ interest in STEM subjects and selection of STEM majors at degree level, as well as government capital investment in STEM-related courses, at both general and higher education levels.

As in other countries, efforts to promote STEM education and professions in Cambodia have been largely linked to the increasingly vital role of science and technology in society, as set out in key national plans, strategies and policies. One such pivotal policy document is Industrial Development Policy 2015–25, launched in 2015, which aims to transform Cambodia from a low-skilled labour-intensive economy into a highly skilled and higher value-added competitive economy by 2025 (Council of Ministers 2015). Policy to promote and strengthen STEM education and learning was introduced a year later with a focus on improving the ability of higher education institutions (HEIs) to produce multi-competent graduates in related disciplines with the personal, practical and technical skills needed to support Cambodia’s economic capacity. The importance of STEM cannot be emphasised enough. The prime minister recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting the development of science, technology and innovation, stating that the “Development of science and technology will enhance productivity, growth, knowledge and technological capacity, which will help Cambodia build a knowledge-based society”…]

— Building STEM Literacy in Cambodian Higher Education, Cambodia Development Review, Volume 22, Issue 4, December 2018, Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Source