PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Hang Chuon Naron, and the French Ambassador of Cambodia, Jacques Pellet, signed an agreement on "Cooperation in Science and Technology in the Framework of the Huber Curien Tonle Sap River Partnership" to support and encourage the exchange of ideas between Cambodian and French researchers.

This cooperation will support the travel, mission and accommodation of researchers from France to Cambodia and from Cambodia to France, to further develop research projects in a number of priority areas, including economics and digital technology, agriculture, biology, science and energy, computer science, environmental science, humanities and social sciences, and innovative pedagogy.

The Ministry of Education states that from 2022 onwards, there will be an announcement of project candidates to identify quality research and outreach projects between research institutions and higher education institutions of the Kingdom of Cambodia and France. This means that the two sides must first discuss before applying for funding from the Huber Curien Tonle Sap Partnership.

According to the Ministry of Education, the research project will provide flights from Cambodia to France, as well as accommodation, allowances and costs of domestic travel.

"The main principle is the Huber Curien Tonle Sap Partnership Program. When the French counterpart arrives in Cambodia and the Cambodian counterpart arrives in France, they can work directly together in Cambodia," the Ministry of Education said in a statement. The collaborative work will be conducted in the field of laboratories, communication with other relevant institutions, as well as jointly create a strong research project for future implementation.