Cambodia's First National AI for Education Conference Turns RAM Into Action
Phnom Penh, 24 November 2025 - Cambodia brought together more than 400 policymakers, educators, researchers, innovators, and development partners for its first National AI for Education Conference. Backed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC), hosted by the Rector Council of Cambodia (RCC), and organized by the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology (CADT) in close partnership with UNESCO, the event focused on one goal: move from recommendations to implementation.
This conference is among the first major follow-ups to Cambodia's AI Ethics Readiness Assessment (RAM), completed in July 2025 with UNESCO's technical support. Education was flagged as a priority sector, requiring ethical, proportionate, and human-centered use of AI - with coordination across ministries and institutions.
Why this matters for Education and HR leaders
AI is already present in classrooms, training rooms, and school offices. A CDRI-CADT study found that 85% of employees and 74% of managers in Cambodia use generative AI for research and learning. That momentum needs clear policy, teacher capability, and consistent safeguards - or it risks uneven quality and widening gaps.
The conference aligned with the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I, which places strong emphasis on developing human resources in science, technology, and innovation. In other words: build skills first, deploy tools second.
Key outcomes
- RAIE launched: The Research Center on AI for Education (RAIE) was inaugurated at CADT, initiated by the Rector Council of Cambodia with the support of MoEYS and MPTC. RAIE will anchor interdisciplinary research, policy and ethics support, innovative pedagogy, and EdTech capacity building.
- Teacher capability as the backbone: Under STEPCam Phase II, MoEYS and UNESCO are developing a national ICT and AI Competency Framework for Teachers to guide pre-service and in-service training.
- EdTech Innovation and Knowledge Hub: Planned to connect teacher training institutions, universities, and local innovators to test, share, and scale practices that work.
- From evidence to policy: MPTC confirmed that RAM findings are informing the Draft National AI Strategy, with education as a priority domain.
- Equity front and center: Integration of AI is being tied to access, safety, and ethics so that learners and teachers across the country benefit - not just the most connected.
What leaders said
H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, noted: "AI presents both remarkable opportunities and important challenges for Cambodia's education system. We must ensure that its adoption is ethical, responsible, inclusive and sustainable, so that it benefits learners and teachers and strengthens teaching and learning across the country."
H.E. Dr. Chea Vandeth, Minister of Post and Telecommunications, stressed the shift from reports to delivery: "This conference represents a concrete follow-up to the RAM report that UNESCO helped Cambodia develop and launch. It reflects our shared commitment to turning evidence and recommendations into real national progress."
Ms Esther McFarlane, Officer-in-Charge of the UNESCO Office in Phnom Penh, reaffirmed the need for a human-centered approach grounded in evidence, ethics, and equity. Mr Phinith Chanthalangsy, UNESCO Regional Advisor for Social and Human Sciences, underscored building an interdisciplinary RAIE team of engineers, educationalists, and social scientists.
Practical steps for school leaders, HR directors, and training heads
- Set clear guardrails: Draft or update policies on AI use for teaching, assessment, research, and admin - including data protection, bias checks, and academic integrity.
- Invest in teacher upskilling: Map current skills to the upcoming ICT and AI Competency Framework for Teachers; embed hands-on practice, feedback loops, and continuous professional development.
- Pilot with purpose: Start small with defined learning outcomes and equity goals. Track effectiveness, accessibility, and teacher workload before scaling.
- Standardize procurement: Require transparency on data sources, model limitations, privacy, and accessibility from EdTech vendors.
- Build interdisciplinary teams: Pair educators with technologists, ethicists, and data specialists - a core function RAIE is set to support.
- Measure what matters: Monitor student learning, teacher adoption, inclusion, and cost-benefit - not just tool usage.
What's next
RAIE gives Cambodia a sustained mechanism to turn ideas into tested practice. With MoEYS, MPTC, RCC, CADT, universities, and development partners working together, the country is positioning AI to strengthen teaching and learning quality - and to contribute to SDG 4.
Funding and partnerships remain vital. Under STEPCam Phase II, the Global Partnership for Education is supporting capacity-building for teachers at scale - you can learn more about GPE's work here: Global Partnership for Education.
For teams planning immediate training
If you are mapping roles to skills or building an AI upskilling plan for educators and staff, you can browse curated resources by job function here: Complete AI Training - Courses by Job.
Bottom line
This conference moved Cambodia from assessment to action. With RAIE in place, a teacher competency framework underway, and a draft national strategy drawing on RAM, the focus now is disciplined execution - ethical, inclusive, and grounded in outcomes for learners and teachers across the country.
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