Anakut - The podcast about Cambodia's future

Pearl of Asia

In this episode, Globe Editor-in-Chief Andrew Haffner and his co-host Dy Sereyvoleak explore Phnom Penh’s role in shaping Cambodia’s contemporary culture, focusing on the city’s role in bringing art, music and other creative pursuits to the eyes, ears, and minds of the public. It may not rival global cultural giants like New York or Paris, but it undoubtedly plays a pivotal role in shaping popular taste and media in Cambodia. The duo take a look at Phnom Penh’s evolving infrastructure suppo...

China's Belt & Road Initiative in Cambodia

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) started with lofty ambitions.  This massive China-led infrastructure project has been called one of the most “one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever conceived.” The vast network of overland corridors and maritime shipping routes was announced in 2013 by president Xi Jinping, and based on the Silk Road, one of the world’s original trade routes and a critical source of connectivity between Asia and the Mediterranean and European world. In Cam...

Public Education in Cambodia

Covid-19 resulted in a loss of 250 days of school for Cambodian students. With a focus on the status of public education post-pandemic, we  spoke with Chhun Vyrada, a teacher and fellow with Teach for Cambodia and Ou Sokhim, the Education and Technical Lead at Aide et Action, an education non-profit, to learn what the learning outcomes are for students who lost out on a year of educational opportunities. 

Women in Politics and Policy

The Cambodian government has an increasing number of female representatives, as well as a Ministry of Women’s Affairs, but major hurdles remain in place limiting actual participation in governance. To help tackle these questions, we invited Chanthol Oung, Executive Director of the Women's Media Centre of Cambodia and You Sotheary, Founder of the Next Women Generation platform to share their experiences and reflections on women’s issues, the current state of women in politics, and their hopes...

Urban Planning: Building the future of Phnom Penh

Powering the Kingdom: Cambodia's Energy Mix

Saving Prey Lang Forest

This week we take a walk through Prey Lang Forest, in theory a protected sanctuary, but which has seen rampant deforestation propelled by official corruption. Joining us are Meou Chandara, an activist from the Cambodian Youth Network, and Fran Lambrick, a co-founder of environmental and human rights group Not1More

Cambodia's Garment Sector

The outlook seemed bleak for the Kingdom's garment industry when early last year Cambodia simultaneously lost tariff-free access to the EU and the pandemic struck the global economy. Almost 18 months on, we speak with GMAC head Ken Loo and researcher Dennis Arnold to learn about the state of the industry today

Khmerization and Cambodian Identity

Being Khmer is often treated as synonymous to being Cambodian. But many ethnicities are woven throughout the Kingdom's rich tapestry, as social commentator Din Darathtey and Cambodian Living Arts executive director Prim Phloeun join the podcast to discuss

Cambodia's National Internet Gateway

Cambodia in ASEAN

We have a hot one for the second episode of Anakut Season 2. Things get animated as former Cambodian ambassador to Japan Pou Sothirak and former Singaporean diplomat Bilahari Kausikan discuss Cambodia's role in ASEAN, under scrutiny as its ties with China grow stronger

LGBTQ+ in Cambodia

Welcome to Season 2 of the Anakut podcast! As June is the Pride Month, we're kicking off with Cambodia's LGBTQ+ community, discussing the hopes and challenges facing individuals today. Joining us is Skyler Ros, a transgender fashion designer, and Seng Reasey, executive director of rights group SILAKA

Media and Press Freedom in the Kingdom

This week on Anakut, hosts Meng and Andrew wrap up the first season with a slightly meta -topic: The Cambodian media landscape as it stands today. This is a big topic that covers everything from the country’s falling press freedom ranking to the future of mobile, social information platforms, and so we invited on more guests than ever before. Click to listen to our conversation with reporter Phorn Bopha, media director Ith Sothoeuth from the Cambodia Center of Independent Media and Nov Povle...

Democracy in Cambodia and ASEAN

This week, it’s all about democracy. We sat down with Pech Pisey, executive director from Transparency International Cambodia (TI) about the state of play here in Cambodia. From our conversation Pisey shared with us that Cambodia today does not practice democracy in a meaningful way. We spoke at length about the restriction of civil society, including the repression of protesters escalated since the July arrest of unionist Rong Chhun.

Beyond Aid and the future of foreign money in Cambodia

In this sixth episode of Anakut, we discuss what lies after aid for Cambodia. We're already in a time when a fast-growing economy is pushing Cambodia into early middle-income status and into a new stage of development. That's not to say aid is leaving just yet, or that foreign money is going anywhere. To learn more, we invited Ear Sophal, associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in the US. Sophal is a long-time political observer of Cambodian politics and, dir...

Leapfrogging

For the fifth episode of Anakut, we’re talking leapfrogging. That’s not the classic children’s game, but the concept that developing states can skip old technology to get right up to speed with the latest and greatest. To learn more, we spoke to Kem Bora, partner at Mekong Strategic Partners investment group, and Manu Rajan, the CEO of Wing, one of Cambodia’s major digital money transfer services. Everyone wants to move fast, but what can we do to make sure all Cambodians get to leapfrog tog...

Between Modernity and Tradition

Cambodia is a country steeped in culture and tradition. How does an increasingly international perspective amongst young people create a clash between traditional Cambodian values and more modern, international ways of thinking?  We speak with  Rithy Lomorpich and Nhem Phannaro to hear their perspectives.

The future of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers and the people who rely on them.

The  Mekong  and Tonle Sap Rivers are vital resources that support millions of people in Southeast Asia. As the climate emergency and infrastructure developments disrupt previously reliable cycles of nature, the health of the river system and those whom rely on it are in jeopardy, making it a flash point for potential geopolitical conflict. We speak with Pich Charadine, Deputy Director of CICP and Coordinator of Global Center of Mekong Studies and Ham Oudom, Independent Consultant on Environ...

The future of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers and the peoples who rely on them.

The impact of Covid-19 on Cambodia and how it will shape the country's future

For the first ever episode of Anakut - The podcast about Cambodia's future, we speak with Mr. Ou Virak, the Founder and President of Future Forum a leading Cambodian political think-tank and Dr. Chheng Kimlong, the Director of Asian Vision Institute. Learn how Covid-19 has impacted Cambodian society and the economy and whether or not social unrest could be on the horizon.

Women in the Kingdom and how we can create a more equitable and inclusive future for women in Cambodia

For the second episode of Anakut - The podcast about Cambodia's future, we spoke to Chak Sopheap, Executive Director of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, and Pidor Ham, Influencer and body positive blogger about women in Cambodia. Listen to learn more about how social norms are changing in the Kingdom and why sometimes tradition slows progress.