1. Objectives

The higher education sub-sector will continue to expand access to higher education while at the same time safeguarding quality to ensure that Cambodia’s economic, social and market needs are met in the areas of intellectual development and human resource provision.

Equitable access will be addressed through scholarship programs for priority students (outstanding students, students from the poorest families, students from remote areas and female students). Some priority will be given to students enrolling for less market-oriented and more socially beneficial programs, especially education, health, agriculture, technology, engineering, science and mathematics.

2. Responding to ESP Strategies and Policies

Policy 1: Ensuring Equitable Access to Education Services

• Increase opportunities for equitable access to higher education through increasing scholarship numbers for prioritized students (poor students, female students, students from remote areas and outstanding students) and promoting partnerships between the public and private sector, and development partners.

Policy actions:

• Develop an Annual Expenditure Report on scholarship students enrolled in public higher educational institutions from 2010 onward.

• Develop a Plan for the phased expansion of higher education institutions and prioritized professional programs such as education, healthcare, artshumanities, agriculture, engineering, technology, science, and mathematics in 2011.

• Develop an Agreement between MOEYS and MEF to expand the scholarship program in higher education to 15% of the number of students who graduate from upper secondary education from 2011 onward. The Agreement will include additional reasonable stipends for student support.

• Develop a basic facilities development policy in higher education including infrastructure and dormitories from 2012.

Policy 2: Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Education Services

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and research in higher education through implementing updated teaching methodologies, developing curricula and equippinghigher education institutions with facilities.

Policy actions:

• Develop a curriculum development framework taking into consideration the capacity of Cambodian higher education lecturers, the job market, and national needs by 2012.

• Develop a qualification framework for higher education in 2012.

Policy 3: Institutional and Capacity Development for Educational Staff for Decentralization

• Improve staff capacity and institutional management in higher education institutions through training and incentives, and institutional and financial reforms that enable the greater operational autonomy of higher education institutions.

Policy actions:

• Develop a policy and vision for 2020 higher education development by 2010.

• Develop a monitoring policy, tools and mechanisms and evaluate the achievement of higher education institutions in 2010.

• Develop standards for higher education institutions to review current higher education institution management structures in accordance with the Educational Law by 2011.

• Develop a capacity development plan for administrative staff and lecturers in higher education in 2011.

• Develop guidelines for formulating higher education institution strategic development plans by linking with HEMIS in 2011.

• Develop principles for governance and financial management of higher education institutions in 2012.

• Organize two comprehensive universities in 2013.

• Increase overall enrolment in higher education institutions (HEIs) from 137,000 in

• Increase overall enrolment in public HEIs from 46,395 in SY 2008-2009 to 84,035 in

• Increase enrolment in Science, Technology and Mathematics in public and private

• HEI staff profiles improved annually by the addition of staff returning from overseas study. Report on number of credible MA/MSc and PhD degrees.

• HE-MIS will be in operation in SY 2011/12.

• Two comprehensive universities will be in operation in SY 2013-2014.

4. Main Programs and Activities

4.1. Recurrent programs (Program based budgeting and others budgeting)

• Provide budgets for operational and research activities of higher education institutions under the management of MOEYS. The budget provision is based on the number of scholarships and study fees per student for each program.

• Carry out monitoring and evaluation of the management of training and the quality strengthening of higher education institutions.

• Provide budgets for strengthening enrolment systems, MIS and research activities.

• Continue transferring Public Higher Education Institutions operating under the MOEYS to become Public Administrative Institutions.

4.2. Capital programs Investment

• Provide basic facilities teaching and learning activities to expand science, technology and mathematics programs in higher education institutions.

• Develop HEMIS including finance and computer programs.

• Construct dormitories for students from provinces, especially for female students

• Conduct a study on the employment of graduates.

• Study and evaluate the possibility of establishing a high level comprehensive university in accordance with the Cambodian higher education context through

developing a conceptual document and study on universities in the region and in the world.

• Develop staff capacity and expand programs to pilot the implementation of two comprehensive universities.

• Study the possibility of implementing a credit loan scheme in cooperation with local

• Provide block grants to higher education institutions in accordance with the number of government scholarships, especially for priority students (female students, students from the poorest families and students from disadvantaged areas) with a focus on socially beneficial programs such as education, healthcare, agriculture, technology, engineering, science and mathematics which will be implemented from 2011 onward.

• Develop the capacities of higher education lecturers through providing scholarships for them to continue their study in local and foreign countries and to conduct research activities.

• Provide technical assistance for the process of higher education sector development.

• Send students to study abroad within bilateral and multilateral cooperation programs.

5. Program Management and Monitoring

The funds for institutional support and operation will be directly managed through selected higher education institutions. The Department of Higher Education will be responsible for quality assurance and monitoring.

The Department of Higher Education will be responsible for preparing a sub-sector strategic plan, an annual planning framework, including scholarship expenditure priorities and budget allocations to individual HEIs. Individual HEIs will prepare annual work plans, including improvement targets, action plans and budget plans.
The Department of Higher Education will monitor the progress of student learning achievement, the efficiency of performance of higher education institutions and other relevant issues. Monitoring reports will be submitted to ministry leadership in charge of high education. Annual reports will include performance measures requested by higher education institutions for improvement of their workplans.

Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MOEYS) will continue to adopt a decentralized policy in administering the higher education (HE) sub-sector through encouraging each HEI to set up its own system of governance and management linked with transparency and accountability. The expected features are: creation of competent governing boards, publishing of documents of finance and academic efforts, and clear job descriptions for each person in management.

6. Financing Plan (million Riels)