AKP Phnom Penh, March 25, 2026 --

Cambodia is pivoting toward artificial intelligence and large-scale digital transformation to modernise its teaching workforce, a senior official said at a high-level regional summit on Wednesday.

Speaking at a policy dialogue hosted by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) and The Education University of Hong Kong, Cambodian Secretary of State for Education H.E. Dr. San Vathana detailed the Kingdom’s 2024-2030 Teacher Policy Action Plan.

The strategy marks a shift for the Southeast Asian nation as it seeks to integrate emerging technologies into general and higher education to address equity and efficiency gaps.

"The focus is on leveraging innovation to enable teacher professional development at scale," H.E. Vathana told a gallery of policymakers and industry experts.

The three-day forum, which runs through Mar. 27, arrives as developing economies in the Global South face increasing pressure to adapt traditional schooling to the rapid rise of AI. Cambodia’s roadmap rests on four strategic pillars: Streamlining teacher oversight and deployment; Redefining educational roles for the digital age; Aligning teacher education with high-tech requirements; Enhancing the status and career development of educators.

Cambodian officials are specifically looking at AI to drive higher education reforms, aiming to create a template for "scaling up" quality instruction in regions where resources have historically been limited.

The summit has brought together education ministers, researchers, and ed-tech firms to establish partnerships aimed at bridging the digital divide across the globe.

By K. Rithy Reak