Ministry of Education, Youth and SportDepartment of Research and Innovation

About DRI

Part of: Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS)

Who we are

The Department of Research and Innovation (DRI) is a department of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS). It leads the Ministry's work to strengthen research, innovation and postgraduate education across Cambodia's higher education institutions.

Formerly the Department of Scientific Research, DRI has convened the national research community every year since 2019, first as the National Conference on Research and Innovation in Cambodia and, from 2021, as the National Research Forum. Alongside the forum it runs the Higher Education Research Fund, the Cambodian Journal of Education and STEM, and the Ministry's postgraduate research systems.

What we do

  • Develop policies, strategies and guidelines for research and innovation in higher education.
  • Manage the Higher Education Research Fund: calls for proposals, peer review and monitoring of funded projects.
  • Oversee postgraduate research programmes and the national thesis archive.
  • Publish the Cambodian Journal of Education and STEM.
  • Organise the National Research Forum and the Higher Education STEM Fair.
  • Build research capacity through training for researchers, reviewers and research managers.
  • Promote collaboration between universities, industry, government agencies and development partners.

The National Research Forum so far

  • 2019 — 1st National Conference on Research and Innovation in Cambodia, ITC, 21–22 November.
  • 2021 — 2nd NCRIC, online, 4–5 January: the role of universities in knowledge and technology transfer.
  • 2021 — 3rd National Research Forum, online, 2–3 December: strengthening the research ecosystem in higher education.
  • 2022 — 4th NRF, ITC and online, 20–21 October: promoting research and innovation for Cambodia's socio-economic development.
  • 2023 — 5th NRF, Siem Reap, 30 November – 2 December: quality and productivity of education and research towards 2030 and 2050.
  • 2025 — 6th NRF & HEI STEM Fair, ITC, 19–20 November: research for development in the age of artificial intelligence.
  • 2026 — 7th NRF & HEI STEM Fair, ITC, 5–6 November: promoting research, innovation and STEM towards Cambodia Vision 2050.

Materials from every edition are in the NRF archive.