Pheakkdey Nguon

Pheakkdey was first introduced to SUMERNET by a colleague at the UNDP Bangkok, who encouraged him to apply for SUMERNET’s support to conduct comparative analyses on the processes to develop national REDD+ strategy in Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. My team, consisting of universities in the three countries with mentors from the UNDP Bangkok, was selected as part of SUMERNET Phase III. They conducted the research from 2014 to 2017. His team produced various academic and non-academic publications, conducted various policy engagements with government and non-government institutions in the three countries to enhance the saliency, credibility, and legitimacy of their research findings, as well as provided capacity building to their research assistants who at the time were master students at universities. Therefore, Pheakkdey understands first-hand the challenges that research teams under SUMERNET 4 All might face in conducting their research and that he is ready to offer them suggestions to overcome these challenges. This is his first motivation to apply for this position.

Pheakkdey appreciated the personal/professional development that he cultivated through his engagement in the SUMERNET Phase III. Therefore, his second motivation for applying for this position is to be able to contribute back to SUMERNET his technical expertise, experience and connections. Particularly, he brings to this position his experience working at the interface of science and policy in Cambodia and the Mekong countries as a young, emerging scholar and practitioner. A majority of the team members for SUMERNET 4 All will consist of researchers around his age.