Competing Hegemonies
Foreign-Dominated Processes of
Development in Cambodia
Research Program
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
WOTRO Science for Global Development
Integrated Programs
2009-2015
This program addresses foreign-dominated processes of
development in Cambodia, in particular economic growth and
democratization,
Within a theoretical framework based on critical perspectives on
globalization and development,
In a context within which these processes are shaped by the
current Western practice of promoting democracy and the
strong (East) Asian economic presence.
The focus is on a plethora of (foreign) institutional actors
Who are cooperating, competing and conflicting in the
Cambodian ‘development industry’
And who – by doing so – create opportunities and threats for
(newly emerging and established) Cambodian actors.
THEME
The program is an Integrated Program; it
aims at
(1) Identifying, analyzing and ‘making sense
of’ the contributions of foreign, national
and local actors to civil society and
economic growth in Cambodia,
(2) contributing to capacity building among
Cambodian academics and professionals,
(3) organizing the exchange of knowledge
among all actors involved.
AIM
In which ways do the partly converging and
partly conflicting worldviews and interests
of foreign hegemonies and related
Cambodian stakeholders affect both the
formation of a civil society and the
development of an embedded economy?
CENTRAL QUESTION
Five (overlapping) clusters of institutional
actors:
1. Local and international NGOs
2. The Cambodian private sector
3. Foreign investors (China mainland, South
Korea…)
4. Government (multiple levels)
5. Ethnic groups, Cambodian diaspora and
returnees
6. The Higher Education sector
ACTORS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
NGOs (international and local) at the interface of Western
democracy. East Asian capitalism, national politics and local
practices: the case of land conflicts. (2 post-doc projects)
Local NGOs balancing between social value creation and profitmaking: the dawn of social enterprises? (PhD project)
China’s investments in Cambodia (hydro-power): an alternative
path to development? (PhD project]
The South Korean investment boom (in the agricultural sector): an
opportunity for Cambodian enterprises? (PhD project)
Institutional Entrepreneurship of Cambodian returnees:
transnational linkages. (PhD project)
The revitalization of ethnic Chinese business networks in Cambodia.
(PhD project)
The Business of Higher Education in Cambodia. (PhD project
vacancy)
PROJECTS
Year/
projects
2009
Chanrith
(post-doc)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
1-1-10
xxx
xxx
3 m NL
xxx
3 mNL
1-10-14
1-10-11
xxx
3 m NL
xxx
3 m NL
1-10-14
Bunthoeun
(post-doc)
2015
Sothy
1-4-10
9 m NL
xxx
xxx
4 m NL
xxx
12 m NL
1-4-14
4 m NL
Pheakdey
1-4-10
9 m NL
xxx
xxx
4 m NL
xxx
12 m NL
1-4-14
4 m NL
1-1-11
9 m NL
xxx
xxx
6 m NL
xxx
12 m NL
1-1-2015
xxx
5 m NL
1-12-2015
11 m NL
San
Gea
1-2-09
xxx
xxx
xxx
1-2-2013
Michiel
1-10-09
xxx
xxx
xxx
1-10-13
1-12-11
xxx
9 m NL
xxx
vacancy
Time Schedule
Specific aspects of the original proposal become more
pronounced. While the empirical research within the programme
is unfolding, the embedded nature of the processes of
development is strongly emphasized. The contribution of this
programme to critical globalization scholarship will be the analysis
of foreign-dominated processes of development in Cambodia from
the perspective of locally embedded power relations.
 The challenge remains with the strategies of participatory and
integrative research. Access to international and local NGOs as
well as diasporic entrepreneurs and business associations is often
difficult to obtain but upon unrelenting efforts and the mediation
by our collaborating key-stakeholders relevant informants finally
become available.
 The interaction among scholars with divergent disciplinary
background on the one hand and participating stake-holders on
the other indeed generates synergy for the benefit of all.

Scientific significance
The
overall objective is sustained: to assess the competing
paradigms of neo-liberal aid and good governance separately and in
confluence in order to feed the outcome of this assessment into
programs for capacity building using education as a vehicle of
generating social change.
The program successfully involves a growing number of diverse
and competing stakeholders in a sustained dialogue throughout the
program and involves participants (including the current research
group) in processes of mutual learning encouraging them to change
and develop.
Surprisingly, one category of stakeholders has been difficult to
involve: the sector of higher education. It is this sector which is a
major exponent of competing hegemonies in Cambodia. This finding
has resulted in an additional project added to the program with the
purpose of both investigating this sector and implementing plans for
capacity building.
Relevance for development



The overall objective of the program is implemented as
planned: design the current research program in terms of a
process of mutual learning including (international)
academics and stakeholders.
However, it remains yet to be seen whether this approach
will have an impact on social processes of change. Such an
impact will be hard to assess within a short span of time.
We assume that the researchers exposed to the learning
process as outline here and the results emanating from this
research program will be capable of making a contribution
to social change in the future.
International collaboration

How will we guarantee the balanced involvement of all stakeholders
in research and action plans?

How can we assure that the findings will be adequately and
comprehensively be shared with our stakeholders?

How can we contribute to transforming our academic conclusions into
‘applicable’ knowledge?

Who will be the ‘owner’ of our data?

Who will want to use our findings?

What are the ‘caveats’ here?

How may the proposed program directly initiate change, next to
identifying/analyzing/ contributing to capacity building?
ISSUES