Dr. SOEURN Visal
The partnership between UP and Future Forum (FF) began over coffee (as good endeavours often do) and an invitation by the UP Emerging Researchers group to the Future Forum Young Researchers to meet over a “Research Café” get together. The UP Emerging Researchers group came up with this concept to network with other researchers – find out what they were doing, share knowledge and support each other in research. The first inaugural research café at Future Forum was a huge success and contributed in its own small way to the expanding network of emerging researchers in Cambodia.
From there UP staff and students were invited to attend the Policy Lab Boot Camp last year – resulting in the final submissions of the policy brief papers this month. Our emerging researchers/policy analysts benefited from the incredible knowledge, support and new ways of thinking that Virak and his team from Future Forum offered at every step of the way. From here the partnership has expanded to include attendance at the Cambodia 2040 forums; policy lab forums where the Policy Lab participants presented their work; the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung forums and regular discussion between UP and FF around the importance of policy and health; research potential in Cambodia and the future of ethics review.
UP are delighted to be working with Future Forum in contributing to a positive outcome in the health and policy space for Cambodian society. We believe that working together in thinking forward, trying new approaches, and being innovative bring exciting opportunities for the future.
The new Emerging Researcher group 2020 is starting this week. If you are interested, please email Dr Tineke Water (Director of Research) on wtineke@puthisastra.edu.kh
