Phnom Penh, 6–9 March 2023: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), in partnership with the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) of Cambodia, held the first in a series of policy-modelling workshops under the theme Structural Transformation, Sustainable Growth and Regionalism: Challenges and Opportunities. The workshop was attended by 40 officials from Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training.

In her welcome remarks, Ms Kruy Narin, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Policy at MEF, emphasised the importance of strengthening regional partnership and human capital development in the face of global uncertainties. Mr Jeremy Gross, Director of Capacity Building at ERIA, stressed the need for officials to maximise the benefits of the workshop.

The workshop was led by Prof Shandre Thangavelu, Head of the Jeffrey Cheah Institute for Southeast Asia at Sunway University and lecturer at the University of Adelaide. Dr Sithiroth Rasphone, Director General of the Development Research Institute, Ministry of Planning and Investment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, discussed regional integration and trade policy and the challenges for ASEAN’s less-developed countries. Dr Sothea Oum, Executive Director, the Centre for Strategy and Innovation Policy in Phnom Penh, gave a presentation on domestic capacity and the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development Policy Framework.

ERIA’s Capacity Building Programme is supported by the Australian Government.