Integrated Programmes - Competing Hegemonies: Foreign-dominated processes of development in Cambodia

Coordinator: Prof. dr. H. Dahles-Schnetzinger (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Co-applicant: Dr. G.S. Gilbert (Pannasastra University of Cambodia)

Programme outline

This research program addresses foreign-dominated processes of development in Cambodia, in particular economic growth and democratization and, thereby, aims at contributing to critical globalization scholarship. The context within which these processes obtain their significance is shaped by current Western practices of promoting good governance and the increasing presence of investors from the South. Cambodia constitutes a battlefield for influence of outside actors, as competing models of development emerge from the partly conflicting and partly converging interests and practices of international and local NGOs and community-based organizations, foreign investors from emerging economies and their partnerships with Cambodian actors (political elites and local entrepreneurs), and transnational networks of Cambodian returnees and the revitalized ethnic Chinese business community. The central question of the research program addresses the ways in which the diverging worldviews and interests of foreign hegemonies and related diasporic groups affect both the formation of a civil society and the development of a sustainable economy against the background of inconsistent government policies and patron-client relationships.

The methodology that integrates the different projects under this program is participatory on the one hand and heuristic on the other. The participative approach is informed by action research which is inclusive, emphasizing the integration of action and reflection. Systematic and intensive stakeholder involvement will be an integral part of the process of data-generation, theory-building and dissemination of findings throughout the program. In terms of the heuristic approach, the program employs triangulation: the combination of several research methodologies in the study of the same phenomenon by combining multiple theories, methods, and empirical data with the purpose of overcoming the weaknesses and biases that are integral to single-method, single-theory studies. The innovative dimension of this approach is that research will be an incessant process providing a learning environment for all parties involved and developing a knowledge network which is to continue after the program is finished. This approach opens an avenue for empirically based and socially embedded theory on hitherto neglected dimensions of globalization, involving those who have been overlooked as stakeholder (diverse diasporic groups) and, at the same time, those who work towards similar goals without taking notice of each other (civil society and private sector). The inclusion of academics and stakeholders in the research process and the joint development of a virtual knowledge network will make a unique and necessary contribution to capacity building and social change in Cambodia.

Progress

Scientific output
The program is progressing well. Five PhD projects (two Dutch and three Cambodian) have successfully passed the 8-months assessment of the VU Graduate School of Social Sciences. The two Dutch candidates who were the first to start are currently in the final stages of their fieldwork in Cambodia. One of these projects already published its first results. Two of the Cambodian PhD candidates who started their project together are currently in the midst of their fieldwork in Cambodia. The third candidate only recently finished her research proposal and returned to Cambodia to commence her research. A fourth Cambodian PhD researcher resigned from the project after nine months due to persistent health problems.

The program coordinator is pleased to report that external funding could be secured to resume the project with a new candidate. The recruitment of this candidate is currently underway and the re-start of the project is envisioned before the end of 2011. The first post-doc researcher, affiliated to Royal University of Phnom Penh, joined the program early 2010. A second Cambodian post-doc researcher , affiliated to the Cambodian Development Resource Institute (CDRI) – the leading Cambodian independent research institutes – was recently appointed to the program.

Based on the academic workshop in October 2011 a first joint publication of this research group is under preparation. The first research findings have been presented at several (international) conferences and (program-based) workshops. At this stage, the program has resulted in the following output: 2 published articles, 1 book chapter in press, 3 articles/book chapters accepted for publication, and 3 submitted articles/book chapters.

Developmental output
The annual stakeholder workshops (in 2009, 2010, 2011) have generated an increase in numbers, density and depth of linkages with international, national and local stakeholders. The workshops have also proven to be an excellent opportunity to involve an increasing number of stakeholders in the establishment and monitoring of the PhD and post-doc projects and their engagement in the empirical research. The attendance of the workshops shows a constant high level (30-40 participants) and the engagement of individuals who hold high positions in the relevant organisations and institutions. These workshops will be continued at an annual basis throughout the duration of the program.

The program is succeeding in its objective to contribute to capacity building in Cambodia. We recruited committed researchers, who are also rather active in sharing their knowledge with Cambodian and Dutch (Master) students. Two of our PhD candidates and one of our post-docs are involved in relevant Master Programs taught at the Royal University of Phnom Penh: in Development Studies, Social Entrepreneurship, and International Studies. Our senior researchers have participated in public and guest lectures at a number of Cambodian universities (with attendance of NGO, CSO and government delegates) and in (advisory and policy) meetings with our key stakeholders.

Collaborative output
In two cases, through the involvement in the empirical research and part-time affiliation of our PhD and post-doc researchers, contacts with stakeholders have resulted in a more formal association with the program, as with CDRI and the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC). In addition, our researchers are actively participating in public debate through contributions to national newspapers, radio programs, and policy meetings. New alliances with (inter-)national research institutions and umbrella organizations have been established, such as the VU the Network Institute and the Amsterdam Global Change Institute.