Aligning Access With Ambition

This chapter investigates Cambodia's higher education reform as a strategy for both national development and international repositioning. Cambodia's expansion of access and the improvement of education quality and system incorporation into frameworks like SDG 4, ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework (AQRF), and UNESCO Quality are examined. The chapter uses national policy documents and plans for regional education to focus on the inclusion-promoting initiatives: rural scholarships, gender equity, and digital infrastructure investments. It explains Cambodia's educational diplomacy with its ASEAN Policy Forum and Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) collaborative frameworks and formal educational partnerships. Although institutional capacity, equity, and funding challenges remain, the opportunities for digital learning and youth engagement in the region are promising. The reform experience has lessons for other post-conflict nations.