Phnom Penh, September 26, 2024 — The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $80 million in financing to bolster Cambodia’s higher education system, with a particular focus on enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The funding, announced on Monday, aims to elevate the quality of education and research in the country over the next six years.

According to a press release from the World Bank on September 24, the financial support comes from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessional lending arm, which provides low-interest loans to low-income countries. The project will target nine public higher education institutions, helping them to produce highly skilled graduates and research outputs that are aligned with Cambodia’s economic development needs.

Approximately 32,000 students, including 13,000 women, are expected to benefit from the initiative. Key components of the project include curriculum updates, faculty training, and the digitalization of education delivery.

Notably, the project places a strong emphasis on improving learning opportunities for female students and those with disabilities. It also supports the career development of female faculty members and integrates climate-resilient infrastructure standards. Additionally, it prioritizes research projects related to climate change.

Tania Meyer, World Bank Country Manager for Cambodia, highlighted the importance of this initiative: “To complement investments in health and basic education, which form the foundation of a productive workforce, strengthening higher education and preparing a critical mass of highly skilled graduates will help Cambodia advance its human capital and promote inclusive growth and development.”

While access to higher education in Cambodia has gradually improved, significant work remains to enhance the quality and relevance of education and research to meet the demands of a rapidly changing labor market. The new project seeks to address these challenges, ensuring that Cambodian graduates are better prepared for the evolving needs of the global economy.

This initiative will build upon the success of a previous project that has already improved learning opportunities for more than 128,000 higher education students across Cambodia, over half of whom were women. The earlier project established 67 academic programs, funded 53 research projects, and built or renovated 147 laboratories.