Inalco renews its commitment to teaching and research in the Humanities and Social Sciences in Cambodia

This signing ceremony took place at Inalco in the presence of the various partner institutions: the Royal University of Fine Arts (URBA), the Royal University of Phnom Penh (URPP), the National Institute of Education (INE), Inalco, the Institute of Research for Development (IRD), the Embassy of the French Republic in Cambodia.

The Centre de recherche Inter-universitaire en sciences humaines et sociales au Cambodge - ChAS commun aux trois établissemenst d'enseignement supérieurs du Cambodge is administered on a tripartite basis by the three tutelle institutions: l'Inalco (tutelle du laboratoire Structure et Dynamique des Langues), the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD - tutelle du laboratoire Structure et Dynamique des Langues) and the Embassy of the French Republic in Cambodia, under the authority of the two Cambodian ministries, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

The ChAS is the culmination of the European GEReSH-CAM project: Governance and Emergence of Research in the Humanities in Cambodia, led by Inalco (2016-2019), aiming to bring about the emergence and structuring of a research and innovation policy in the humanities in Cambodia.

It will initially target the following research disciplines: Anthropology/Ethnology, Archaeology, History, Art History, Languages (English, French, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, etc.), Linguistics, Khmer Literature, Educational Sciences.

Cooperative activities will focus on:

• the exchange of students, teachers, researchers from both institutions, in each of the scientific programs within their competence,
• the supervision of doctoral students, in each of the Franco-Cambodian programs,
• the development of joint projects relating to research in the field of languages, humanities and social sciences, within the limits of their respective means,
• the creation of seminars on themes of common interest,
• the provision of resources necessary for research in the disciplines mentioned,
• assistance in writing and setting up projects with a view to applying for grants,
• support for doctoral students or researchers from partner universities or research laboratories being hosted at the research center,
• the establishment of co-direction or co-supervision of doctoral students,
• the development of the scientific and/or institutional partnership network.

Manusastra is a groundbreaking international cooperation program aimed at developing training and research in the humanities - archaeology, history, art history, ethnology - and linguistics, in Cambodia, Laos and all the countries of Southeast Asia. Manusastra trains high-level young experts from French-speaking Southeast Asian countries, specializing in the study, conservation and promotion of the region's intellectual, cultural and historical heritage.

Officially launched in 2014, it is supported by Inalco and IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) via their "Structure et Dynamique des Langues" (SeDyL) joint research unit, and several partners: the Centre Asie du Sud-Est (CASE, INALCO), CNRS, École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Université Royale des Beaux Arts (URBA, Phnom Penh).