Details

Overview 

Cambodia is expected to become a higher middle-income country in 2030 and a high-income country in 2050. However, the current global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the world’s rising inflation have socially and economically interrupted the country’s development.

Despite challenges, with the recent government’s economic recovery framework and the efforts put by stakeholders in recovering the economy. Cambodia’s economy bounces back with forecasted economic growth at 5.5 percent and 6 percent in 2023 and 2024 respectively.[1] As Cambodia is on its way to achieving its future agenda, what Cambodia’s development will look like in the future is in question.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and The Asia Foundation are hosting the Cambodia’s Festival of Ideas (CFI) which is a platform featuring Cambodian strategic thinkers whose experience and knowledge could envisage the future vision of Cambodia’s development in the next 20 years. The CFI gives a platform to experts, thought leaders and youth leaders from diverse fields, including politics, governance, environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, art, academia, and civil society. The event will provide an opportunity for these experts to engage with each other and the public, to exchange ideas, and to generate new insights and perspectives on the future of Cambodia.

 

 

Vision for the Kingdom in the Next 20 Years will be the selected theme of the CFI and it will cover four areas. Each area will cover a wide range of topics that might include but not limited to topics below:

1. Digitization

• Youth political participation and policy making
• The impact of social media on political engagement
• Electoral behavior in Cambodia
• E-voter registration

        2. Political Participation

• The emergence of electric cars
• Future of Phnom Penh city: the role of public transportation and green spaces
• Green renewable energy expansion
• Sustainable tourism and its impact on local communities and environment

         3. Culture and Art 

• Promoting Cambodia’s soft power through music and art 
• Cambodia’s food diplomacy
• The role of Cambodian cuisine in defining Cambodian identity
• What is it to be Khmer

          4. Sustainability and the Environment

• The role of Fin-Tech
• Cybersecurity and data protection
• Circular economy
• AI in education

Objectives

The objectives of CFI are:

• To provide a conducive and open platform for Cambodian strategic thinkers and policymakers alike to share their innovative and creative ideas and visions for the future of Cambodia’s development.
• To engage and bridge the gap between Cambodian strategic thinkers/policymakers and the broader audience, including youth, in discussions about visions for the future of Cambodia.
• To connect and provide community-led networking events and opportunities between policymakers/strategic thinkers and the broader audience.

 

Format:

The CFI will be conducted using a slide-free presentation. The arrangement of the stage will be a TED-Talk inspired with a maximum of 15 minutes’ time limit. The talk shall be inspiring, catching and the content must be precise and straight to the point.

 

Presentation for the event will be categorized into two types including:

• Headliners: influential people in their respective fields are invited to provide general background knowledge and set the scene for the topic. They will provide knowledge that could envisage the future vision of Cambodia’s development in the next 20 years.

 

• Speakers: an open call for speakers will be announced to look for passionate and inspiring individuals to present ideas, insights, and experiences on a diverse range of topics. The selected candidates will voice out their ideas and opinion after the headliner finishes their talk.

 

Expected Participants:

The event is open to the public and is expected to have over a hundred participants. CFI aims to reach a broad audience, including policy makers, experts, researchers, students, young professionals, and members of the general public.

 

Expected Outputs:

CFI expects to produce the following outputs:

Recorded videos: the talks will be filmed and shared widely on social media platforms to reach an even larger audience.

Magazine of ideas: key insights from the talks will be summarized and documented into the magazine of ideas in order to share with larger audiences.

 

Expected Outcomes:

The Festival of Ideas is expected to:

• Increase awareness and understanding of key issues related to Cambodia's development.
• Enhance new and innovative ideas and perspectives generated by presentation at the event.
• Increase engagement of young people in discussions about the future of Cambodia.

 

To apply, please clik here 

Contact person: sereyvoleak.dy@kas.de & rathyrea.prak@asiafoundation.org